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Not counting cartel cases because of their specification hits and misses from one batch to the next, where does the replacement case situation stand today? Case situation from the recent past from what I know (no claim for accuracy): 1...DW is long gone but his 55xx cases were Ok and affordable, around $200. They were all 1680 spec, made for rlx 1570/5 date movements and 26.5mm dials. Almost all had spring wire bezels and the case neck was a hair too small. Some with good engraved numbers, some no numbers. Came with two sizes of case backs, one oem (30.9mm threads) one not (30.4mm threads), everything else is the same. Most case back letters/numbers were pretty good. The case sides are slightly rounded, not flat. Make good 'high mileage' watches and lower cost projects. I've had better luck fitting domed aftmkt crystals than flat top cyclop aftmkt crystals on these cases using Clark or ST bezel kits. No longer see them for sale new or used. No O ring under bezel. China made probably. 2...MBW/MBK cases are also long gone. They were affordable when readily available and made to accept a rlx 1570/5 date movement and a 26.0mm dial (1680 was 26.5mm). The case backs, crystals, and bezels were oem spec. Laser case numbers/letters not very good. Very good cases for projects using rlx, Eta etc movements. Dial window in case needs to be enlarged for 1680 spec dial. Has an O ring under the bezel like later models. Sold mainly in Thailand, legend says they were made there. Do not know how case prices are holding up, guessing $300 to $400 for an empty undamaged case with bezel. 3...Yuki cases are still around but not always up on their website. They are high quality and priced around $700 to $800 last time I checked. No O ring under bezel on mine. Hardly ever see a used one for sale, guessing $400 to $500 used and undamaged. 4...IG44 cases are few and far between, been out of business a few years. I snagged a new 1680 case from a member a few years ago and it is first rate, oem spec, precise machining, good numbers etc. The case has a slight 'canoe' shape when seen from the side like some of the older 1680s. No idea where they were made. No O ring under bezel. Probably go for around $500 if you could find one. Example of 'canoe' shaped case: https://www.fratellowatches.com/tbt-rolex-red-submariner/ 5...Phong etc 'higher end' cases sell for $1000 and up. Good quality. High prices. Better than Yuki? Maybe yes, maybe no. Have seen opinions both ways. Do not know about O ring under bezel. Still pricey when purchased used as long as not clumsily 'aged'...guessing $700 and up. Cases 1,2 have oem spec case tube threads but the machined case tube gasket area may not accept oem spec gaskets when using oem spec case tubes. This can be a real hassle if decent WR is desired. The fix is to machine the gasket seat. Cases 3,4,5 will accept oem case tubes and gaskets. My questions are: 1...Exactly what are the 'Vietnam' cases now being mentioned on the forum? 2...Are they really made in Vn or like the 'Italian made' replicas from 15-20 years ago...made in China? 3...Is the fit and finish as good as MBK, Yuki etc? 4...Are they oem spec? 5...How much $$?

Hello Guys, I am back with this lovely roulette DWO, it is based on RWG friends and spend over 20 hours reshaping the font with AI, Photoshop, etc.... And finally ! I achieve it! Print with semi-plastic with black and red ink, it is Braille, on top of the DWO as gen, not print IN the paper. This DWO is suitable for eta movement, or DG, but not gen movement sorry. The price is 70 USD Firm include Hong Kong small post, if you need it fast, please tell me when you PM me. Please Comment below if you have any question! I will answer ASAP.

Refinished Vietnam case and custom dial. Nice gloss finish on the dial with a fine white 3D print. Extra flat lume as it should on GMTs to allow the GMT hand to operate smoothly.

Having been bitten by the watch bug a few years ago, I’ve just discovered a fresh new bite by the other watch bug, the rep bug. 🤔 Joining a few rep forums, today to get info from experienced people. 👍 I have a list of gen fantasy watches I’ll never own because they are ‘worth’ more than my car, or house, or both plus interest, so here I am, researching and reading and getting a little sweaty whilst looking at pics. Thanks for the info for newbies, it’s probably saved me some pain already. Cheers, Aaron in sunny (no joke!) Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😊👍

Sunshine in Scotland! Global warming is getting serious. How far has Elon got with terraforming Mars?

PM me...

Hi, everyone. Lo' emailed me about this thread, so I just wanted to jump in and say hello. I wish I could post a few photos of my old pieces, but unfortunately I still haven't gotten my picture-hosting situation sorted out! Rest assured, I still have all of them. Never gonna give them up. I did make a revision to one of the builds--specifically, the one that used a Datejust 16203 case, genuine dial, and Tudor Sub hands. Why? Here's the interesting bit: A few months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting jmb. I had a business trip to Dallas, and I'd always wanted to meet all of my Texan friends from this forum. Unfortunately, the timing with alligoat didn't work out, but jmb was kind enough to invite me for a home-cooked meal (brisket!) and a tour of his incredibly interesting workshop. I had a great time and learned a lot, too. Let me tell you: When you order a case from jmb, he's not just pushing a couple of buttons. It gets very involved and fiddly, but the CNC engraving process was a thrill to see in motion. So in addition to the food and the conversation, I also got a fresh, new, engraved jmb case as a gift. And that's where I transplanted the innards of Build #3. (Hmm. This should really be the part where I show the pretty pictures. Please send suggestions for services that will anonymously host a couple of pics. No adult sites, please.) Long story short: jmb really is the only game in town for a proper 1016 lookalike that won't break the bank. Plus, the man is a gent. I look forward to my next trip to Dallas.

I would ship half way across the world to use the right guy, rather than use the wrong guy locally. Even if they will work on it, if they aren’t well versed in the rep game, they aren’t going to give the results you want

This build was EPIC! Almost two years in the making. The owner was very demanding as he's familiar with the original of this specific year. Dial was redone twice !!! As well as the engravings untill the goal was reached. A great piece resulted of all this good attention. Enjoy the pics !!!

To answer your question simply: Yes it’s a good replica, no it’s not 1:1, and yes it can be improved further in terms of movement noise and case thickness. It is a good replica watch and the best iteration so far. In short, if you want a 15400, get this. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know this thread is old but there's a big variation within these vintage Rolex 5500 Explorer dials. and as an owner of one of these watches, I've done a bit of research about them and I know that there are a few variants dials around. Their differences are really easy to spot. Within the PRECISION models, we can group them in 2 kids of dials: "SMALL GAP LOGO" and "BIG GAP LOGO". The first variant have a small gap between the ROLEX logo letters. Invariably, they show a visible bigger gap between the letters R and E in "PR ECISION". Sometimes they have rounded numerals, some times square. The < aligns left of the seconds markings. No difference in thickness of the EXPLORER type. **This variant is identical to YUKI's but I really believe many are genuine examples, like the ones bellow. On the second variant, the ROLEX logo shows a bigger gap between the letters, specially around the letter O, like in "R O LEX". Sometimes the numbers are square, sometimes puffy rounded. No difference in thickness of the EXPLORER type. The word "PRECISION" does not have a gap like the ones above. The < aligns left of the seconds markings. Id like to point out the example posted by freddy333 as "genuine" but it is the one which shows the most inconsistencies. The < is not aligned with seconds marking. The hour hand has a slightly smaller circle. Contrary to what freddy333 said, this watch could actually be the one using aftermarket dial and hands. It also shows a thiner EXPLORER type for the name, which is very weird. In my opinion: FAKE. That said, the dials by YUKI are pratically identical to the 1st variant. See images bellow, both posted by users saying they were using YUKI dials. Conclusion: want to buy a 5500 Explorer? Go for the "BIG GAP LOGO" variant as it's more likely to be a gen dial.