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Don't forget about the term "Swap Job" coined by "The Rolex Report" decades ago. (i.e. putting an Explorer dial into a 1601 case, swapping out the Cyclops and fluted bezel and ending up with a 1016)... I think this covers @matzemedia above. I think in these forums a Frankenstein is ultimately a mix of Gen/Rep/Aftermarket parts to end up with a just-as-good reference model. Either Rep w/Gen Rolex Movement, or Gen Everything except the Movement...

"Been about two years trying to get this watch together." It took me about that long to put my 'shortcut 1655' together but if it was done with nothing else going on, it probably took at least 60 hours. Have another '1655' project with a J$Wcom case/dial and all correct 1575GMT movement and it has been on the back burner for about 11 years. Maybe I will finish it this winter.

"But then we have the term geninstein lol what constitutes as a geninstein?" You ask some hard questions. This might be pretty close... Or not, thought you said gininstein. It's all gone, but there was some of this left...

"I think this may be my issue on the thickness. Or maybe something along those lines." "This movement has been working in another GMT Watch it’s a genuine GMT movement, but I changed the date wheel to the open 6 and 9 for the 1655 and then it started to act funny on the date change." The DW are the same for GMT, 1680, DJ etc, p/n 7961 but aftmkt DWs may not be exactly on spec. My 'shortcut 1655' has an aftmkt DW and it does not flip all at once but goes about half way at 12 but it is always centered the next morning so I left it alone. Mine may be a weak 'calendar yoke spring' but I do not want to r/r the hands and dial to get to it. Lay the DW on a sheet of glass or flat metal and see if it is flat to begin with because it does not take much to hang them up. Something else that can cause the DW to hang up is if the inside diameter of an aftmkt (or genuine) DW has rough leaves (aka teeth) and it hangs up when the little index arm tries to center it after a change. This might also be the cause of mine hanging up. If the teeth are rough, you can roll a piece of 1000 or 1500 sandpaper on a toothpick and run it through the gaps in the teeth and roll it over the teeth to smooth them down a little. If the numbers do not center in the dial window after the date changes, you can adjust the little screw on the end of the index spring/arm to center the numbers.

Something I wonder about concerning Frankensteins... Is a 1970s rlx 55xx/1680/1655/DJ etc still 'all rolex' with a replacement '444' or '777' case? It may be 'all rlx'...but it sure ain't 'all original'. Where do the 'genuine' rlx replacement cases come from anyway? The few 55xx/1680 examples I have seen could be from Yuki etc a few years back with the '444' prefix special ordered for all I know. If the owner does not have 'official rlx documentation' how would anyone know for sure? My guess is...there ain't no way. Is a '444' case with everything else original really 'worth' as much as the same guts in a Yuki/Phong/Ruby etc case? Not in a sane world it ain't. Imho.

I would call it a franken. Many of the old-timers here produced similar watches back in the day. But these were mostly done because a specific model had either not yet been repped or was not widely available. Nice GMT by the way.

I like the question and want to add a funfact. The word "Frankenstein" suggests to me rather a watch mixed from all possible parts - without the goal to improve the quality of a replica. So rather to produce something new. Frankenstein is put together from everything that existed. My 1st association of a "Frankenstein" was therefore a watch mixed from different models. Example: a 16610 Submariner case with GMT function and pointed crown guard like this: How do you call this mix? 😉

"I wonder where can I find a Frankenstein (GMF) watches do you know any TD who sells it?" When I posted the lead on this thread three years ago a 'GMF' vintage rlx 55xx was still somewhat affordable. It is most likely not that way now because of the rapid rise in rlx 15xx movement prices. A 1520/60/70 rlx movement could be found three years ago for around $1200 in good running order but the same thing today is often $2000 or more and may not be in very good condition. This makes a '5512/13/1680' GMF-stein go up over $3000 counting a high grade case, dial, and a pretty good bracelet...plus labor if you can not do it all yourself. Keep an eye on the 'for sale' posts and maybe one will show up, complete or a project with most or all of the critical parts. Other than that, some parts dealers have complete GMF watches for sale but they are highly priced. Btw...the '5512 GMF' mentioned above now has a nos ETA 2879 in it and it performs about the same as before and is more reliable in the long run because of the worsening rlx part$ situation. This makes a similar watch project cost around $1200 or $1500 instead of around $3000 and it looks exactly the same. Modern rlx watch projects are quite a bit different because good cases can be found for around $75 to $100 and 3135 clone movements are $200 or so. They are a different kettle of fish, like sardines compared to New Zealand King $almon. Ha!

Sorry for coming late to the party. Just recovering from a recent unexpected health issue!!!! For me my initial understanding of a Frankenwatch especially relating to the Rolex brand was a watch which was all genuine on the outside but powered by a cheaper mechanism!!!! One of the reasons which the Tudor was more of the cheaper version of the big sister Rolex., I first heard the term some 20 plus years ago, when there were many genuine Rolex 36mm cases with original dials being sold at some of the watch fares and were sold between $150 and $400 depending on condition and rarity. My understanding is that they were being sold as the original movements were used in either the more expensive submariners or in the aftermarket solid gold models made in the far East. Andy Tolley from Timeman got me a few good deals!!!! I myself bought a 1601 and a 1500 with original dials for approximately $350 together. I used a couple of eta 2783 movements where I had a jeweler drill a couple of holes in the base plate so that they could take up the same dial feet from the Singer dials in the event I ever came across the original 1570 movement. The date wheel was a bit of a turn off but I lightly glued a small date window frame which came off a Seiko, but hid the crime scene. It did the trick and had it until I sold them both for just over double the price to someone begging me for them. I declared them for what they were but most people wouldn't even know what a Rolex is, let alone be able to distinguish if the crown guards are right or the crystal is too high etc. Some of the young blond dorky women working at most of the AD have no idea of what they are selling. I know this for a fact!!!!! This is a very esoteric interest and even I after many years enjoying this hobby have difficulties with some of the models unless I over analyze them. I once owned a genuine 1680 and a genuine 16030 and were bought relatively cheap, but when the service prices and the market went mad, I thought of putting them away and selling them later for better money, but spend as little as possible and buy a good quality replicas of them made of the same ingredients but baked by a different chef. In the end it is the demand which drives the market and for me I know I am wearing a replica and prefer to spend as little as possible as nobody in the profession will work on them anyway when they stuff up. If you cannot get the genuine case, then a star supply case either in 18k or stainless steel with a genuine movement for me is as good as if not better than some of the rotted and worn out genuines being sold on ebay!!! Each to their own as to what makes them tick. As for me, I still treasure my very first replica from Paul at Aspire which is my Seiko disguised as a Rolex and I know this and accept it for what it is. Believe it or not I get more attention from strangers asking me about them than I ever did from when I was wearing the real pieces!!!! Pick the bones out of that one!!! LOL!!!

Only chronographs can be Frankensteins IMHO ... other watches lack those BIG pushers