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1-21-23 The notes below in italics were taken from a note I sent to a fellow RWG member concerning the 'shortcut 1655' project. I took the movement out of the cartel '1655' case a while back and took it apart to install a minute wheel post aka 'stud' to turn it back into a regular 1575 date movement. The original minute wheel post had to be removed during the 24 hour conversion because the conversion has a slightly smaller outside diameter minute wheel post with the minute wheel and 24 hour drive wheel mounted on top and it all turns in the main plate as one piece. The OD of the conversion min wheel post is slightly smaller than the oem (pressed in) post to allow it to turn in the main plate. This particular movement (mid 1960s non hack) came with a brass bushing inside the minute wheel post hole in the main plate. Q... Why is there a bushing in the main plate? A...No idea but most 15xx movements do not have the bushing. I had to press another minute wheel post in the main plate so I could use a regular oem minute wheel made to turn on the pressed in post when going back to a 12 hour date movement. "I had to put another minute wheel post in the seemingly never ending 1575 project from the shortcut '1655'. The first post I machined turned out to be too loose in the main plate so I had to cut another one and press it in. The loose post was .49mm in diameter and the new one was .52mm and it is tight. I used a piece of a drill bit for the new one by cutting a section off below the flutes, slightly tapering the end where it starts into the main plate. I used the minute wheel for a guide to keep the post 90 degrees to the main plate and pressed the post into the plate with the lever on an 'Inverto' staking tool. This movement has a tiny brass bushing (noted above) making the job a bit touchy. If the post is too small, it will be loose, if it is too big, it can push the bushing out when pressing the post in. Luckily the new post went in with no trouble. The first minute wheel post turned out to be loose because I was being careful not to push the bushing out. It was stainless steel (relatively soft), the second one is harder tool steel. 'Inverto' staking tool = the staking tool punches will also mount in the base of the tool, not just in the top where they can be tapped or pushed with a lever. This in effect allows the punches to do double duty as 'stumps' or 'punches'. 'Stumps = cups, stands, sharp cones etc. that are mounted in the tool base. The base has a turntable that can be locked in place for precision work. Staking tool set like mine except this one has the push lever on top removed: What I can't figure out is why some of the 15xx main plates have brass bushings because all the movements I've seen have the same size post pressed in the plate and all the minute wheels are hollow and run on the post. Some of my 15xx movements do not have a bushing but they have the same 7888-1 minute wheel post. Besides that, there is only one minute wheel part number (7888) and one minute wheel post aka 'stud' (P/N 7888-1) in the 'official' rlx parts list. I ordered a genuine post (7888-1) for this project but it was a lot bigger about half-way down and the plate would have to be drilled out to use it. Maybe it was the wrong part? Who knows?" I am going to get some date wheel spacer 'shims' made out of Mylar decal material to space the original DW 'calendar ring' up about .1mm to move the date wheel away from the 24 hour wheel on my next 'shortcut' GMT project. 'Date wheel spacer' = generic term for 15xx metal calendar rings that come in thick (GMT), regular (12 hour), or with sides that drop off for 'pie pan' dials on 16xx DJ. Submariners, OPD use the regular calendar rings. GMT rings are about .1mm thicker, now hard to find and high $$. Q...Why is a thicker spacer needed for a GMT? A1...Because the 24 H wheel makes the movement slightly taller and the hour and minute wheels can be too close to the dial. A2...GMT canon pinion and hour wheels are also slightly taller than DJ/OPD parts. I will post a note on how it turns out but it may be a month or longer. This whole story pertaining to the 'shortcut 1655' project was posted as a guide (or warning) to anyone who wants to install one of these 'shortcut' 24 hour kits in a rolex 15xx movement. If you do decide to install one, try to find a kit with the 24 hour drive gear mounted to the minute wheel and uses the original minute wheel post that comes in the movement. I have seen a few in pictures so they are available but I could never locate a supplier.

I do not follow reddit for anything, so I cannot comment directly. What I do know is that rwg.cc, like many of the gen watch sites, is like a ghost town today, which I think is due to a combination of watch burnout & poor management/misdirection of the sites/forums. Like some of the other mods, I lost interest in rwg after the site steered away from the more technical aspects of watches/collecting & into games/contests. There were other issues that some of us Mods took exception with, but that is not relevant here. Not looking to start a debate with anyone (that is for another thread), just expressing why some of us old-timers lost interest. Today, for better or worse, the games appear to have gone away, but, as was predicted, so has the membership. On the other hand, RWI (forum.replica-watch.info/ -- which is where I 1st learned about the amazing 4130-based Daytona clones), is like Grand Central Station. RWI today is what rwg.cc was up to a dozen years ago -- active & breaking new ground with many knowledgeable members leading/running a very busy forum. Although I hate to add to the member leakage here, I would recommend checking RWI out if you have not yet done so. I think you will find it quite educational. As to TDs, I think the concept of verifying rep sellers & applying clear rules for them to market to a large pool of eager buyers was more or less pioneered by us in the early 2000s. Others (like RWI) then copied our success because it was so effective for both buyers & sellers. Unfortunately, as the membership here dwindled, so did the TDs, as I see that some no longer list current/working contact & site addresses. I am guessing rwg.cc's mods are no longer actively overseeing or maintaining these TD relationships. However, based on what I am seeing, it looks like RWI is. Not sure why rwg.cc is not referenced on reddit, but I suspect it has to do with simple lack of traffic draw. Rwg.cc just does not draw much traffic now, so reddit does not view us as a major player in the rep field. Not sure how or what rwg.cc can do to regain its prominence without restructuring in a way that provides something for watch collectors that cannot be found elsewhere, as was the case back in rwg.cc's early days. & lacking both Ziggy & Bob, I think it will be difficult (but not impossible) to attract the kind of talent required to achieve that. That is my 2 cents.