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Build another new 1680. Base watch is a JKF but there is not really much what needed of the Rep. I reshaped the whole Case, thinned and drilled the Lugs, opened the Cg's. Installed a gen T-127, gen Tube and Crown, The Dial was horrible so I took a Yuki one with correct hands. Datewheel is open 6&9. Modded the Inlay to look more matte. The Bracelet is the Factory 93150. This came out. Gesendet von meinem 2107113SG mit Tapatalk

Amazing built. I have the same with a 1570 movement in it and a working HE valve. cheers

Excellent mod job, Rolojack!!! How did you thin out equally all the lugs? CNC Lathe? Wear it often and in good health!

I did. Thanks for the nice words !

I recently bought a 16000-series case (for $66!) so I could put together a Datejust franken. However, I'm still waiting for a few parts to come in, so I've had this case sitting on my desk for the last month. And the more I looked at it, the more I started thinking about Explorers. (Naturally.) Specifically, I wondered how it would look with a Tropic 22, and a spare jmb bezel I had in my parts drawer. Years ago, Stilty (with whom all 1016 franken goodness begins) took a look at several Datejust cases and found the 162xx series to be the closest match to the genuine 1016. Compared to the 16xx Datejust, the 162xx has the thicker lugs and the improved caseback design that's more like a 1016's. The downside, in my opinion, was that the lug profile is harsher and more trapezoidal than the gentle curves of a 1016. Nevertheless, my Space-Dweller was built on a 1601 and -slender lugs aside- it's a very credible 1016 on the wrist. Just to cover my bases, Explorer #4 was based on a 16203. Its bulk gives it a closer resemblance to the 1016, overall, but the "shrugged shoulders" lugs (as automatico would put it) mark it out as a more modern design. (I guess this is the point where I say that these are all details that NOBODY will notice unless they've got your watch in hand and are looking at it up close. Preferably with a gen to compare it to!) So why not a 16xxx? It's like a mix between the 16xx and the later 162xx. The lugs of this 16014 are a bit thicker than the 1601's--by 0.5mm at the center of the case. And compared to the 16203, the tops of the 16014's lugs have that gentle curve seen on older Rolex designs. Finally, while I didn't photograph the casebacks, I can say that the 16014's has a greater resemblance to the 1016's caseback than the others do. It's not a perfect match with the 1016, but... Let's go to the photo comparison: It's looking good for the 16014. Another feature that I wanted to check was the rehaut. The depth and profile of the 16203's rehaut is spot-on with the 1016's, while the 1601's is noticeably shallower. From left to right is a 1016, 16203, 1601, and the 16014: Pardon the stand-in dial! The 16014's rehaut isn't as deep as the 16203's, but it has a more vertical profile than the 1601. A pretty good compromise, all things considered. Am I missing something that disqualifies the 16xxx from the "Best 1016 Impersonator" contest?