tomhorn

He spends much of the article whining about how no one really noticed it and feigning guilt over a belief that he would somehow be treated differently but wasn't. The problem with that is he chose a modern Rolex Explorer. No offense to Rolex or those that own one (I have a 1016 after all), but the vast majority of people wouldn't recognize that watch as a) a Rolex, and b ) an expensive watch. His experience would likely have been much different with a Daytona, DateJust or Sub, all of which are easily identifiable by just about anyone as a Rolex. I never have anyone say a word to me about my 1016 (which I wear more than anything else by far), but regularly get asked about my DateJust and 6263. Even my LV Sub gets noticed occasionally, mainly because the bezel is green.

I'll bring the tequila Legend ...

Haven't seen you around for awhile Ubi ... welcome back!

Not good condition .... VERY GOOD CONDITION ....

The 21j version had a working countdown ... you just needed to fix the center seconds hand in place. There is no current Asian movement with all of the complications, so you are not going to find one that does everything.

As others have mentioned, you always have to consider the cost of the gen vs what you are going to put into the build. I would agree with around 30% of gen being a good target for your max budget as well. The most important thing is to not make mistakes when purchasing the parts. I have seen way too many people not plan and research their builds first, and end up buying parts that either won't work for what they are trying to accomplish or are going to make the build too expensive. Also, with very few exceptions, putting a gen movement in a franken is a bad move economically. I see several people have said something along the lines of "it doesn't matter if I overpay because I'm never selling it". That's a bad philosophy to go into a build with. You never know what might happen in your life that could cause you to need to sell, or you might just tire of something. I have four frankens in my watch box now that going in I thought I would never sell .... but I really only wear one on a regular basis. Fortunately I built all of them (or in one case, bought) "right" so if I decide to sell, I will probably come out OK. With what I have in them combined, I could buy a nice Sub or GMT II. The thought crosses my mind from time-to-time.

A: Since I know I've only got an hour left, I would have already said goodbye to those I care for and made peace with my life. Therefore I would go to a casino, get a glass of 23 YO Pappy Van Winkle, and after consuming it, I would bet all the cash I still had left on red at the roulette table (month and date of my birthday are both red numbers). Q: If you could sit down and have a drink with one person from your past, who would it be and what would you talk about?

Ranier is the go-to for generic boxes. http://www.network54.com/Forum/353393/thread/1283461862/last-1283461862/FS-++++++Rainer's+XXL+WATCH+BOXES+++-+++new+models+available Donerix also does good work.

You can check with raffles-time or helenarou. Just have to ask for the branded dial.

Excellent work .... welcome to the club!

If you're only in for $1,000 on parts, you have done very well. Welcome to the club ... Only change I would make is to switch the bezel to a WatchNY one to get the 110 spacing correct.

Why wouldn't you just get the tube from Athaya? You can either buy his crown/tube combination, or just buy his tube that's designed for a gen crown.

Nothing you can do, but wait and see what (if anything) shows up. I doubt what you get will be worth what you paid, so chalk it up to a learning experience and buy from one of the trusted dealers in the future. Since you paid with WU, you're not likely to be getting your money back, as I doubt highly they will accept the watch back and refund you.

I would go with TC's hands.

When I had an extra 160xx case, I built a 1016 ...

160xx or 162xx? Personally I think the 2824 works best for both, but many people will tell you it's OK to use a 2836 in a 160xx case. The 2824 is the recommended choice in a 162xx case.

If you are using Yuki's case then the easiest thing to do would be to buy TC's 2824, and while you are at it, buy a set of his Submariner hands. TC 2824-2 Elabore Grade, $180 TC 16610 Hands Set V2, $50 Relume the hands to match whatever dial you are using. Keep in mind if the dial isn't made for an ETA movement, you will have to clip the feet. Also make sure you get an ETA movement ring with the Yuki case. You could go elsewhere for it, but Yuki does sell them. http://www.yukiwatch.com/catalog/item/7518423/7999848.htm

Not on the wrist at the moment .... sitting on my desk like this so I don't get desk diving marks on the clasp while I'm computing ...

Yes, and yes. The 2836 is already set up properly. If you use a 2824, you need the H4 swapped in for what the movement comes with. TC's movement has that set up done already, or you will have to get a watchsmith to do it for you. Out of the box, the 2824 does not come with it. The real issue is what case is it going in? That will tell you which movement you need to use.

Make sure you get the WSO 580's that take the fat spring bars, and use gen, or the "Aussie" aftermarket spring bars (eBay seller twente(o), AKA Fasci). http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-X-ROLEX-PART-23-9293-OEM-AFTER-MARKET-316L-S-S-S-BARS-20mm-EXPLORER-1016-SUB-/221746086594 Depending on what case you use, you may have to drill out the lugs.

This is completely wrong. Pretty much every rep coming from China is going to need a service. The movements are notoriously dirty and improperly oiled coming from the factory. It's not worth it on a 21j DG movement, but ETA or ETA clone movements it's definitely a good idea to have done at some point. As both posters above me have said, I would not have the TD do the service. Get the watch, wear it for awhile, and if you think it's a long term keeper, definitely get it serviced.

For my 1016, I just used Mary's 7836 with WSO 580 endlinks. My case is a gen 16014 and everything fit perfectly. A folded bracelet is period correct for the 1016.

With all the recent talk about HH's 5514 case, I decided to let mine see the sun today ... would love to post a proper picture, but something is amiss when I try to do so today.