Kerbus

Extremely nice! I can't believe it was that cheap! You're also quite lucky you had a ring sitting around that fit with simple modding. I only wish I had been as fortunate as you. If you want to upgrade to a better clasp, I think you can order one from one of the dealers, or if you want to put more money into it, you can always go gen.

That really looks great.I was able to do similarly on my Frankenjust. A while ago I bought a gen 1680 clasp buckle with the hopes of simply swapping out with the rep one for it. Unfortunately the fliplock of the rep doesn't fold over onto the gen buckle properly so now I have a gen buckle that just sits in a box. Lesson learned, if you want to swap out a fliplock type like a Sub has, you probably have to buy the entire clasp and swap it.

I'd contact jmb and see what he might be able to do for you

You're extremely brave doing the mods that you did. I had a tough enough time having my built and using a custom spacer ring. My hands had to be broached and they are made for the ETA movement. It must've been even more satisfying for you since you did it all yourself! Wear that piece with enormous pride!

If you go with a Raffles Time spacer, be sure you get the right one for the ETA. Might want to include a reminder note to Ken in the Paypal to send the ETA size one; I didn't do that and wound up getting the wrong size. JMB bailed me out though.

My 1680 came from Josh last year when he introduced the models with the "reconditioned" ETA 2846. A while back I bought a gen 1680 clasp buckle with the hopes that it would fit right on the rep bracelet. Unfortunately it's not 1:1. The flip lock does accomodate--so eventually I may try to find a correct style bracelet that will but in the meantime, it's quite a nice watch even without any mods mentioned above.

Hope a new part fixes all and everything comes together, looks like a really sweet watch and speaking of Turn-O-Graph, or in this particular example, a classic Thunderbird, I stumbled upon this over at Silix, it appears it's only availible in TT and a blue dial though http://silix-prime.com/rol007-p-1780.html I wonder if it might make for a mini project if it could accept the usual mods: gen dial, crown/tube swap.

Thanks very much! If the coronet isn't too off, he's a great go-to source for nice bracelets.

That's a spectacular chrono! You even engraved the back too! Impressive! Franken fever for sure! I better sign off now because it can spread-he he. Top notch work, as I know first hand. Wear it in good health.

The clasp of my president bracelet with the logo looks just fine. Its the vintage/classic style, which is correct for my particular model watch. The gold plating is nothing special, not the quality of wrapped or anything like that. If you want to go with an unbranded buckle on a jubilee, Raffles Time or any of the mentioned suppliers ought to be good.

I saw pics of the branded Jubilee from Raffles Time and I didn't like the quality of the coronet on the clasp buckle. It was too off, wrong shape. I have a President bracelet from him, and the coronet for the hidden clasp is ok. Maybe it's hit or miss. I'd be interested in seeing someone's jubilee if they recently got one from him, because if the coronet looks okay now, I'd consider maybe picking up a spare clasp eventually.

I'll second that. I bought my crown and tube from him but I think he's in AZ.

It will work out, the issues don't sound any more severe than the ones I encountered. A 16233 is pretty sweet.It looks like the price of the cases are only going up!

That's really not half bad. Consider it for a great super franken build!

Your hands may need to be broached as mine were, although it is a 16013. They are Clarks and surprisingly, they needed the broaching. Also, perhaps there is a small possibility your were sent the incorrect hands and maybe just with luck, they stay on for a bit. Happened to me, didn't realize it until the time came to try to fit them. If none of this is the case,maybe you do need another kind of CP. Also, I'd be very interested if a 2824 does successfully work in a 16233. Simpler movement without the issues you are having.

WB I too come in and out of the hobby over the years. The nice thing about it is there are always great watches out there and more being produced more than ever before. You can come and go as you please and never be disappointed in what's available.

You're not alone, I never did get mine to open anything either. For Rolex cases, I have an LG Openall opener. Not real cheap but not super expensive.Got mine on ebay nicely discounted. I justified getting one because I have several Rolex reps, the LG never once made a mark on the caseback and I have all them nice and snug tight.

I sure do JMB! It's definitely a pride of my collection, I really don't view it any differently than my gens of other brands.

A club of high honor! Thanks Alligoat!

If you don't like the ebay sellers, other online sellers that come to mind for non branded Jubilees are Esslinger and Star Time

Should work,in my case I have a used gen crown and tube but a tiny portion of the tube is still visible when the crown is screwed down all the way. It's extremely hard to see in person and looks more magnified than what it is in photos. I assume because the crown is used, the threads may no longer grip that very last tiny bit. It's rock solid though when screwed down and if this is the worse you may run into, not a worry at all.

Well, after doing quite a bit of research reading threads and looking up part numbers, and a process that was tedious at times, I was able to have a Franken 16013 built. Collecting the components for the project was fairly straightforward. I’ve been noticing the prices of the gen components only seem to be going up and up , so I acted quickly and bought everything in about a week’s time. But when it came time to have it all come together, I ran into several snags but in the end all worked out well! I’m a terrible photographer, so please pardon the crummy photos. Here’s my Franken Datejust “recipe” 1- 16013 case and gen bezel 2- Gen 6mm crown (24-600) and tube ( 24-6000-- height- 4.39 x 2.93 x 3.20) 3- Clarks 25-118 acrylic crystal ( note: 135 is the official part number for this case but per JMB my watch is proof the 25-118 works too—I’m really liking how acrylic crystals sit on cases compared to sapphires) 4- Clark Tudor ETA hands –had to be broached (hole sizes are 90/150/25 mm) 5- “custom/ refinished” champagne Datejust dial with Arabic numerals—feet cut off and grounded down flush 6- Crown ( 29-0600), tube(29-06000), and caseback (29-302-86)gaskets 7- ETA 2836 movement 8- Cubic-Works datewheel overlay-- generously donated by alligoat 9- Movement clamps/screws 10- Last but certainly NOT least- custom spacer ring by JMB I have a gold wrapped/filled TT Jubilee bracelet on the watch ( spring bars 82.929) with a gen clasp to finish everything off. The gen parts and dial can be found on Ebay, and stuff like the movement ,gaskets, any other assorted parts you may need can be found at Esslingers, Star Time and JBorel. The trickiest part of this build was an issue with getting an appropriate movement spacer ring. I tried some old plastic ones from reps;they didn’t work. I also initially bought a Raffles-times one, which apparently I was sent the wrong size, so that also didn’t work. I also tried a plastic ETA movement enlarger and having it shaved and modded, that also didn’t work, so I got in touch with JMB and he manufactured a movement spacer ring exactly for this case set and got the whole thing all finished up for me. Goes to show how important things must fit, just like a puzzle, if they are to come together! During the process of this build, three separate sources sent me wrong parts too, so that stalled things a little bit and just shows human error can come into play during any stage but nothing major and everything worked out fine. Also, I bought the case with a mineral glass crystal installed.I didn’t give it a second thought until it was discovered it wasn’t allowing for the hands to clear. Big problems. That crystal was a wrong fit and it’s my understanding if a glass crystal is to be used on this case, it must be a special conversion one that has an arc on the inner side to allow for the hands to move. The original style acrylic definitely looks nicer on this watch. So lots of twists and turns during the “birth” of this watch, but it’s all done, and I find it spectacular! Here’s an all gen Datejust practically identical looking to mine, but it’s a 16233 and has lume dots by the dial hour indices and I’ve also noticed that exact dial goes for $499 on the bay! I prefer the clean look without them that mine has better. http://www.tic-tock.com/wingates/watch-detail/39375 http://cgi.ebay.com/Champagne-Arabic-dial-rolex-gents-date-just-dial-/230649529212?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item35b3c8837c This will be my only Franken.You can’t beat the gen parts but I’m fine with the reps of other Rolex models. You have to decide if you might want to build one yourself. I outlined what can happen along the way but also that it can be a success. I hope this write up is helpful to you and points you in the right direction on your way to your build. Most of all, I’d like to extend a gigantic thanks to three fine gentleman who were tremendous assets to me along the way: Alligoat, Katt, and JMB. Stilty, also—thanks for everything you posted about these projects over the years. I have your contact now. Without their expertise, advice, and willingness to work with me, the results of this project would not have materialized. Thanks so much, once again. I tip my hat to you!!

JMB-- we are SO fortunate to have your services available!

They're big money so there ought to be reps of them eventually: http://www.askmen.com/fashion/watch/ralph-lauren-sporting-collection.html

The Jubilee is my favorite bracelet. Looks fantastic to me on any watch, and on a vintage Daytona.....spectacular!!