JohnG

hi John,

I think I found the ebayer you got your tools from. I wud appreciate if you could take the time to copy and paste the links of the items I require. I am a noob in terms of modding and dont know anything about the tools I need beside of opener and screwdriver Again thx for your inspiration.

There are many ebay sellers offering inexpensive watch tools.

I don't remember who all I bought what from, don't have time to check, and it doesn't matter - they are all pretty much the same. But you need

1. caseback opener (I use a sticky ball I got from Jackson Tse)

2. tweezers (anti-magnetic)

3. set of watchmaker's screwdrivers

4. hand puller

5. hand setters (some sellers sell them together with puller, some do not)

6. dust blower (little rubber squeeze ball)

7. Rodico (putty for tack-cleaning dial to get dust off)

8. Wire cutter or pliers with wire cutter, to size stem.

I think that is it for this project, if anyone else can think of anything else, chime in...

Be sure to read up in the tutorials section on how to do this stuff, it isn't hard, but I would have made mistakes if I hand't read tutorials first... As it is, I messed up the keyless works (didn't realize the new movement came with the screw already out, I turned it out more and out fell some parts!). I used information from the forums to fix that and to get the watch together, and to replace the broken crystal. All the info you need is here but you have to invest some time reading....

Here are a few more pics:

nice job! I wondered what sort of equipments I wud need to conduct such mods myself. Since I do not want to mess up with my high end reps maybe its good to start with cheaper ones as you did. where did you acquired all the tool e.g. screws, opener (47mm and 44mm) etc. I wud be very delighted if you could supply me the list of the equipment I need. Moreover, your blacked dial looks incredible cool but the downside is that you will not be able to lume them right?

I am trying to build my mini fiddy too. I am going to use the following components:

-jacksen tse mini fiddy case PVD edition (35usd)

-Getatwatch hands lumed (black hands and white sec)(9usd)

-Getatwatch asian movement PVD skeleton (49usd)

-Getatwatch stealth dial (12usd)

-strapculture legend black and heoric supmarine pvd buckle (90+55 usd)

The only thing I dislike is the mineralglas. As seen in your pics it is prone to selfdestruction. I am trying to source a domed sapphire or might even opt for plexiglas. Any pointers as of where I could find those?

I am not aware of a sapphire or plexi domed crystal that will fit Jackson's case, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. But I have read that others won't fit.

There are techniques for creating black lume, but it has a mat finish, and I like the black glossy numerals so I will only lume the hands later.

The tools I used were (aside from the crystal press), tweezers, screw driver set, hand puller/setting tools, blower thingy (for dust), Rodico (for dust on dial), movement holder, sticky ball caseback remover, and I think that is about it for what I did. I have bought more tools but I think that is what I used for this job. You can get tools on eBay for cheap. I bought all mine from Hong Kong sellers - you can get a whole set of tools for about $30, but you will have to get a few extra things (such as tools for removing/setting hands)...

Good luck!

Looks so damn good, you could even wear it backwards... I am still surprised at how good that case from GetatWatch looks!

Can you believe that case costs $30 shipped from Jackson Tse!!!??? Unreal. The only disappointment is that he doesn't sell a sapphire crystal for it and I have heard that the sapphire from other mini Fiddy cases doesn't fit. But at $10 shipped for a replacement crystal I am not going to sweat it...

A couple of months ago after buying a couple of watches from Getatwatch Co., I decided I wanted to finally try to do a custom watch, a Panerai homage, something not too complicated but that would be unique. One of the huge attractions of homage watches is that one may create designs that the gen manufacturers never produced; in essence sterile "fantasy" watches. The Pam homages lend themselves especially to this because they are rather simple to work on and parts are very easy to acquire.

GetatWatch recently started producing a sterile "stealth" dial with glossy black numerals that contract very subtly with the mat black dial, at time visible, at times not, depending on the angle of illumination. I bought a PVD Radiomir homage (reviewed here: ) from Getat with this dial and I immediately saw the potential that this dial would have in other cases.

I subsequently purchased another Radiomir homage, polished SS, also with the same dial. Again, the watch was simply stunning.

About this time I placed the orders for parts that would become my new, one of kind, mini Fiddy homage, as follows:

44mm Mini Fiddy case set with sterile case back - Jackson Tse.

PVD Asian 6497 - GetatWatch

"Stealth" dial, all black - Getatwatch

Handset, silver - Getatwatch

Black Poseidon Strap, white stiching - Heroic 18 (purchased from RepGeek member Eddiemonster)

Polished SS Pre-V buckle - Strap Culture (purchased from RWG.cc member Siesta181).

I had no sooner got the pieces together then the crystal exploded on the watch in the middle of the night. I had to order another from Jackson Tse, along with a crystal press from an eBay seller, and another two weeks went by.... but this week finally the crystal and press arrived and finally the watch is on my wrist.... Enough talk, here are some pics - of the first watch I have ever assembled:

Ohhh SH!T!!!

No dies big enough for the 44mm case, had to get creative with the movement holder...

Took the opportunity to swap from gold (my original choice) to silver hands - with the black Heroic strap monochrome looks better...

PVD movement from GetatWatch....

So there it is, my one of a kind sterile stealth dial mini Fiddy homage...

What does the tracking say? Has it been returned to sender yet or not?

It is not the sellers problem by the way, why should he return your money?

If you use your CC you should be pretty well protected but if the seller is not reputable, why risk it? It is still a lot of hassle and there are a LOT of scammers on the Bay. The closing price usually does a good job of reflecting the risk - savy buyers and the risk averse stay away, the price is lower, but the risk it higher. So the prices are not really "good" - they are what they SHOULD be given the level of uncertainty associated with the sale.

As they say, "you can't beat the market"

This would look nice with a sterile sandwich dial modded with subdials....

I feel enlighted now. I can recall that someone coined another theory which has to do which temperature fluctuation. This was found on the search bar but yours seems much more sensible. thx

I am pretty sure the exploding cyrstal problem was with mineral not sapphire crystals - that is my recollection anyway from my reading. I could be wrong though.

+1 On Jackson Tse - I got a mini-Fiddy case from him for $35 shipped, am going to make a sterile homage with it (with dial/movement from other seller). He is fast, cheap, and courteous. Almost everyone seems VERY happy with the quality given the price.... my mini Fiddy case is very very nice.

See, that's the problem with lying about your crystals, like the cartel do.

Synthetic sapphire is sapphire everywhere in the world, apart from on Trusty and Josh's websites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire#Synthetic_sapphire

Is the crystal synthetic sapphire or is it mineral glass?

+1

On Josh's and Andrew's sites "synthetic sapphire" is a code word for minteral crystal. If it says "sapphire" - then it IS synthetic sapphire (because there are no natural sapphire watch crystals), as stated by jfreeman.

Like when they say "Asian ETA" they mean 21j, NOT the Asian ETA clone. They LOVE to create false impressions. "Light AR"? WTF is THAT? Turns out, no AR at all!

I only buy from dealers who say what they mean and mean what they say.

eBay seller Cust_Watch and GetatWatch Co. are the same entity.

Since VAC wants $120 for a unbranded 44mm dial, I decided it was not worth me getting my PAM stealthed up

i found this on ebay and i am very tmepted by it ... ebay link

im not too bothered about having super bright lume, but can anyone suggest why I shouldnt buy this for my 177h?

i want to keep costs down as this is a rep watch after all and im planning on getting a gen Omega in a couple of months

looks good johng

i tried to shoot you a PM, and the messenger said you couldn't receive any new messages

could someone point me in the direction of jackson tse's site/photobucket/etc?

thanks in advanace,

deltatahoe

You already got the site, but here are the prices he sent me, anything not on here, just email him (address is on site).

Hi

we do not have sapphire glass for 47mm 1950s watch.

here the catalogue

www.jacksontse.com

Here the price summary for reference with shipping from Hongkong for MM logo or

Sterile face

44mm,45mm auto steel US$65 up (eg. MM01,02,03,04,45,46,114)

*44mm automatic can be upgraded 1) to titanium US$86, 2)to titanium +sapphire US$110

44mm Titanium automatic US$80-90 (eg. MM112,113)

44mm, 45mm handwind steel US$68 up (MM08.09.12,20,34,85,91,93,94,105,120,121)

44mm 45mm PVD handwind US$76 up (MM53,54,85,86,95,106,118)

44mm titanium Handwind US$90 up (MM40,51,55,97, 107)

(44mm handwind can be upgraded at extra US$25, swan neck clone movement extra US$10)

44mm dome 1950s mini handwind US$80 (MM110,111,115)

44mm dome mini 1950s PVD US$85 (MM122)

47mm 1950 steel US$80 (MM13)

47mm 1950 PVD US$86 (mm71)

44mm CHrono (MM37-39) US$190

All Parnis watches (HW13-15, HW25-27) ALL US$70

We have sterile Luminor style 44mm too (without MM logo lik MM105-108, MM93-99)

Payment via pp

Feel free to write me for price

cheers

Looks great! especially at $35!

As for the CG pin- If you are doing a vintage style hommage, I believe you'll actually want a domed pin

Thanks, I didn't know that!

Yes, mineral crystal, if it were sapphire I would feel like I owe him a sex-favor or something...

And yes, the CG came like that - I am going to look up a tutorial on how to flatten/polish pin, but I have definitely seen worse on $300 watches... I am glad to see that my initial positive impression wasn't wrong. And as is often said, it looks better in real life - my camera is pretty old, did the best I know how, but "pics don't do justice."

Just got this case set from Jackson Tse for a mini-Fiddy sterile stealth dial project, I am not a Pam guy, need opinions on the case. At $35 I am very happy, looks pretty good to me, but just curious what problems it might have.

Since it will be a homage, I am not worried about small details that might be off, but still like to know regardless.

Sorry for the shots, best I could get with a crappy old 2mp camera...

(white balance whacked out on the last few, but doesn't matter for purpose of viewing case):

Fine with sport coat/slacks. Suit? Depends, but generally no.

JohnG a gift for all forums? The only thing more absurd...

Amen, I don't belong at the A-list parties, that's what they told me. Shouldn't even have posted this thread, it sure [censored] someone off... jeesh.

Why should one of the dealers become trouble?

BTW: Andrew and Joshua already emailed me back. No chance to get the crystals without watchcase.

Last year I gave out an url to a dealer (not forum approved) and got a nasty warning from a mod.

old article, been posted before.

Many of the big dealers can't be bothered, but the smaller ones will usually source parts such as crystals. I couldn't get ONE trusted dealer to sell me a Breitling Ocean Racer deployant without the rubber (for a custom strap project), but got one fine from a non-forum dealer (for $35). Thing is, you mention their name and you risk getting in trouble.

Just email all the dealers, someone will be able to help.

Sexeh Seikos!!!! Lots of people turn their nose up and don't even see the irony of doing that on a forum about FAKE WATCHES.

Why wouldn't they like it? I mean, you are a gift for all forums. And your extensive homage knowledge should be put to use somewhere

You got jokes man!

I think you should have you own subforum John.

RWG.cc needs a Homage subforum... maybe even a Homage sales section too.

Yeah, ask the mods what they think of that idea!!!

Recently I discovered homages when I made a couple of purchases at

Getatwatch Co. (see my thread here: http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=100795&hl=. The price, relative to the quality, was FAR below that of reps. And suddenly I discovered true freedom from the chains of reps: no more obsessing over silly little tells you can only see when blown up twenty times on a large monitor, no more "what clever thing do I say if I get called out?", no more fretting over customs seizures.... not to mention ARTISTIC freedom. Anyone who doesn't know what I mean should look at Flavor Flav's creations - rep cases used as the basis for something NEW and UNIQUE.

I discovered "dial sterility" too - the simple elegance of an uncorrupted surface, free of advertising for an already obscenely rich manufacturer... I don't wear shoes stamped "Johnston & Murphey" on the top of the toe, why should I be forced to promote a product I am TRYING to rip off????!!!

No, I decided, reps, where ever possible must be superceded by homages. Freedom, clarity, simplicity, economy, they have it ALL. Sometimes I will forced to buy a rep (no Ingy homage yet), but the range of possibilities with those homages already extant is wide indeed. As I discovered over the past week as FOUR packages arrived on my door step...

Behold....

1.

2.

3.

4.