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automatico

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Everything posted by automatico

  1. 2-9-2023 Another useless FYI...for anyone who wants to change a rolex 1565/1575 date movement to a no date model for use in a no date case, here are a few things you might need to know... 1...You can almost always get by with the regular date center wheel, canon pinion, and hour wheel. The only thing this really does is raise the hands about .5mm. This is usually Ok and it will make a little bit more room between the hands and dial...domed acrylic crystals are almost always high enough to accommodate it. No date hour wheel is 1.27mm high. Date hour wheel is 1.80mm. The canon pinion (the minute hand tube) rises up out of the hour wheel just enough for the minute hand to mount so the overall result is raising all of the hands aka 'hand stack' a little over .5mm, depending on how close the second hand is to the minute hand. There is almost always room under acrylic crystals. No guarantees. On MBK cases for example (all of mine anyway), you need to use a rolex 15xx date movement with the date works removed because the cases are made for date movements with the calendar wheel spacer left on the movement. This is done when using a no date dial, 5512/5513 for example. This is easy because you only need to remove the actual date works. Nothin' to it. There is always a catch (or two) when using a date 15xx movement on genuine spec Ruby etc. cases made for rolex 15xx no date movements and dials. Q...Like what? A...You need to remove the calendar wheel axle (the little post with the left-hand thread, round, slotted nut on it). Q...Why? A...Because the calendar wheel post hits the bottom of the dial and the dial will not fit down against the movement, because it hits the post. Q...How to remove it? A...Pull it out with a small pin vice by twisting and pulling up on it. But there is always another catch... Q...What is it this time? A...The date movement hour wheel has a wheel (gear) on top of it that drives the calendar wheel. Q...So what? A...It usually rubs the bottom of the dial when the calendar wheel spacer has been removed and locks the movement down...usually. Q...What can be done about it? A1...Space the dial away from the movement with 'dial dots' etc. It works but is a crude fix. A2...Grind the extra wheel off somehow. Q...How? A...Superglue the hour wheel to a small steel rod that fits inside the hour wheel, put it in a lathe, and cut the wheel away. Nothin' to it. Q...What if I do not have a damn lathe? A1...Superglue the hour wheel on a piece of steel rod and spin it by hand against a Cratex type grinding wheel mounted on a Dremel tool etc. Carefully. A2...Mount the steel rod in the Dremel tool with the hour wheel superglued to it, and spin it against a medium grit grinding stone etc. Carefully. Less chance of screw-ups using this method. Q...How do I get the hour wheel 'unglued' from the steel rod? A...Acetone, same as you use to remove your nail polish. After all the pitfalls above are defeated, place the hour wheel on the movement, put the dial on the watch (making sure it seats against the movement), tighten the dial screws, and see how much slack there is between the hour wheel and bottom of the dial by lifting the hour wheel up against the dial with tweezers. A tiny bit is Ok...too much and the hour wheel can come out of mesh and get the hands out of correspondence. Q...What is the fix this time? A...A dial washer. Nothin' to it. I cut the calendar drive wheel off a 1575 date hour wheel to use on a no date project with a date movement a while ago. Here is what the hour wheel looks like after the calendar drive wheel is cut off: The hour wheel is superglued to a .85mm drill bit (on the smooth end) and clamped in a 'WW' collet. It will look better after it is cleaned up. Grinding the wheel off gives the same result if no lathe is available. This is the same movement that was in my 'shortcut 1655', it came out of a 1603 DJ and this is the hour wheel from it. Or you can use a no date center wheel, CP, and hour wheel ($$), but you still need to remove the calendar wheel post.
  2. CITIZEN 7 restoration with watch movement Miyota 8200 | service PART 2 - YouTube Servicing Japanese Movement Miyota 8205 part 1 of 3 - disassemble / แกะเครื่องญี่ปุ่น Miyota 8205 - YouTube
  3. "I disassembled the movement from the back side taking the bridge plate off." " I didn't realize that getting the bridge plate back on with all the wheels aligned would be so difficult..." I know what you mean, these movements are a hassle to put together because of the train wheels, escape wheel, and reverser all crammed under one plate. I detest them. The easiest way is to remove the balance assembly first as this leaves more room, then put the movement together and install the balance last. The downside is when r/r the balance, you risk tweaking the hairspring. "...is it unique part number only for this movement?" Yes, unless China clone parts will fit. "i should try to see if i can find a watchmaker who has the missing part..." In my experience, unless you know a friendly watch repair guy, you could get robbed. This is harsh advice, but sometimes true, especially today with fewer repair guys around who are willing to help someone out. You could buy a China clone of the Miyota 8200 (plus a 'no name' dial/cheap set of hands) and practice, practice, practice until you get the hang of disassembly/assembly if you want to learn how to work on one. Then buy a new 8215 or repair yours and install it. China clone parts might fit the Miyota...but you would be paying $20+ for the parts when a complete new Miyota 2015 is only $10 more. Some China clones are pretty good, depending on brand, prior handling etc. The better clones are DG (Dixmont Guangzhou) or NN (Nanning) but the brands are usually not specified. Otoh, some are pretty bad too, it's luck of the draw. When buying a replacement movement, be sure it is a 'Miyota 8215' NOT 'Movement for Miyota 8215.' Examples: China clone...eBay item number: 394408095202 $20.15 Miyota 8215...eBay item number:293795133957 $29.99 Imho the Miyota is a better deal, but you still need to be able to r/r dials and hands without damage. This requires practice, practice, practice. And patience.
  4. "I was thinking of getting a 1mm stamp kit and try my hand at adding my own markings but I think that would end up in a disaster...but in my mind's eye it would look better than the chinsy laser etching." A friend engraved a few cases for me using an old Hermes pantograph engraving machine and they all came out fine. It takes a while and most of the time is spent on setting it up...mounting and centering the case in the machine etc. Many jewelry stores that have been in business for a long time will have one along with many hobby guys who bought one for not much $$. The correct font is easy to find because it is a basic design. You might ask around and see if anyone you know has one or knows someone who does. Using an Older Flat Engraving Pantograph. - Bing video
  5. "Where did you get that picture of me?" Saw it on a news stand, the face looked familiar. Ha! I never was a National Enquirer fan, but I look at the covers...mostly UFOs landing in back yards etc. Now it's Harry, Meghan and of course Bigfoot. It has been a familiar magazine in one form or another in supermarket checkout lanes for as long as I can remember. "The National Enquirer is still in business. It was originally founded by William H. Hearst in 1926 and is one of the oldest and most successful tabloids in the United States. Over 95 years in business, the Enquirer has changed owners and has gone through several rebranded versions, including the Star, the Globe, and the National Examiner" "That 1016 mk2 was something I whipped up for a member next door. raffles case with acrylic crystal swap ruby mk2 dial ruby hands - aged lume to match dial Ruby bracelet asian eta 2824 and a subtle amount of aging to the case desk diver safe queen." All the dials I got from Raffles have been very good, but they were mostly unsigned project dials. Got two '1016' dials a couple years ago and they were pretty good except they are a little bit oversized for oem spec cases...Raffles are 28.5mm and genuine 1016 is 27.9mm. It looks like their cases are very good too, may have to get a couple for the dials. The dial of unknown exact origin in my '1016' project is pretty good but the letters do not 'jump', they are a bit subdued/faded. It is Ok for an 'older' vintage watch I guess.
  6. "$1,300 for a few vintage Rolex parts. Crazy -- but this time next year, crazy will have been a bargain." Yeah. If you can find one at all a year from now. I bought two sets 1575 GMT center wheel with cp and hour wheel, without any GMT calendar wheels (pn 8034) a few years back and they were somewhere around $200 for two sets. The 8034 GMT calendar wheel is hard to find today. The $1300 kit is basically enough for a conversion plus you may need to space the calendar ring up a little bit. Why? Because the GMT calendar ring is about .10mm thicker than a regular 1575 date ring to make space between the 24 hour wheel and dial. A friend cut some 4 mil (very close to .10mm) circles out of Mylar on a decal plotter that sticks to the ring to raise it up. Works fine and saves $$. I did not use an 8021 GMT calendar wheel on the 'shortcut 1655'. The GMT kit for $1300 on eBay has the 8021 calendar wheel but does not have a GMT calendar ring (pn 8037). Sometimes they work Ok without the thicker calendar ring and sometimes not. After proof reading all this mumbo-jumbo a couple times, it sounds like 18 month old kid gibberish. An 18 month old kid that's been hittin' the prescription cough syrup. Typos are free.
  7. Buddhabar: "I'll put you a link where maybe you can find the solution." Thanks! Probably get a set...after a few paydays. Ha! Good 1655 hand set recently listed on eBay, looks the same as J&W: eBay item number:234857548399 Also has basic GMT conversion kits: eBay item number:234535951473
  8. "I like how it's coming together." Thanks! "...you may need to enlarge the ID of the bezel slightly." I have a few generic T-11 (GS PA459-37) with rounded outer edges and that is what I am going with. Seems like the Raff bezel will fit. Later T-12 crystals have sharp outer edges. "I would go with the gilt gloss yuki dial AFAIK all matte dial 5500's are rep..." I have not decided for sure which dial will be used but the dials with goldtone letters have better detail. Otoh, I am not a big fan of steel watches with goldtone markers...but I see quite a few steel 16xx, 160xx DJ, 6694, manual wind no dates etc. with goldtone markers on the 'net. I have also seen a few 5500 AK/1002 'explorers' on eBay with goldtone markers and most of them had gold bezels and crowns. The 1002 also came in a tutone version so an 'explorer' dial with goldtone letters would be quasi-legal along with gold bezel/crown. Sorta. The jury is still out. I need to save the best goldtone letter dial for a 5501 AK and the gloss and matte dials are about the same in detail. I read that almost all of the 5500 AK with explorer dials were sold in the UK. True or not? Probably true. I do not remember seeing them at watch shows when I attended shows in the 1990s, mostly in the southern and eastern USA. Burley Bullock (rip) and a few others changed the wristwatch landscape during this time with radio ads, formation of the IWJG etc. Then the internet, eBay etc. changed it again. "Did you do the movement service?" Yes, c/o, mainspring, rotor axle etc. and a friend put a new balance staff in it. It took 2 or 3 weeks soaking the main plate in white vinegar to melt all the rust away so the stem would come out of the plate. I painted over any critical steel parts pressed in the plate with nail polish every few days. The main plate screws that hold the various bridges to the main plate were rusty and I replaced them with near identical stainless steel screws from an assortment of stainless case back screws. A few others were also replaced. I have original screws but did not want to use them on a 'battleground movement'. The three blued screws that hold the autowind assembly to the movement were still Ok. All in all, it is a pretty good movement, it just looks bad, and it runs much better than it looks. It is a lot like the movement in my '1016 explorer' project with a movement made out of a combination of well used ETA 2824/36 and 2846 parts. It is one of the best running ETAs I've owned. One other ETA that runs like the 'explorer' is in a 1990s/early 2000s Marathon CCG SAR. Marathon Coast Guard (broadarrow.net)
  9. Ball 999B... "Wow...you got a good deal...." Yeah, I did pretty good on that one. It needs one tiny screw for the 'whiplash' regulator, c/o...and a dial. Hampden McKinley pocket watch info: hampden wm.mckinley | NAWCC Forums
  10. "Have you considered using another dial? The print of the Yuki dial pictured is pretty poor. I think even most standard rep dials today might be a better option, let alone 1 from 1 of the better franken parts sellers." Yeah, it is not too hot. The one for my AK 5501with yellow letters is a little bit better. "Also, will you be removing the corrosion on the metal before finishing? It looks like mostly surface rust that could easily be removed." The corrosion/rust is gone. What you see is the brass base metal of the main plate showing through heavily damaged rhodium plating. The rust was removed by soaking in white vinegar plus two trips through an ultrasonic cleaning machine. This is about as good as it going to get. Polishing the damaged areas with Simichrome polish etc. would make it look better but I skipped it because it would remove more plating. Here is the other 5500 'explorer' dial, it might be a little bit better: Close up, it is really no better: These AK 'explorer' dials were $110 each with hands including shipping in 2014/15. The other dial with goldtone letters is a little bit better, but it looks a lot better at a distance of 12 to 18 inches: Since these are project watches made out of miscellaneous parts, I guess I'll go with these dials and not spend any more $$ on them. The original dial on the 5501 AK has been badly refinished and dented so the Yuki dial will be an improvement. The rough original dial/hands will be included when it sells to help the deal a little bit. These '90% genuine rolex 'lost cause' projects are now numbering over 100 with 10 or more 'originals' left to finish so I am slacking off on project watches a bit. Hopefully these projects will be Ok along with 'full disclosure' as long as no one is too picky. Q...What is left? A...Two 16xx DJ, one (? ref number) manual wind with date, one 1675 GMT, two 5500 AK, one 5501 AK, one 1500 OPD with a 'blistered' movement, two 6422 (iirc ref number) manual wind no dates plus a few others. 'Blistered' = movement discolored by harsh cleaning solvents. I am beginning to see piles of shucked oysters in my sleep. Ha! Update later in the day: I found another yellow letter Yuki 'explorer' dial with a matte finish in my box of dials. The one above has a glossy finish. The matte dial with yellow letters is about the same quality as any matte dial with white letters in this thread. All are from 2014/15.
  11. The first one was completed quite a while back and I had enough parts for another one so here is where it stands. Here is the first one with a cal 1560 and Yuki dial... Basic 1570 non hack from the mid 1960s for the second one shown below. It came out of an old DJ that got water in it and was put away wet. The stem was rusted solid in the main plate and a lot of screws etc. were rusty, plus it needed a balance staff, set bridge, rotor axle, mainspring etc. It had been c/o a while back as it was in my 'shortcut 1655'...so it runs just fine, exactly the same movement minus the 24 hour parts. Had to put a new minute wheel post in it though because the minute wheel from the aftmkt 24 hour conversion had an arbor on it that turned in the movement where the minute wheel post used to be...long story. Quite a bit of the plating was damaged by water but it does not make one bit of difference in the way it runs. The case is from early 1964 and is in very good condition with just a tiny bit of corrosion on the gasket area of the case. Put a new case tube in it today and it turned out to be a real hassle...not the first case tube hassle btw. It was an old style nickel silver tube that had been cemented and tightened to the max. It's a wonder it did not break off when it was installed...so it waited until I was removing it. Broached most of the remaining tube down to the case threads and of course it cut a lot more on one side and not much on the other side of the remaining tube. Had to file what I could away, being careful not to damage the threads, but it still left about half of the threads in the tube but there was enough of the threaded hole toward the outside of the case to start a case tube tap so I finally got it cleaned up and a new case tube back in the case. That is where it stands today, next will be to put the crystal on the case, dial/hands on the movement, and a few other parts plus the auto wind assembly to finish it. The bezel on the case is from a 34mm Raffles 'toot' case and hopefully it will work on a 25-12 size crystal. I may end up making one but would rather not. I'll post again when I get more done. Damaged plating on the brass main plate... Might replace the detent screw (top outer screw on right side pic) it works Ok but it looks bad. Funny how the plating was damaged on the main plate, but the plated bridges were all Ok. 2-17-2023 I was looking at the first '1002 explorer' just now. It is a 1003. Ratty set of letters, but original.
  12. "Returning to the primary topic of additional shipping costs, I believe that globalization has increased the business of shipping companies ... and as with everything, the more demand increases and the more we get to exaggerated costs (often even higher than the value same as the goods)." I agree. Example: A week ago, I sent a small (approximately 140 or 150mm square by 8mm thick) envelope containing a watch dial to Australia. The dial was placed between two sheets of thin cardboard placed inside a paper envelope, then inside a padded plastic shipping bag, and heavily taped all around. Weight was probably 75 to 90 grams, and the shipping cost was less than $20USD. Instead of blowing close to $200 on a dial (counting a hand set), I paid $200USD for a Hamilton Ball 999B Railroad Approved pocket watch today in very good condition, except the dial is not great. They are going for $700 to $1200 plus/minus on eBay so I came out OK. Shipping was Free! It was a hand to hand deal. Ha!
  13. "But frankly I'm not sure I have the best. What do you think?" In my experience, the same model of dial from the same vendor, even in the same order, can vary quite a bit. I have some very good Yuki 1680 dials, about as good as any and as I said, I have two that are not up to their usual standard. I'll use them in an ETA project with a lowball case maybe. Maybe not. My two Yuki 'AK Explorer' dials are as good as any 'refinished dials' I have seen and that is why I was going to order another one. One of mine has goldtone letters to be used in a tutone AK 5501 and the other is to be put in an old AK with a rough silver dial, and I need one more for a 1964 1002 OP with 1570. Luckily, I found a pretty good original AK dial in my parts after I started this thread to put in the old AK. Many old AK 5500 watches have ratty dials and a Yuki dial used to be cheaper than getting the original refinished counting shipping etc. Besides that, most of the legit refinished dials on original blanks are not close to being as good as a Yuki dial. Raffles dials are Ok too but the dial feet are for 'A21' and ETA movements and I need them to fit a rlx 15xx. On top of that, some Raffles dials are made for the cases they have for sale, not oem spec. I've had trouble with cases too. My DW '5512/13' cases are made for 26.5mm dials, not 26.0mm like original, and a 26.0mm dial just barely hangs in the case. This is a headache so I bought a couple MBK 5512/13 watches that are made for 26.0mm dials and they worked fine. But there was a catch. The catch was...my MBK 1680 cases are made for 26.0mm dials too! Because of this, I had to stick one of the DW '1680' cases in a lathe and recut the dial window to work with a 26.5mm '1680' dial. It's always something, and it never ends.
  14. "It is becoming unsustainable .... by now even buying from abroad on Ebay involves paying tax after tax, which in my opinion is unjustified." True! If I did not already have most of the parts, I could no longer afford this 'hobby'. One dial question stands out: Why are Raffles dials one third to one tenth the price of other dials and 90% (or more) as good?
  15. Was going to buy another Air King 'explorer' dial from Yuki. Have one but have two projects going. Bought 12 or 15 dials with free delivery including hands in the past. Picked one out for $106 (no hands) and went to the order section. Shipping is $48 USD!! No more Yuki Dials For Me! Ever. 1-25-23 Proof I have purchased Yuki dials before. Most are Yuki along with IG44, MBK etc: About half the compartments have two dials in them. Two 'Red' 1680 IG44 dials, '1016' dials from unknown supplier in 2008 etc. + one Yuki '1016' dial not shown. Toot dial is genuine but don't know what model it fits...25.5mm in diameter for ETA 28xx. Yuki '5513' center, J$Wcom '1655' dial on right for never ending project. Two Yuki '1680' dials top left, the printing looks like ////////////////////////////// when highly magnified, not solid lines, only two dials were like this from 5 or 6 years ago. Only the two '1680' dials were not up to par, all the other Yuki dials are very good. IG44 'Red' dials top right...best of all.
  16. 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.
  17. Thanks for the link! I watched the video and the closeup of the pushers shows they are not very well finished at all. The bezel looks good though. I guess all is forgiven because: "It was for charity." Not if I paid $6.5M for it. Some info on this 'Mystery Daytona' from another post: A Deep Fried Mystery with a half order of Scam on the side... - The Rolex Area - RWG
  18. "The years have taken their toll." You got that right! Ha! Maybe leave the Ha! out. Ha!
  19. "Today, for better or worse, the games appear to have gone away, but as was predicted, so has the membership." Agree. It seems like 12 or 15 'hardcore' members are active and a few others hit the site maybe once a week or less. This is the third replica watch forum I have been a regular on. Number 1 was RWCC = Replica Watch Collector Club in the 1990s from the beginning until the end. Number 2 was TRC from the beginning until the end. Number 3 is this one 5-16-07 as Jimmythree and 7-16-08 as automatico after a server meltdown until... I was on a few genuine watch forums in the 1990s/early 2000s but many of the members seemed have a sense of humor deficit. The word 'straitlaced' comes to mind. They can own a 'pristine' vintage Porsche 356 with 60% aftmkt parts and be just fine with it, but a replica or F-stein watch is absolutely verboten! I started out on genuine watches in the 1970s and staggered into replicas as a lower $$ alternative sometime in the 1980s. Tripped and fell into 'better replicas' (classic misnomer) in the early 2000s when rlx parts started getting harder to get. Then RWC cut our parts account off so I 'Buried the Crown'. Back in the 1970s, many replica DJ, subs etc were quartz powered with pot metal cases, watch junque. Still have a few replicas from the 1960s, a goldtone replica 'Longnines' and couple faux chronographs (names forgotten), plus a Seiko from the 1970s. All have one jewel pin lever movements and pot metal cases. If I ever attend a watchsnobfest, I'll wear the Longnines on a crocodile strap. Porsche 356 Replica Market - CLASSIC.COM
  20. Mine is a '1016' that has an ETA 2824/2846 'combo' movement. It has 2824 plates etc. with 2846 escapement, center wheel, cp etc. This dial/movement was in a JMB case for a while and now it is in a genuine rolex 162xx case. Q...Why is it The Best? A...Because it keeps good time and has a long reserve, about the same as the average high mileage 15xx rolex movement. Second best is a MBK '5512' with nos ETA 2879. Third was a 'shortcut 1655' with rlx 1575 but it is in pieces now. That's it. Nothing else stands out. JMB '1016' project update... - The Rolex Area - RWG Building an MBW Sub + 'shortcut' rlx 1560/70 GMT conversions... - Page 2 - The Rolex Area - RWG What is/was yours?
  21. "Anyone ever service a Gen cal 3000 no date here?" I've done a few 3035 and they are no trouble and a 3000 would be easier because of no date works. They are a lot like an ETA 2824. Just be careful with the balance/hairspring as they are high $$ now. The 3035 has a Breguet HS and the 3000 has a flat HS. Rolex Caliber 3000 Watch Movement | Caliber Corner 【Assembling Watch Movement#24】ROLEX Cal.3000 Assembly|Watch Repair & Overhaul - YouTube
  22. "Do 31xx movements install the same way as 15xx movements? Drop in the grooves and Turn the movement and LOOSEN (raise) the case screw to lock it into the case?" Yes, on genuine 160xx/150xx and 160xx/162xx cases with genuine movements. You might need a certain type of casing screw though. Some will need screws with thick outer edges, others may need thinner outer edges, while a few will need knife edge screw heads. This will depend on the combined dial and movement thickness plus how close the case screw groove in the case is to matching up with the screw head outer edge. The rolex method is a good one but I have found a few movements loose in the case where the screws came loose. Case clamps and screws usually stay tight, but the clamps can lose tension and/or the screw can come loose. Projects using genuine 150xx/160xx and 152xx/162xx cases with ETA etc. movements usually end up using case clamps with screws. I have not worked on anything made since the late 1990s/early 2000s, the latest being 14010M Air Kings with sapphire crystals, sheet metal hoods, and hollow mid link bracelets. I removed the case backs to get the movement serial numbers but do not remember how the movements were 'bolted down'. Never owned anything with a rolex clone movement...aka 'clorex'. Notes: The non certified cal 3130 movements in the 14000M/14010M sapphire crystal AKs have serial numbers, unlike earlier four digit 15xx powered acrylic crystal AKs. The letter M = 3130 movement in place of cal 3000 (14000 = cal 3000, 14000M = cal 3130). Imho, go with the 3130 if possible on AK, ND Subs etc in 'semi vintage' sapphire crystal models. The 3130 is basically a no date 3135. I don't know much about the 32xx movements, but it looks like there has been a bit of trouble with them keeping chronometer time and some had rotor bearing trouble.
  23. A few thoughts from a 'vintage guy' who does not know much about sapphire rolex watches (or anything else). Good choice, projects without a date are a LOT less hassle. The first few years of the sapphire Explorer had holes in the lugs and my guess is the holes were the same size as DJ cases of the same era. Anyone know for sure which spring bars were used? I have not touched one in 15 or 20 years and did not pay attention when I did. A watch with holes in the lugs definitely needs a bracelet with hollow mid links imho. Otoh, solid mid links might not be as obvious on a watch with blind lug holes. A 14270 with lug holes also needs a dial with T<25 at the bottom for sure, not 'swiss made'. There were 'blackout' dials on some early Exp making them go for more $$ but I have not seen any on replicas. It would make the watch stand out though. Shedding Light on the Rolex "Blackout" Explorer 14270 - Bob's Watches (bobswatches.com) I've owned about a half dozen assorted 14270 replicas and two or three had markers fall off the dial, so it might be a good idea to put a tiny drop of cement over the marker feet on the back side of the dial. Be very careful if superglue is used because it will travel to the front side of the dial. Maybe use G-S Hypo cement etc. Or just let it go until a marker falls off like I do. Use a metal (usually brass) movement spacer and steel case clamps with screws if possible...no plastic spacers. Btw...I have had good luck with Raffles parts. Etc. Etc.
  24. " I'd leave that Prince Oysterdate the way it is." Me too.
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