JoeyB

The DG3804b fits the Silix case nicely. http://www.rwgforum.com/topic/127434-pilot’s-cabin-or-executive-suite-no-the-mail-room/page__p__926459__hl__mail__fromsearch__1#entry926459

So TC mods cases, or sells cases. or both? http://store.startimesupply.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=1&Category_Code=1_07_1D_Rolex_Case Thanks.

I'm 60, and my Lady is at least 40. We don't care for 'strong lighting'. You'll get there...

OK, for those of us that are clueless, who is TC, Sean, WM9, etc?? Include Star Time's 3135 case, and I'd like to know who has the 'best' 16610/16710 case with case holes that takes gen bezel, retainer ring, crystal?

OK, I thought it was just me having that issue. I called them a couple of weeks ago, they set me up with a temporary account and said their web issues were fixed. Give `em a call.

A new umiak? Lifts for mukluks?

http://store.startimesupply.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=1&Category_Code=HOME

I've related this before, but I think it might help some people. When my son was 16 he got his 1st ticket. I went to court with him to fight it. The courthouse in Cook County has the metal detector we had to go through. I have shrapnel in my left leg so depending on how high the setting is the machine can alarm, so I pay attention to them. The deputy saw my 'Retro' GMT and told me to leave it on, a Rolex won't set off the machine. I hesitated, he showed me his and waved me through. No alarm. Fast forward to February of 2009, the TSA at LAX on my way to Honolulu. Before going through I had a conversation with a TSA man who was on break. So I asked him about Rolex setting of the machine. He said most of the gold Rolex watches do set it off, but the all stainless steel doesn't. I asked, but he didn't know why. I had my rep GMTIIc and decided to try it. Went right through, no alarm. I've since left it on through Chicago, Honolulu and Phoenix TSA stations many times, no alarm. I'd have to bet a genuine would do the same, and that means there is no reason to take it off and chance losing it.

I've had complaints about the sonic boom made by parts exceeding the speed of sound in unknown directions through the house. Fortunately, my Lady is a surgical Nurse and can find a 7-0 prolene suture needle on an OR floor all day long, so teeny-tiny watch parts are no sweat for her. She's found `em all. And there is no truth to the rumor that I've dropped a few on purpose just to watch her do it...

Very nice! A slight beveling of the top line and softening of the bottom line by buffing gives the case a thinner look. Mine too is the Silix case, and the Clark's crystal needed to be taken down quite a bit even with the thicker acrylic insert. The dial is nice with what looks like the right sized date window that allows the awesome date wheel to be seen better. Raffles Times has 6mm Brevet '+' crowns for a nice touch.

The Zigmeister, I don't doubt what you say at all. Thank you! I appreciate it! Five years ago I didn't know what an ETA movement was. Five years from now who knows what movements will be available with Swatch changing their policies. Right now I'm building my watches to last until December 21 just in case the Mayans were on to something...

This one is the 21 jewel, the first one was 17 jewels. Well, 'kinda'. Last night at about 1 A.M. it was still running and accurate. At 4:30 A.M. (60 year old pee time...you'll get there) it was stopped. I can't say if I lubed it with the correct amount. I 'guessed' at it, using the red oiler. I just made certain to see something go on, a 'glimmer or shine' change. Actually I love the DG3804B, and have two in my drawer new from Frei. That might be a good subject for another thread, or here if this has become boring. I came to these message boards 5+ years ago likely for the same reason as many do, I had 'cheap' knockoffs and wanted a good one with a genuine Swiss movement. I saw the sites that had them for $1200, and almost bought one. Then I found RWG1.1. Learned about the other sites and did a lot of scouting before I bought. Got my first watch from Joshua, a GMT 'Retro' with a 'Swiss' ETA2836-2. Since then I got hooked, line and sinker, have modded the 16710 a bit, added a GMT ceramic that will pass through TSA metal detector just as a gen does, bought and sold a few others, and grew with the hobby. RolexAddict got my attention with the 1675 when he was doing his first one and hadn't yet sourced all the parts. I love the 'hunt', came here and saw freddy333's 6542 and fell in love. Nope, not with freddy - he's a good guy, but - the watch hooked me. I didn't know about vintage watches. My first build was my 6542 and I posted it here and on 1.1. This site has the best vintage knowledge and work, so I'm settled here now, and persona non gratis at 1.1. My 6542 started with freddy's 1st insert, then on to the ones I've made, and now with the ones I make and sell. RolexAddict uses and recommends the DG3804b, so I tried a few. I have had no failures yet with one, but they all came from Frei new, not from dealers in China. I don't know if that makes any difference. Most of us 'feel' better with a known 'Swiss' movement. 'Smart' says the DG3804b is a GMT from birth while the Asian or 'Swiss' ETA2836-2 is modded to be GMT, and that makes the DG the better choice. All things being equal, in 3 - 5 years when a service should be done, it's $150 and up for the 2836-2, and a hammer for the DG, then get a new one for $25. In this instance the ETA 2846 is a genuine Swiss and was $16, so I did good! And yes, it is nice for me to know I have a real swiss movement in my fake-err-replica 6542. But in reality it only matters to the guy who wears it, not in the function or form. It's a head game. If I were to build 6542's to sell I would offer all the movements anyone wants priced accordingly, but would strongly recommend the DG3804b and with the same warranty that Frei gives me. You are right, it is that good.

I hadn't thought of that. That makes sense! But don't tell anyone, I'm grabbing all the credit...

I bought my first ETA 2846 slow beat from Smith's Supply for $90 shipped. Good price, bad experience. Someone made an unauthorized charge on my credit card, all cleared now with no cost to me, but I won't trust them again. But I am so very impressed with the movement. It is NOS with a 'Bulova' rotor. I swapped that out, modified it to two position, removed all the day-date stuff, regulated it really easily, and the reserve is over 50 hours. In fact, the things runs with any slightest vibration. Maybe I'm used to the not quite so clean movements we get from China, and this is what a clean and serviced movement is supposed to do. I swear that the cat walking by is enough to make it run! So, I got the bright idea to get another. Everyone else is $150 or more, so being on a 'bright idea' roll I decided to buy a used one off of Ebay and finally try a full service myself. Got one that is a 'Swiss Army' watch, then researched, asked the experts, almost quit because the lubes were far more money and quantity to be worth it, got a quote from a watchmaker of $250 for service, and figured the worst I could do was to wipe out a $16.00 movement. Talked to a friend, got the lube in a reasonable quantity and tore into it using the PDF ETA 2846 schematic. All cleaned and pressed, I put it back together except for the rotor. It runs. Sitting in the movement holder, no rotor, and it runs. Like the Eveready battery, it keeps going, and going and going! Like my first one, a slight vibration and it was off and running. Installed the dial, hands, stem and crown and left it in the movement holder without the rotor. I wound it 30 easy winds, noted the time, noted the second hand and the date set, covered it in glass. At a little more than 48 hours it was one second fast, and I hadn't tried to regulate it yet. It finally stopped at 58½ hours. Needless to say I am pleased! But is that sort of reserve, and instant reaction to any vibration 'normal' for a fully cleaned and pressed movement? It wouldn't make sense if it was just the ETA2846 that works so well, basically it's a slow beat 2836. But it beats my ETA 2893-2 that was purchased new by 10 hours, but has less complications for sure. Could that be the reason? I plan on converting this movement to be GMT and put it in my 6542 because of the slow beat, but now too because it has that 'sentimental' value that I did it! Maybe someone can tell me what I did right so I can do it again!

It's not too tough at all. The epoxy melts easily and the extractor 'bites' and unscrews it like a wrench would. And don't get mad, we break tubes all the time! It is a 'weak link'.

If you have a set of screw extractors, 'easy-outs' the small one will take out the broken tube safely. Harbor Freight has them http://www.harborfreight.com/12-piece-screw-extractor-set-40349.html as do hardware stores and auto parts stores, under $10. If the tube was epoxied in try heating the screw extractor, get it good and hot - it is hardened steel, and melt the epoxy by putting the heated screw extractor in the tube hole a few seconds and then start unscrewing it. Much better than heating the case, and more precise with the heat.

ICHS is 'incorrect hand stack'. The GMT hand is on the bottom of the hand stack. On the 16710 genuine Rolex the hour hand is on the bottom, then the GMT hand, then the minute hand. The CHS 'correct hand stack' has had mixed reviews, with quite a few movement failures. I think that the 'Retro' from Perfect Clones is 'best' out of the box, not much is needed to mod. It is the older 16710 that has the holes in the case. It is the ICHS. http://www.1-pc8838.com/rlgs10009-retro-edition-master-bluered-pepsi-bezel-p-3493.html

The ETA 2893-2 GMT hand is the same size as the genuine Rolex GMT hand, 170. The other hands are 90/150/25, standard ETA and same as a Tudor.

I thought they were all too pricey and not accurate enough to justify the money, so I decided make one. It worked and this is the result. Besides the price advantage of being a member here there is also the 'custom' aspect.

I don't think I would recommend it on a genuine 1675. It will fit the bezel, but it is flat bottomed and might need the area where the crystal mounts to be taken down a bit. The bezel might need to be deepened too. A dremel tool does that easily. That is what freddy333 and I did on the Silix case and bezel. It measures 1.3 +- mm thick. These are made just as the original perspex/acrylic/bakelite insert were made. I think they look best when 'fitted' to the watch/bezel. things have a way of not staying the same after 55 years! It is fairly easy to shape the insert. I mount the insert in the bezel off the watch. I use 400 grit sandpaper to get the shape I want and blend it into the bezel. Then I use 1500 sandpaper to lightly smooth out the scratches from the 400 paper. The insert is still cloudy/foggy from the sandpaper. The final step is to polish it. I use Brasso and a terry cloth. A little Brasso, polished by hand makes the acrylic crystal clear with a very high shine. Cloth in one hand, insert mounted in the bezel in the other, and about 15 seconds of polishing, check it, polish and check, etc. If there were any light scratches left by sanding, the polishing will remove them. Brasso will take light scratches out of acrylic watch crystals too, making them look like new. And no, I don't work for Brasso, but 38 years in the military accumulated lots of opened cans of the stuff all over the place. Got a use for it now! You can do it, it's your watch, but don't. I would think that modding a gen case/bezel would ruin the value of your watch.

There are advantages in being a member here! This is just one of them.

Yep, exactly right. I figured that out! I put the U shaped spring on a piece of Scotch tape so I can see through it, and install the spring through the slot. That way if you miss the slot a tad, or the spring decides it has different intentions than you have, it is still stuck to the tape. I bet I've spent more time looking for teeny-tiny parts that go off the reservation than the time to actually install them! I am fortunate in that when my tired old eyes can't find the screw or part, my Lady friend who is a surgical nurse always finds them. She says they have to do that in surgery when a doc drops a tiny needle and stuff. And I have fun watching her search...

Photos courtesy of freddy333:

You'll be much happier if you do business with Gary Clark. He's a good man and a good friend as well. PM him through Ebay, tell him you are a member here. I got him set up as a 'Trusted Dealer' on RWG1.1, and I think he should be here as well.

That makes sense. The experts here recommend a full service on a watch purchased from any of our Chinese dealers for good reason. Working on them is an adventure and not for the feint of heart! The U shaped spring under the keyless works cover can travel several yards in any direction at near the speed of light. I used a piece of tape to hold it when reinstalling. That tamed the beast a bit.