projectologist

201A build. Case set and crown being tweaked. When they arrive I'll do the final assembly. Still need to lume the FGD hands. This is what I've got so far (CG prior to applying the brushed finish)...

Got a chance awhile back to see the proto. Nice patina build up. For comparison...

One man's passion can create some amazing objects that stand alone as a tribute to said passion. OK, OK that was probably a little over the top for a CG, but it's one helluva CG that I've had the pleasure of fine-tuning the final shape of, and applying a proper brushed finish to. I hope that I have done it justice. The straight wire lever pin (per gen) still needs to be cut to length, and the inner lever tip sized to properly engage the crown. This is one of a small batch that I was fortunate to acquire. Will more be produced again in the near future?... I don't know for sure, but I bet somewhere a file on a thumb-drive is ready to go when the time is right again. • Disclaimer... please do not email or send me any PM's inquiring where I got the CG. It really doesn't matter anyway as there are no more to be had. But take this post as evidence that an essentially 1:1 Pre-V CG can and has been produced and will hopefully be available again someday. After studying Pre-V CG pics until my eyes crossed I realized that during the era they were manufactured, dimensions and tolerances varied quite a bit. Case-in-point is the amount of chamfer at the top of the hole for the lever pin. From barely noticeable to noticeably wide and all amounts in-between. The same with the amount of lever tip length extending beyond the CG body. Gen pics added (a little blurry from up-rezing, but should suffice for comparison).

What a coincidence... they just happen to be your straps up on eBay Also, not sure why the Parts section... there is a Straps FS section here @ RWG.

Thanks I always liked the Vendome era PAMs when all of the crown guards were polished. Sausage dials and polished crown guards still seem right together.

Not sure how long the buffing wheels will hold up, but for $6.50 at Harbor Freight it was worth a shot.

Happy with the results. I left the lever brushed, the subtle contrast is nice. I used a cheap polishing kit my wife picked up at Harbor Freight and it worked great. The kit included a 4" buffing wheel and a couple of other smaller ones. I only used the finishing compound and it took all of 5 min. to add a mirror finish.Before that I went through grits of wet-or-dry. The lever pin was sanded flush with the <acronym title='Crown Guard'>CG</acronym>'s contour. I always liked the polished <acronym title='Crown Guard'>CG</acronym>'s on most autos, so I'll probably keep this one with the 005. Some quickie phone pics right after I did it...

I forgot to mention that the entire dial surface has a coating of Tamiya's Clear Coat TS-79.

Some close-up pics of FGD's wonderful dial. I got this from a member and I believe it was from his most recent batch. No glow to the lume. The color is exactly what I was looking for. The recessed indices are very nice

Not only is it one of ETA's least expensive manual movements, it's also low-beat vs. the high-beat movement used in the 005. And welcome to the world of luxury goods. When has a luxury item ever been priced according to the actual value of the parts involved in producing it? It costs a fortune to market most luxury goods... the overhead/expense in getting a watch in small #'s like the 318 to the Boutiques is mind boggling. When the 318 was released in 2009, it's msrp of $4200 was $300 less than the 005.

From what I've read so far, Dirk created a Nubuck Grey version intended for a Mare Nostrum 40mm model. Could be interesting to hear what he has to say... dirk.grandry@pandora.be

Considering all of the classic PAM builds you've done, I'm surprised a 201/A wasn't one of them until now. But now is probably the best time ever to do it !

Not sure on the other hide. This pic wasn't labeled. I found it at a link he provided in his sales ad.

Dirk has the same original hide again that came with the 201/A... Olive green shark with Khaki stitching. He's offering both steel coinage and PVD buckle versions. On the left... Same as this one...

Thanks again. I still have yet to brush the rest of the cg (only the bottom surface has been done). I like your suggestion to leave the lever "as is".

Thanks for the offer! But a lot of the pleasure for me is figuring out how to get something done. I've learned how to lume and tear down/lube a 6497 and am now learning how to properly refinish an entire case polished and brushed. Wearing watches seems almost secondary to me

Thanks! So far I've only attempted brushing the bottom surface of the cg. I haven't figured out yet how I'll be applying the same brushed finish to the curved surfaces, especially the top surface with it's compound curves

Up late with Google and found this pic...

This will be my 3rd attempt at putting together a 201/A. The first was a checkbook build, built and purchased from Brobert almost 3 years ago. He did his usual amazing work with the finish and fitment, especially the V cg (remember the frenzy when those first came out?). Great times and when modding really took off parts-wise. Found these pics of that first one... Then I got a little crazy a year and a half later with a gen part out. Used the gen case and cg. FGD dial again (V2 pale yellow and recessed indices that for some reason look raised in some pics). Jakob case back. Dirk strap. Now I'm collecting parts for my 3rd one and doing a little more of the work on it myself than before. Install a Swiss movement from Ofrei. Smooth dome the CP. Lume app the FGD hands. Fine tune the cg shape (including machining the lever pin and applying the correct brushed finish). This cg is going to be 1:1. The latest FGD dial is really nice. Hard to see in my pic, but the indices have a nice depth and the yellow color of the lume is slightly darker, more intense than previous versions. Crown/tube are with member w0lf waiting to be fitted to his latest Pre V group case set project. Xtal TBD. And the new jakob case back that just arrived is as impressive as before, maybe a tad thicker this time, feels a little heavier too plus the engraving is a little more refined. Unlumed FGD hands are in the mail... thanks Matt!

That's because it was posted over 4 years ago... I doubt if it was archived.

Yes, definitely a 618, but not the same version Panerai used. It's a beautiful movement... nice find!

What appears to be a black polished cannon pin in some gen 360 pics is just a reflection of something dark or black in the room where the pic was taken. The gen is polished ss. Here's a pic that gives a good view of the gen crown/case gap and how much visible tube extends beyond the case.

You are correct in your observations. Much has changed, much of it around the edges as I still see the core spirit that has kept me coming back to RWG, especially the Rolex and Panerai forums. Not that it's a be all, end all, but I just wish more folks could know the soul-satisfying pleasure of wearing a completed project that bears the first successful dial and hands swap or even more so, a complete tear down/rebuild of a 6497 movement. In the past when I've mentioned in a post that I've learned to do some of these things myself, I would get several PM's asking for any helpful link to a how-to tutorial. Now it's usually a PM asking me if I could do it for them because they don't have the time or don't want to send it to a modder and wait 2-3 months. The hobby aspect does seem to have ebbed a little. But I'm grateful for the friendships I've made and the knowledge that we continue to share here. I also wish more folks would give instead of take... do some research first instead of coming straight to the forum with a question. And then if they find the answer they were looking for, they can give back to the community by sharing what they found. And don't be afraid to post pics of works in progress, even the failed attempts, plenty of members here to lend a helping hand to those that make the effort to DIY. I'll step down off my soapbox...

Thanks... the phone's camera apps have to take a lot of the credit I looked at it this way... I spent under 200 for the watch so I could splurge a little on the strap (always easy to rationalize a purchase like this ). Plus the watch itself is so close to gen, it wouldn't look out of place with the OEM strap. This one was listed on TZ. There happened to be 2 listed FS this past week in the 350-375 range new. Current retail is a too-rich-for-my-blood 520. Used ones showing some wear can go for 200-300. The BP won't be a daily wearer so I expect to get a lot of mileage out of the strap, and if I don't abuse it, I can probably resell it for a minimal loss.