alligoat

I agree that the 14K euros is a great price. I do think the Rolex service will run more than 800 euros though. But even if it cost's 2K euros for a service, it's still a good deal IMO. A Rolex service is the best way to go on these watches!

I'd think that a 2836-2 would fit along with a movement spacer like the #2 ring from rafflestime.

Looks ok, but what about a shot of the movement? The 7835 bracelet is probably earlier- by 1979-80, the 78350 would have probably been used. Correct end pieces for the earlier 7835 would have been 271 or 371. 78350 ends would have been 571s. Bezel insert is original and ok. Tall coronet on the crown points to a 702 crown which is correct

You've pretty well covered the case options, etc. With DW out of the picture and given the fact that Spinmaster worked on DW cases and dials, those two are gone. There is 'Son of Phong' who sells parts on ebay- world_time_inc_online is his store- he's got a few dials and other parts. So like you say, the cartel watches are really the only way to go unless you spend big on Phong stuff, also there's MQ over in Saigon, expensive and always a challenge buying from someone in Vietnam. M2M is your other option- keep your eyes open.

Those pointed hands came from an old Silix watch Oh for the good old days- that watch had a swiss 2836-2 in it and a nice 34 mm case. Only issue was the date window was right justified like an eta. It was a 6694 case but instead of being manual wind like the old Oysterdates, it was an automatic. I think I paid $110-120 for the watch. I ended up getting a MKII dial and hands and put a T-12 crystal on there- Sold the watch a few years ago since it wasn't getting any wrist time and wasn't WR- crystal leaked!

Yes, the 9015 is a 28,800 bph and 24 jewels. At 11-1/2 lignes, it sets up like the etas and other rep watch motors, being 3.9mm high, maybe more like the 2892-2. I ran across it in a 6538 knock-off, the Sea Viper http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ticino-40mm-Sea-Viper-Vintage-Submariner-Diver-Watch-/191553457551?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c9979cd8f tested to 200m! Could be fun for diiving, etc. With swiss etas being scarce, miyotas might be a good way to go.

Well you could always build a rep of the 5508. Having seen your recent gilt 5513, it certainly wouldn't be that hard for you to do. I realize it wouldn't be the same as having the gen, but sometimes we have to make do!

I've got a few Miyota movements in a pair of Invicta Divers and I just got one in a Charles Hubert gold Datejust knock-off. All are doing fine. They may run a tad fast but it's no big deal. And if you can buy another 8215 for $40, what the heck.

I did pretty well with the ST3035 case and a set of rep SELs and noob bracelet. But the bracelet isn't really correct for a 16800 matte dial franken. Don't know if you can still get the ST3135 case or not. If you could, a TC KH dial with the 2824-2 movement and your 93250 would look good- there was a period from around 2000 to 2003 when the lugholed cases were fitted with the SEL 93250. Here's a Y serial with the lugholed case and SEL 93250- circa 2003. This is the last of the lugholed cases. Older bezel insert with the flat 4 in 40. Last of the Y serials had the 16610 T case- no luholes and different bezel insert

WM9 cases basically came from George at Watchmaker 9. BK and some others also sold them. But George is gone and may have died in an auto accident possibly. I've heard of the TC sub just being the latest version of the WM9 case- don't really know if that's the case or not. There's also the MBK (Euromariner), TW Best that BK handled and the Sean case, all of which have gen bezel like construction. Where they actually come from is anyone's guess

LOL, Paul disappeared 3-4 years ago- don't really know what happened.... BK was building the 16610 with the TW Best case for a while after the WM9s went away- it was good also w/ gen like bezel construction. Don't know if he still does those- he has been doing 116610s for a while now.

Clark's what I used 5 years ago. You also could use the TC set of hands- might be better lume if that's what you're looking for.

To age the hands, I typically use some yellow acrylic paint and try to match the color of the lume on the dial. I would like to use a Yuki dial, but they're all too small as far as I can tell. The 6538 dial is 27mm and that will fall thru the rehaut on the Tiger 7928 case. If a dg2813 fits in a case, a 2836-2 will fit also- they're pretty close sizewise.

Thanks Lo for the kind words and the article on AKs. It got me curious, so I check the model number on my AK and it's a 5506- I'd forgotten that. I do especially like your dial- the white with gold markers- they're my favorite.

Last weekend I tried the Rafflestime dial in my Tiger-Concept 7928. Here's the watch before the dial swap So I got the 29mm 3-6-9 dial from Ken- wasn't all that excited about it- too green, IMO. Text is a funky yellow green, lume is yellow. I used a drill and file to take the dial down to 28mm. Lost a little paint on the outside of the minute track, but it's hardly noticeable. The minute track sits right at the edge of the rehaut. After mangeling the seconds hand and straightening it back as best I could, I got the watch back together. I could use a little color matching on the hands and aging of the dial, but for now I'm just wearing it. Put it on a 93150 rep bracelet today- ready to go out and sweat! The new model V3 7928 has no lugholes, a funky pearl with a small metal surround, loose bezel and a plain unmarked crown, but for $140 with the new dial it's a fun beater. The dg2813 is holding up well, the crown guards are good and it has the domed plastic crystal.

Welcome back! If you want a nice 16610 sub, TC is the way to go- his sub is so good it's scary. What WM9 and others started in 2010 has been carried to the next level with the TC sub.

Although the 2892-2 is a great movement, it's rarely used in reps. The chinese have copied it and there are a few reps that use it, but not Rolex reps that I'm aware of. You might be able to use it in a build where the 2824-2 would have been used, but it might require a small adjustment or spacer to get the stem to line up with the crown tube/crown. A late model Tudor which used a 2824-2 might be a good candidate. Good luck!

Is the 5504 model 34mm or 36mm? i've got the 5500 Air King with the 1530 movement. As I recall, it dates from 1959. Gold shell on a gold shell rivet bracelet (for now and sometimes on a dark brown croc strap). Mines 34 mm.

That YM is growing on me- waiting on the rep- could be fun to wear just to see if anyone's paying attention! That 3255 looks interesting- are movements getting more 'boxy'? Looks like everything is protected by plates/bridges.

That is a beautiful dial on that 6239- the OT SWISS TO at the bottom got my attention and the crown emblem makes me wonder if it's not a gen dial. I'd sure like to find a dial like that!

That's obviously a disclaimer on WSO's part to keep them out of trouble. With a gen tube or good aftermarket tube, it will probably fit, but when you remove the rep tube, you need to run the 3.0mm x .35 tap thru the hole to clean out the threads. At that point you're good to go. Now days most crown and tube assemblies are copies of the gen assembly- gen crowns will a lot of times fit on the rep case tubes. My crown and tube assembly on my SSD-V2 was so good, I saw no reason to swap it out for a gen assembly. And that watch is 3-4 years old. You might consider sending your watch out to someone who has the tools and experience to do the swap. By the time you buy a tap, a case wrench to install the tube, some loc-tite and tools and screw drivers to open the case and remove the watch movement, it would be cheaper to pay someone $40 or so to make the swap for you.

Check out CousinsUK- they've got the generic 7030 tube.

Those Clark tubes are the same. Here's what I get from WSO http://www.ebay.com/itm/CASE-TUBES-FOR-ROLEX-SUBMARINER-16800-16610-24-7030-WITH-GASKET-STAINLESS-STEEL-/310801587682?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item485d37dde2

That sub would take the Rolex 7030 tube and either the 703 or 704 crown. the BP crown might fit on the 7030 tube- you'll just have to try it and see. I like the 7030 tubes from wholesaleoutlet990- I've had good luck with them. Clarks also has tubes, but I've broke a few of them. Cleaning out the threads in the case takes a 3mm x .35 tap. I use some lock-tite when installing new case tubes. Helps w/ WR.

That model is no longer made. The rep scene is constantly evolving. That model morphed into the M092117 noobmariner which also had the rehaut engraving. I'm not even sure if the M092 model is still around. You're lucky with a swiss eta movement. Now days even though the dealers advertise swiss eta, in reality, they're probably Asian etas- a step or two below the swiss eta in quality. Your watch case looks good, the only change you might make is to get a TC bracelet. It would have a better crown emblem on the clasp and not have the 455B engraving on the SELs.