alligoat

I agree with freddy 100%. Although some of the newer reps come with decent crown and tube assemblies which are good copies of the gens, I find it's always best to replace the tube ( I use a good rep tube) and crown (I use a good used gen crown). At that point, you hopefully have achieved good WR and ease of motion/movement which are the two main purposes. If you like the rep assembly, you can always leave it in there. If it works well, no harm done. I have reps that work well also. So some it depends on how far you want to go.

I've had my eyes on those 93160s of Dr. B's, but its a big GAMBLE. What if the end links don't match up with your case? Hopefully you could come up with a good story and send it back pronto for a refund. You certainly wouldn't want to tell Dr. B that it didn't fit your rep watch! I wonder if jmb could engrave the 93160 in an end link of your bracelet?

Looks to me like you might be hooked! Congrats on your first project.

See, as good as the MBW case can be, they send you crap for a bracelet and end pieces! Even the PT GWSD has a better bracelet and end pieces- 93150/580. There's been some other discussions about MBWs here- highoey knows as much as anyone about them. You might do some reading. The MBW situation probably isn't going to get any better based on what I read earlier this week But you've got yours, so let the mods begin!

Well it certainly looks good, looks like an MBW. Typical white pearl in the bezel insert. Date font looks correct (for MBW datewheel). Like I said before, can you fit a gen crystal, like a top hat crystal? Typical MBW stuff to do, trim the crown guards, drill the lugholes to the correct size, end pieces on the bracelet look good but I couldn't read the #- should be 580s. A hollow mid link 93150 would also be nice. Don't know if that's the bracelet you got or not, but it has nothing to do with early or later MBWs, just whether you're lucky or not. Quality varies on MBWs just like all other rep watches.

Although the markings are consistent with an older 1680, I just don't see how it could be. Nothing against Narikaa, but it's been a couple of years since we saw Cats 1680 and realized it wasn't like the early versions. But until you start trying to swap in some gen parts, you won't really know. Try swapping in a T-127 and see how you do. Pics might help also.

Nice job JB! Did you steal that dial from Martin? Oh wait, yours doesn't have a messed up hour marker, nevermind!

Nice job sneed! This is excellent reading for noobs who want to improve their noobmariner. It's hard to believe the noobmariner has been out for 5 years and it's still going strong.

Probably so. These guys all get their watches from the same various sources.

Looks good Marty. The biggest challenge to all of these SD and Sub reps is trimming the cg's. The PT SD in addition to an inside trim, could use a trim over the top and along the outside edges. It's a time consuming project which I haven't undertaken yet either- lots of filing and polishing. I trimmed the insides and that's as far as I got. It's on my someday list! But I still think these PT SDs are great bang for the buck, especially with the 2846-2 engine inside and the 6 and 9 markers on your dial are a nice size, not too narrow like PT's GWSD dial (I swapped mine out for an MBW dial).

I've noticed a slight bit of wokkiness on gen cases like this one, but the Yuki case appears to have more wokkiness- greater depth, so to speak.

Here's the spacer ring from Raffles-time http://cgi.ebay.com/Movement-Ring-DG-2813-others-fit-Size-2-/150509737494?_trksid=p4340.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA%252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D10%26pmod%3D160496446851%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D523486219559890663 Nothing against Yuki, but this one is certainly much more reasonably priced.

A friend of mine spent $500 on a Rolex service a few years ago. Luckily I stay away from the RSC. You'd figure a clasp at $200-250, so where's the other $200? More replaced parts?

Great looking watch EMM! And kudos to pbdad. But I thought TRL went on the caseback! Explorer dials are my favorite 5513/2s!

Heck, I'm thinking it's around 1960. Like a 6694 Oysterdate Precision- these were produced into the early 80's, later models had the stick markers. This dial has the earlier hour markers, but the later straight hands. I agree with JAG's evaluation- $850+ or -.

Still enjoying my 1016 build I used a 1601 case for this and I think it's ironic that the same four digits spell either 1601 or 1016.

Like Zeleni says, MBK is the mall in Bangkok and thru the years MBW and MBK have come to mean the same thing. but MBK (or MBW) watches are changing, as are all reps. So an old MBW isn't the same as a newer MBK or a new MBW. That's why the old vintage MBWs are considered the best, the newer ones aren't of the same quality.

Beautiful job, M! The dial and the bezel turned out beautifully, as well as the whole watch, of course. It's truely a work of art. Now if we can just figure out a way around those pesky DW pushers- hope yours hold up!

Good looking watch, nice dial, lugholes, pearl. Old MBWs have the perfect DW for you- the one that came on the 1680s and 1665s. The trick is finding one. Cubic-works also used to sell the open 6&9 DW but that's been 4-5 years ago. You do still see them on the cheap chinese reps, maybe you could swipe one off a $25 rep If it's any consolation, if Rolex were to service a 16660 and rerplace the DW, it would be with one like your current DW. They'd also install a crystal w/ the LEC. They did that on my 16800 from '83. I was able to find an old DW, but I left the crystal. On a gen crystal, you only see the LEC under perfect conditions- I saw mine one day in the sunlight at the right angle.

The pics on RWI and RG came out better! But the new V72 sure looks like a winner. The first ever 6239 FAP....

Beautiful job B! I like that 2824 motor in there.

I'm w/ migge on this- first is a 7750 dial, second is a V72. Bezels are also different- second is a 50/200, first is a 60/300. Is this the V72 6239 you've been working on? I do see the Fuerza Aerea on the back!

My gut feeling on the casebacks is that the flatter one is more correct. But I really need to check my gen at home. The nice thing about casebacks is no one really sees them unless you take your watch off. The DW you have is correct and pretty nice- if you can fit a white dial on there, you should be in good shape. The old bezel with the 'bent paper clip' is the old bastard rep style. Ironically, Rolex used it on early subs- 6538, 5508, 6542 (GMT), etc, but changed with the 5513/5512/1680. Don't know how much mixing and matching you can do with the two cases you have, all you can do is try.

I've never heard of a noob factory 1680. An old MBW 1680 will have an L342,xxx SN and won't take a gen dial w/o trimming it or the inside of the case down. Newer MBW's aren't as good but may have a better SN than an L series which doesn't exist for the true 1680's, but you find on the MBW because they copied a late model 5513. I'd figure you have two cartel type cases and then it becomes a question if either has gen bezel construction- which would be a crystal fitting on the case, a retaining ring pressing over the crystal and holding it in place and then the bezel snapping/pressing onto the retaining ring and turning either way- bi-directional. The latest PT and Josh subs have this more gen like construction although PT's sticks a nylon gasket in the mix, kinda screwing things up. There is no perfect 1680 case so if you like the cg's on your one case and you can fit a gen dial in there, I'd go for it. With some light aging and a good bezel insert, I can't imagine you'd ever be called out.

That would be $40 plus a service! Stilty is the guy who knows how to convert and from a previous email he sent me, it basically sounds like it's a matter of ordering the right 2846 parts and making the conversion. But this might be a project for a watchmaker if you have to ask! So then you're back to what sneed said- buy a used 2846 and have it serviced.