Jetsons

UB7, why not invest some time reading at Timezone? You can find anything and everything about the Breitling and Omega at their respective dedicated forums. There is a wealth of info there plus owner reviews.

If buying used, Rlx is a darn good bet. They are simple watches and tough as nails. Every few years have it serviced by RSC and you'll basically have a new watch with warranty. The Sea-Dweller is approximately the same price as the Submariner, far less common and built like a tank. The lack of the cyclops is also more attractive in my view.

With regard to the Breit, it's a bit of cash for a Valjoux 7750, IMO.

Take your time and check everything out. There is little reason to rush. :smile:

The ETA bezel looks more accurate but the case & back appear to be thicker. The Asian has the terrific slim case which I doubt would work for ETA 2836. I wonder if the ETA model's bezel assembly would work on the thin case.

I need to order one of the Asians to play with. It is a neat looking watch and the best no CG case out there.

WOW! Great work and beautiful watch! :cool:

The best part of this hobby is assembling creations such as this.

Second, the T-39 looks terrific. Out of curiosity, is it a gen?

What can one say, except that it is one awesome Explorer II. :smile: Fantastic photos a usual!

The gen dial totally rocks!

Congrats BT and hope you enjoy for many moons to come.

Cheers!

OEm Crown/Tube installing is harder than the newer MBK come out.

You must drill the Tubhole to right dimension,retapp and countersink it, I think nobody will do this for 40$

Tribal, that was my cost but perhaps it varies. The OEM parts I supplied.

Personally, I believe this post should be made a sticky. I am a strong believer that members should be made aware of the incompetent work that is being performed on their watches by certain so called watch experts and to add insult to injury, at an alarming cost.

As you know, I have seen detailed photos of certain of the watches you mentioned. The absurd quality of the work can at times, not be seen by the casual observer. Once the watch is opened & parts examined, it can be a very sad story. As with you, I also feel for the owners.

This is a huge loss to all of us.

Have a terrific & safe Holiday Season!

All the best,

Jet

Mezz, my suggestion would be to keep the 1665 and specially the OEM parts if you can swing it. I can't be sure from your photos, but if that is a genuine T-39 Superdome on your watch, I double my suggestion to keep it.

Have the watch modded when finances allow. You can easily install the gen insert and with the gen Tropic crystal, they are the LARGEST improvements you can make to the MBW. Wear it and enjoy! The other mods will pale in comparison and can easily wait.

BTW, I know how difficult it is to source vintage OEM parts. I have extras but given the PIA they were to find, they aren't going anywhere. :biggrin:

Added:

Modification estimates:

Lug holes & bracelet-$80

OEM crown/tube install: $40

Dial aged correctly by an artist: $120

Raymond, these episodes are outstanding! The best Pam showcase I've ever attended!

Many thanks for investing the time to do this and sharing.

Hope to see many more. :biggrin:

Cheers,

J

PP, hope this helps. Used Mothers carnuba/cleaner wax.

Looks darn nice, rosnik!

The SSD case must be accurate as the gen bracelet fits nicely without any modification.

Thanks for the photos!

jetson, did you notice alot of dirt in the silicone? i was amazed how dirty the brake cleaner was. im wondering if its the extra polishing that the bracelet gets, along with the fact that why would they clean it?

I was able to remove most of the grime when it was thoroughly washed in step one. I did see a bit of grit in the silicone which had set at the bottom of the Ziploc.

Tough choice, Kurt.

I normally much prefer the matte dial but numero uno looks very good. I would have to see them in the flesh.

Hopefully, you have both.

rosnik, try to get a replacement bracelet from your dealer. There are some that are of better quality.

I received my SSD yesterday and the bracelet was fine. It did not have the stripped screws issue which I was fully expecting. The SELs fit perfectly against the case. I did have problems with the diver's extension not closing but bending the metal plate just slightly improved it. It's not perfect but much better than it was.

It also helps to clean the sh*t out of it plus it soaked in Silicone for 12 hours. Cleaned thoroughly again (soap and brush) and applied Carnuba wax with a soft brush on all sides. It now feels very good and has a silky feel to it.

BTW, the laser crown on the crystal is not much of an issue on the wrist, thankfully.

Your SSD looks damn good, Tribal! Very nice work as usual.

The crystal laser etched crown doesn't look too obvious on your photos. How is it on the wrist?

Functioning HE valve is surprising on a clone & a very nice touch!

Thanks for the report!

Cheers,

J

Congrats, Stephane! I'm glad you were able to find your new SD. Nice lug hole case.

Today, the one on the left:

I scratch my head when I see a listing of a genuine Pam for $4K plus and a couple of adds down, there is a homage that looks very similar with an equivalent movement for $400 or less. I have noticed a flood of these recently.

Perhaps I'm off base but this must have negative implications on the resale value of some of the modern gen Pams. I wonder what the Paneristi think about this? At least, they don't have to worry too much about their Ti Pams being "homaged" in the future.

Fun, isn't it.

With regard to the ETA, I've had many 2836-2s and they have been flawless from day one. The Zigmeister has serviced many and he has mentioned that they are authentic ETA movements. At times, the reps will have a dirty and poorly oiled ETA which may require service but this isn't the norm from my experience.

I believe you threw off the keyless works which would be a certainty if you used a sharp object to depress the stem locking mechanism. You must use a 1.2mm flat screw driver to do this and anything else, will result in problems.

As to your watchmaker, the $600 for a new movement and installation is an absolute rip-off. A brand new ETA 2836-2 can be sourced for about $100. I'm sure he can source them for less which leaves over $500 just for the installation.

Best of luck!

Gorgeous vintage beauty, Kurt!

Your Omega looks like it was kept in a drawer for over 40 years.

You're right, sometimes you can get very lucky and find a timeless minty vintage for a song. Any new solid 18K watch can easily run $2K and then some.

Enjoy!

I owned the old TW best SD which looks identical to yours on the right. it was a nice enough watch but was far from being an accurate reproduction. It used the same case as the Sub with the addition of a thick case back. The crystal height was too shallow and used the Sub's bezel. The dial print was quite good but the pimple hour markers bothered the heck out of me.

The new SSD looks superior based on the photos I've seen and some of the problems can be easily addressed. I have not the opportunity to hold the new SSD but gen owners have reported they are quite impressed with it, which hopefully means something.

Congratulations on one terrific IWC, Euno & thanks for the excellent photos. It seems that the long wait was more than worth it.

I've always been hesitant to pick up a watch with an Asian chrono movement but perhaps this one will do it. Simply a stunning watch!

Enjoy!

J

predfan, in case of an emergency, the MBW/MBK 1680 uses the identical case of the 5513 down to the markings. I believe TTK has these ready to go. You should have zero trouble selling the dial if you have no need for it.

If your dial has gen dimensions, it should work on the MBK case as others have installed gen dials. Throw in a gen T-19 and you'll be set.

Nope! It's probably an anti-counterfeit measure but it looks out of place on a tool watch.

IMO, better off with the new 14060M which received the COSC certification and the new dial at least, bears a resemblance to the 5512.

The 3484 clone is a looker but unfortunately it has the sapphire crystal which makes it a non starter for most. The gen's case is also approx. 33-34mm.

It is a terrific looking watch and the Venus copy movement is reliable but it's more of a fantasy model. It's a shame this watch has never been offered with the correct plastic crystal.

Very fine stitch work, V!

The yellow looks killer.

elwopo, if you have plastic straws handy, you may have a size that will fit snugly. Cut a piece to the desired length and it should work. You can also wrap tape around it if you want additional protection.

A piece of heat shrink would be similar. You can find these at Radio Shack and come in assorted small diameters.

Best of luck with the project!

Added: I reread your post. Do you mean protecting the case tube? The stem/crown should be safely off the watch. The above will protect the case tube if you decide to work around it.