preacher62

I have built Frankens using the gen 16000 case and a 2836-2. The 2846 would be a direct replacement for the 36. Dimensions are the same. The 16000s had plexy crystals and the 2836-2 would be a correct movement for that model. The Rolex 3035 (which came in the later 16000s) movement had a 28.8KBH beat rate. Sorry tomhorn, I meant to quote the OP.

+1 It is not necessary to remove the date wheel overlay, as some have said, to take the date wheel off. I have an old business card that was printed on some type of celuloid, that is very thin that I use to press the jumper spring. While you have the date wheel removed, note the location of the jumper spring and mark the edge of the bridge with a scratch.

There may be enough meat...in a perfect world, but the bit, invariably, grabs the ring and jerks it out of the link. I have done it successfully one time. If I made a jig to hold the link and used a drill press it would be a better operation. When you hold the end link in your fingers and drill it with a hand-held drill you usually contribute some blood fluid to the project.

I will make some after shots. I'm wearing the 1675 at the moment but I have a gen dial that showed up on Friday, so it is time to take it down, point the CGs, install the gen dial and the small GMT hand.

This is just one solutions that avoids the purchase of gen end links. There are, apparently, no aftermarket end links available (for jubilee) to accomodate 2mm springbars and the rings in my end links were not open. They were a solid ring cut from tubing. Additionally, there was not enough meat to drill them out. This is my solution and I like it... 1. I popped the small rings out of the end link and threw them away...very easy. 2. I cleaned the end link very thoroughly by soaking in denatured alcohol. 3. I roughed up the inside of the end link with 220 grit sandpaper. 4. I put some grease on the shank of my 2mm drill bit. Any grease will work, it is just a release agent. 5. I laid the shank of the 2mm bit down in the end link. 6. I carefully laid a bridge of J-B Weld over the shank, making sure that there was good contact with the steel of the end link. *Up until this point I had spent no more than 10 minutes on this project. 7. I waited about 6-8 hours and then took some needle nosed pliers and turned the bit to break it loose and pulled it out. 8. Voila...2 perfect 2mm rings in the end link. Wait the full 24 hours before using. The good news is, these end links will never jingle. I like it. P. S. You might have to hit the curved watch end of the link with some sandpaper as this puts the springbar just a "hair" deeper into the link than the original rings.

The rings in my end links were not open. They were a solid ring cut from tubing. This is my solution and I like it... 1. I popped the small rings out of the end link and threw them away...very easy. 2. I cleaned the end link very thoroughly by soaking in denatured alcohol. 3. I roughed up the inside of the end link with 220 grit sandpaper. 4. I put some grease on the shank of my 2mm drill bit. Any grease will work, it is just a release agent. 5. I laid the shank of the 2mm bit down in the end link. 6. I carefully laid a bridge of J-B Weld over the shank, making sure that there was good contact with the steel of the end link. 7. I waited about 6-8 hours and then took some needle nosed pliers and turned the bit to break it loose and pulled it out. 8. Voila...2 perfect 2mm rings in the end link. Wait the full 24 hours before using. The good news is, these end links will never jingle. I like it.

Martin, I viewed your thread this morning and was then rendered speechless. I went to therapy for two hours in order to compose myself and now I can only say WOW...WOW! M

+1 on that...

Alli, I have tried several. I, also, have a 16000 mid-case that needs a back. Hard to find. I have wondered whether one of Yuki's casebacks would work.

I agree wholeheartedly! It pains me to see what some do with these watches. In looking at the models, on eBay, there are some that are quite used but you seldom see one that has been dragged behind a train like are some of these rep builds.

Thanks for reply. The rings in these end links do not accommodate 2mm spring bars. I sent an email to WSO today and they said that they do not furnish jubilee end links that accommodate the "fat" spring bars. I may have to look for gen as panerai153 suggested. All these guys are building 1675s with jubilee bracelets. They must have this problem solved.

Well...I give up. Where do we get the 20mm end links for the jubilee bracelet that will accomodate 2mm springbars. I have checked O'frei, Cas-ker, Wm. S. McCaw, eBay WSO, WM, Clark. No one seems to be able to furnish an after market end piece like this. The ones that I have do not have enough meat to drill them out...I tried. Help, Please. M

I salute you tomhorn. That was a most excellent find at $220. I missed a 16000 case about a month ago because I was engaged and couldn't bid the last 60 sec. It went for $123. I was sick. It was a mid-case and caseback only. I was lucky. The YG one is a 16013 and the WG one is a 16014. Works good and the gold won't wear off. I haven't had to price the bezels lately. There is a seller on the Bay that sells an aftermarket bezel. They have the full height and also a "low profile" bezel. It's not perfect but not bad. I have a white gold one if you ever need it. Nearly new...looks great and will fit a rep case. Thing is, I don't think it measures out to a full 18K. I have a mid-case and would pay some amount for a caseback if you know of one. It is a 16000 mid-case.

Could be, but I did purchase the 16013 case this year, and it was the $182 one. It did not have any hardware but the case back, i.e. no tube, crown, crystal. I must admit, I had the yellow gold bezel. I forgot about the bezels...they are an additional expense. (I would advise anyone to not purchase a case without a caseback because a caseback is very difficult to source.) I did buy the other one with the white gold bezel on board and I know it was below $200 because I have not paid $200 for one. I have noticed that the 1600 cases are getting very expensive. They seem to be more desirable than the 16000 cases, even to members of this forum. I like the 16000 case because I like to work with the 2836 movement (for this application), and also piepan dials are more expensive and more difficult to find.

Silix is a good choice for a Datejust. Andrew (Trusty Watches) is also a dealer with whom I have had very good success. Most DJs are very accurate and they will put together for you what you want, or get very near. If you want a good modern DJ...one that you can wear everyday and have it work well, then I would urge you to go with a Swiss ETA or the Asian equivalent movement. Suggestion...go on eBay and download a pic of what you would like and send it to the dealer, telling them that this is what you are looking for.

I love the vintage DJs. AAMOF, out of 5 reps I have an MBW 16610 and the rest are vintage. They are very easy to build and not break the bank. I try to buy a 16000 case from eBay. $182 is the most I ever paid. Hopefully it will have a good case tube, but they are $14. You can buy a gen crown for $50 - $60. The dial will go from $65 to $350 depending on which you choose. Put it together with a Swiss ETA 2836-2 and gen date wheel for a 3135 (6s and 9s will be closed, which is incorrect), and some Tudor hands from Clark and you have a rep with which no one can argue. I know, I know...that should be a champagne date wheel on the 16013. I have one but it is too dark. Trying to find a better one.

I agree! To invest all that "gen" into a watch and, at the end of the day, still have a rep doesn't make sense to me. M

Yes, it is. Looks good!

All that was said above plus...the 2836 has a very different date changing mechanism than the 24. The 24has a springloaded wheel that pushes the date wheel around, while the 2836 has cam on the back of the date changing wheel that starts to load up a static steel spring at about 10:30 and then at midnight the cam gets to the end of it curve and unloads the spring. It really kicks that date wheel a good lick. "Good lick"...that's a technical watchmaking term.

Thanks! I have a project going, with Trevor's 1675, and saw a GMT hand (with small arrowhead) for the 2893 on the Bay. That would have been cool, for $24.95. If you have a 2893 there are some available and they look pretty good.

Is the the GMT pinion on the GMT-modified ETA 2836-2 the same size as the GMT pinion on the ETA 2893? Thanks in advance!

Thanks! Me too! I just can't seem to take that one off.

I do love a vintage Datejust (But then, I'm vintage myself) and they are the easiest Franken to build...and maybe the least expensive. This is a 16013 in a gen 16013 case and a 16014 in a gen 16014 case. All gen but the movements and the things attached to the movements. I need to work on the DWOs. I have aftermarket date wheels coming but they just won't have open 6s and 9s. I bought an aftermarket champagne date wheel for the 13, but it is very dark and not gen looking. BTW...the gold will never wear off of that 13. But then there's this one. Not much gen about it, but I have a gen crown and tube for it. The case is a jmb 2824 16200 case, drilled by jmb and bezel (pounded out) by jmb. I will be getting a dial from Ingod44. It has a Swiss 2824 with date mechanism removed. Makes a pretty good 1016. (Martin is my hero.) Just to show that I am not prejudince against 40mm, there is this one...just a ragged old MBW/MBK. It does have a gen crown and tube, along with a Swiss 2836-2. The dial and hands are Noobmariner (at the time they were considered among the best). It has a WSO insert with a WM pearl. It will get a gen insert some day. I'm into 36mm at the moment. And this one. Josh's infamous 5513 running an ETA 2846 slow-beat movement. Some excellerated abuse has been added. The 1016 is the one that I can't take off. I have wanted a 1675 with a jubilee bracelet since I first saw them. I am watching, with a great deal of interest, the work that is being done with Trevor's 1675. Look's good. (Sorry...these are the best pics that I can take with a Kodak Easy-Share.)

That's not been my experience.

The one that I purchased from Josh had a little flat connecting link that connects the bracelet to the endlink. It really looks cheap. Most of the 5513s on eBay appear to have a curved connecting link like the others only shorter. That looks better.