ubiquitous

Nice work! You know, the PAM type projects are always the best to start with as the 6497 movement is very easy to work with Great platform to get your feet wet. So, what's the next project planned?

Well, one of the great things about building (I think) is that the expenditure, while it appears to be high, isn't as painful as it could be. It would probably have more impact to my conscience if I were dropping the amount all at once. However, since the parts are usually picked up here and there over an extended period of time, the little hits feels less significant. Granted, I'm paying the same amount over the long run, I don't even realize what expenses I've had on a project until I look back in retrospect since everything's spread out. Now patience... That's another story

Seems to be a bit on the low side for a home plate 7031? Worn/patina'd examples start at around $20k and only go up from there; and that's when they actually surface to the market.

Rolex Daytona 16520 frankenstein: -Case: $1200.00 -El Primero 400: $850.00 -Dial: $800.00 -Hands: $200.00 -Crown/tube: $60.00 -Bezel: $500.00 -Gen bracelet $750.00 **prices circa 2006 Total: $4360.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rolex Daytona 16520 frankenstein: -Case: $1100.00 -El Primero 3019: $1200.00 -Dial: $750.00 -Hands: $200.00 -Crown/tube: $60.00 -Bezel: $500.00 **prices circa 2007 Total: $3810.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rolex Submariner 16610 WM9 build: -Stock WM9 16610: $500.00 -Bezel assembly: $250.00 -Insert: $100.00 -295C crystal: $200.00 -Crown/tube: $60.00 -Bracelet build: $50.00 Total: $1160.00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tudor Submariner 9411 frankenstein: -MBW case minus bracelet: $250.00 -ETA 2783: $50.00 -Dial: $550.00 -Hands: $250.00 -T-125 crystal: $100.00 -Insert: $150.00 -Crown/tube: $60.00 -Case work: $100.00 -78360 links/93150 clasp/580 ends: $450.00 Total: $1960.00

I like the caseback on that one as well. Fun and whimsical...

I wonder if the watch Nanuq drove over in the Range Rover/dropped from the balcony/lit on fire on the stove top/crushed with a rock is still working?

The datewheel on the Rolex reps is actually just a thin metal disc that is glued over the top of the ETA (or whatever xyz movement) datewheel. Aligning is absolutely possible, but you'll need to de-case the watch, remove hands and dial, remove the date overlay and reposition. Not terribly difficult to do, but well advised to have a competent and rep friendly watchmaker/repair shop perform this task if you are unfamiliar with the process. Or, you can contact the dealer you purchased from for corrective direction.

It's bad, but I don't know if it's THAT bad, Fidestro....

Definitely not the same watch. The watcheden one looks much better- Sharper print quality on the bezel and dial, case is different between the two, etc. etc.

Seems as though Zenith has taken a rather extreme direction change since Thierry Nataf was put in charge. A lot of his designs and ideas were very niche, and the entire line seemed to become a little more bizarre and unusual with each year passing. I guess his recent departure from the CEO role a few months back shouldn't come as a huge surprise in that sense; it seems as though he's only isolated the brand to a select few that would appreciate the new direction the brand was taking instead of trying to appeal to a broader customer base for that market share. Afterall, in times of economic slow down like the one we're currently seeing, turn over for such items in general slows considerably; if you're making strange, eccentric watches that only appeal to a few, I can bet that sales numbers dropped like a rock. If there's one upside to the whole design implementation Nataf was responsible for, it's the cross platform sharing of ideas with TAG under the LVMH umbrella. Seems as though TAG was able to incorporate some of those concepts sucessfully, by taking the designs to a lesser extreme while innovating complication and function. I see a lot of Zenith influence in TAG's designs, but the style and execution is what discerns the two in my eyes.

Now I'm curious to see what mine looks like behind the spacer ring. Very interesting...

Price and cost factor definitely plays a big role in building vs. buying gen. This is primarily why I decided to go with the Planet Ocean and not, say a 2254.50. While I love the black dial SMP300, the cost to buy a pre-owned gen is sometimes as low as $900 to $1500 for that model. It would be easy to approach that level of parts cost once you factor in the old closed factory case, gen dial, hands, bezel/insert, crown, tube etc. As for this particular example- It's got the plastic ring and the 2824. I may have a metal ring that will work with some case clamps, however...

I think even bling kings might enjoy some subtlety every now and then...

Yessir... Gen hands, datewheel and dial are in the immediate future. In the long term... Maybe AR, crown/tube and clasp or bracelet, etc. Gotta keep the overall cost in check, as it would be easy to encroach on the cost of gen (thus defeating the purpose of building); with the short term mods completed, I should be at around $680 including the cost of the watch...

Here are a few... My MBW based 9411: Franken 16520 (white): Franken 16520 (black):

Indeed. Everything's pretty much downhill from here

His is a 42mm 4th gen like mine...

When I rec'd it this afternoon... After slight modification:

Exactly my point. It's not JD's fault- He paid for a watch, and that's what he's got. However, Kurt is due either a watch (either another 3717 or his TT Sub returned) or payment from the selling party.

This looks like a case of a watch sale getting double booked- Once to JAG on the trade and once to JD on the sale. I think Paneraifreak needs to come forward to shed some light on what's transpired...

Was this for the models like the Navi with the single digits printed on their side like gen?

2nd that IU.

The bezel makes for a huge difference in the way it looks. The rep bezel, now that I look at it, has the outer rim a littled too angled/sloped towards the coin edge serrations; the gen is less pronounced in this sense and is a bit flatter. Of course, the teeth are nice and crisp, which also makes for a big difference. The new bezel feels nice and tight with a very sharp click when turned. Fitting was pretty straight forward; I'm unclear as to whether there are different variations of this watch out there, as some people I spoke with said their's would not fit properly, while I know of at least one other member who has the gen bezel installed. So it could be hit or miss...

Stress testing on Weds... Thurs...

Couple more pics...