ubiquitous

Gen...

Did someone say my name? Good thing I keep my watches either in my collection, or with a few trusted folks here on the forum Folks have asked me why I never switched my El Primero rotors out for gen 4030 rotors, or red reversing wheels, etc. The short answer is that my intention is to never pass these off as 100% genuine (only partially gen ). Since these things are built solely for personal enjoyment/challenge, and since I know what's behind the closed caseback, I've always felt that spending the money for those 'final touch' movement parts was kinda pointless; better to spend that money elsewhere, or on other projects More on topic- The best way to ensure the legitimacy and authenticity of a second hand purchase is to buy from someone reputible, or buy new from the AD. Granted, nothing in life is guaranteed except for death and taxes, this will help mitigate the potential risk of buying something bogus.

Win/win in my book!

Holy...!! That's one big mother! Very cool! Looks like one significant chunk of steel!

That's my old MBW 1665, modded with gen parts. Most people start with the base watch and build it up with parts to give it a more genuine appearance.

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I think TAG or Omega would be a nice choice as a versatile 'go anywhere, do anything' kind of watch and would be perfect for a first piece to start off the career out of school.

Back in 1996... I don't think I was paying attention to exchange rates

$15k USD?

Look at that bakelite! Doesn't look like there's a single crack!

MBW... A mythical entity to describe at best. Some say his father was German. Nobody believed he was real. Nobody ever saw him or knew anybody that ever worked directly for him. The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist. And like that, poof. He's gone.

armin- I recently picked this one up on the right: 'F' serialed 111. Not sure of it's origins, but it may give you a lead on what to look out for...

Lani- Fantastic pics as always! The more I look at your images, the more I think I want a 3719 or a Cousteau....

Thanks for the kind words, fellas! Much appreciated! And it is a big relief to know that I'm not the only one with this level of OCD This stuff has me batty at times!

well done! BIG congrats!

Happy birthday, froggy!!

Yeah... I always wind from the back these days... Got tired of seeing the CG and portion of the bezel getting rub marks As for the lever- My theory is that winding with the lever closed will eventually wear material away from the crown and/or lever, thus resulting in less compression of the crown when the lever is closed. Not sure how much winding in the closed position it would take for this to actually happen, but manual winding every day/every other day for a frequently worn watch may become problematic sooner or later if wear does take place...

I always wind with the lever open, and from the back to avoid rubbing/scuffing the top of the CG. Just personal pref...

Happy birthday, buddy!!

Now that is a gorgeous set! Perfection...

Fri: Sat: Sun:

Few more... Yeah, I think it's otay.

Thanks, C. I appreciate you taking the time to check this on the Mac grid. It definitely helps with the sanity side of things (I'll be able to sleep tonight!)

I've had this thing apart a couple of times within the last 12 hours... Fine tuning, adjusting and re-adjusting. I tend to think that after a while, my eyes just go kind of cross and I start seeing things that aren't exactly reality. I use the grid to line things up, but as with anything, nothing is fool proof as in the end there's a human behind the process It's reassuring to have you guys double check with another set of eyes to make sure I'm seeing things right. Thanks as always- Very much appreciated!

For those of you with an eye for symmetry- Does this look straight? I think it does... But I've been staring at it for so long now that I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. Sometimes, it looks just ever so slightly off kilter: If I do a grid of straight lines, however, it looks fairly straight, I think... Thoughts? Kinda hard to get a straight on photo with everything square, even, level... I think I need to figure out a jig or something with these things