ubiquitous

Private auction to boot...

BTW- I only did the backside of the insert... There was no need to do the edges. Once I had the backside done, the insert snapped in (i.e. no need for glue).

I use one of those little cylinder shaped grinding 'drums' (for lack of better term). It's pretty course grit... But there is a lot of material that needs to be removed from the back. I mask the front, place it face down, and rotate the insert while I hold the dremel like a pencil, angled down to correlate with the shape of the insert. I purchased a bunch of aftermarket inserts from eBay to practice on first. Once I got the technique and results that I was happy with, I went to work on the gen insert.

I grind mine down with a dremel...

Nice one, Rob!

NICE gen 16600, watcher!!

Yessir! From davidsen... I bought this from his first batch of PVD's 7 months ago, and threw it on a Pre-A strap... Of course, I have this one too... TT- NICE watch!

Indeed... The 116520 is just a smidgen thinner than my 16520 (which is quite thin in it's own right)...

SHITINERAND is a collector's piece. Get them before they're completely discontinued and impossible to find!

They got the rehaut and bezel right, but at the cost of sinking the crown in the crown guards.

Feels like a PAM day today, so for Friday... Saturday... Sunday:

True... The path to building frankens is indeed riddled with many speedbumps, requiring a ton of patience, knowledge and experience, and can oft times end as a pile of parts if one is not careful. I know I've been discouraged more than once... Sometimes leaving a project for another day... But, personally, I just don't understand the logic of someone willing to spend $8k to $12k for a franken when a genuine can be had for relatively little more (+30% on $12k). These are obviously folks with some deep pockets... Or maybe a high credit limit Personally, if I had the choice coupled with the disposable cash to do it, I would choose the genuine as a solid investment, as well as having the provenance of a gen. Hell... Perhaps it's time to quit the day job and build frankens all day... (I wish)

BTW... One last thing to consider. If someone is willing to spend $12k on a frankenstein, why not go the extra stretch to $18k to get a genuine standard 6263? They are available in this price range, verified and confirmed genuine (albeit, probably with some Rolex Service Center replacement parts and without box and papers, but it's not like a frankenstein is going to have these documents either). Heck... Here's a 6239 for $18k... 6239. If someone is willing to spend $12, then $18k can't be much more of a stretch for something 'real'...

And who's to say that one or more of the bidders couldn't somehow be related to the seller in some way, shape or form? Who knows... The watch for sale was probably built with parts *you* sold to one of these guys and is being sold under one account, while someone else is bidding up the price. There are probably a few legit bids in there... But I wouldn't be surprised if there were more illegit bids too. I respect your opinion, Tony, but I still stand by my prior estimate. The rate that people are bidding this watch up is suspiscious and says shill bid to me. The fact that you've sold case(s) to one or more of the bidders makes me suspect it even more so. I wouldn't be surprised if this watch was made from one of your cases, purchased from one of the bidders. The watch, a frankenstein, is just that. When you can buy the parts and a movement on the same resource/site for less and have it all assembled (for under $2.5k, I'm certain), why spend 3 - 5 times that for one that's made up of the same parts? The economics just don't add up. Anyone who's researched the parts and subject knows what these are worth. Case kit- $300.00 to $500.00 (tops) V72 via donor watch- $1,000.00 to $1,200.00 Dial- $300.00 via timeman... $40.00 via DW Genuine crown/tube- $60.00 Assemble/service movement $500.00 Total- $2500.00 And, that's with someone servicing and assembling (price is based on a quote I rec'd for a base service on a V72, not counting any parts needed for replacement). Obviously, significant cost savings can be had depending on parts selection, etc. If I were spending $6k to $12k on a watch, I could think of several other choices before paying 5 digits on a frankenstein that I could have built for 1/5th of the price. Come to think of it... That's the whole reason why I built my El Primero Daytona... I found it ridiculous paying $10k for the genuine (and that's for a gen, with box and papers!)...

Indeed... I was looking forward to picking this one up too.

Have you tried threading the back down without the anti-magnetic cover? If not... I'd try that first. If the caseback threads down the same regardless... Try getting it tested for water resistance anyways (despite the gap). This will tell you if there is really a problem in sealing, or if, perhaps, the gap is a non-issue.

Two words. Shill bids.

People participate in this hobby for different reasons. Some like to collect... Some like to build... Some just like to sample certain watches prior to buying the genuine counterpart. Some are looking for the cheap way out of buying a genuine, and I think that for those, disappointment is inevitable, as there will always be flaws (be it cosmetic, function, etc). I myself like to build... For me, it's probably similar to people who like to build model ships, or railways, cars, etc. The only difference is, I get to wear my replication on my wrist, and enjoy it everywhere I go It's an extension of my effort and work invested... Something I take great pride in everytime I look at my wrist. I think I spend more time looking at my watch without really paying attention to the time. It takes all types to make the world go 'round... Bottom line (at least for me)... Do what makes you happy, and set your expectations accordingly...

As always, a very informative post. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experiences! Good stuff!

Beautiful watch! Looks like it's endured the last decade quite well- It looks to be in great shape, though you can tell it's been loved by looking at it. A definite keeper...

I gave my wife an EL DateJust earlier this year to see how well she'd do with it before I got her a gen... It's been through the wringer, but still running strong. Ladies are far tougher on watches than us guys...

So, what happens if you trigger the Emergency homing beacon when there is no real emergency? Do you get into trouble/fined?

Awesome! Bang for the buck... These are great pieces!

Sadly, there aren't any accurate 16600's either...

RSC NY is terrible. They certainly do know how to deter anyone from wanting to become a repeat customer...