ubiquitous

Just wanted to share a couple of projects I'm working on here and there as time permits. Since it's a bit slow on RWG lately, I thought I'd post here instead of the watch repair/upgade section 1) YM 16622- Mods to date: -Genuine crown/tube -2 stage CG's Inner CG edge is a 2 stage shaping- My goal was to achieve a similar appearance to the genuine: I farmed out the CG shaping to someone else, as I knew that shaping like this would have been beyond my capability. Just waiting on the custom dial to finish it. 2) The second 16520 El Primero Daytona- Mods to date: -Polished lug surfaces to clean up prior scratches I'm thinking of building this one into a white dial version on a honey gator strap (though I may decide to go with a different case instead). This will be along the same lines as my other El Primero Daytona frankenstein, using a gen EP 400, dial, etc. Both pieces are still a bit rough, as they are in their pre-liminary stages (i.e. please don't mind the mess while under construction) Any questions or comments, please let me know! Best, R

Some pics of my Swiss V23 transplant...

If you're planning on using a V72 as the powerplant, you'll want to have a V72 specific case kit. The DW's with the mystery movements have the crown tube slightly above axis of the pushers; as such, the movement will not line up with the tube, and the stem will not fit the tube center (which will be a problem). If you plan on going the route of a complete DW with mystery movement and swapping movements out, you can either modify the case for the V72, or simply use a Swiss V23, which is physically a drop in replacement. Regarding hands- For a V72, you'll need V72 specific hands, as the mystery movement hands are too small. For a Swiss V23, you'll need a combination of V72 hands, V23 hands, and DW mystery movement hands. The tube and T21 are an easy swap. The tube can be installed after a re-tap of the case (nothing further is needed). Regarding the bezel- If you have the acrylic bezel, you'll need to trim out the inner diameter slightly to fit. The solid steel bezel doesn't need to be trimmed, as that can be installed with a press, however, you'll want to avoid using a press with the acrylic as there is risk of bending/warping the entire bezel. Hope this helps! Best, R

Holy smokes... That was a phenominal price!!

fellfell- Parts compatibility is all dependant on the watch that you have, or are working on. Some accept parts better than others, however, modern Subs and SD's will require much more modification of parts in order to fit than, say an MBW vintage Sub or SD. For replica 16610's, things like genuine bezel inserts require the bottom surface of the insert to be shaved down so that it will fit flush/slightly recessed in the bezel; replica bezels are too shallow to accept the inserts unmodified (and replica inserts are very thin). Installing crown tubes can be a bit more varied- On some, the tubes simply thread right in- On some, the case needs to be re-tapped, and the hole counter sunk to fit the base of the tube, and on others, the hole for the tube needs to be completely drilled out, counter sunk and tapped as the original hole was too small. Dials are also dependant on the specific watch you have, as some cases may have the inner diameter too small for the dial (requiring the dial to be trimmed), and the date window might not line up correctly with the datewheel overlay (which is easily corrected with the right date overlay). Of course, as Jetsons mentioned, the dial feet will have to be trimmed as the ETA caries different positions for the posts. So... It all depends on the watch you have, and the parts that you want to install. For most parts, it's not difficult to fit these parts, but it will require some work to get them to fit right. Best of luck... R

In my opinion, they're okay, but not great. They're a little pricey for what they are, they require some work to get them to fit properly, and in the end, they still don't look right. Better to spend a little more on a genuine insert, and do it right.

Bracelets, though the same width at the lugs might not always be compatible. The springbar holes might not line up with the bracelet- Best case scenario is that the lug holes are slightly more inboard towards the case- In this situation, the springbars can be slightly bent to fit the holes and secure the bracelet. Worst case scenario is that the rep case's lug holes are to far out towards the tips of the lugs. If the holes are too far, then the SEL won't fit flush, or worse, won't touch the case at all, resulting in a large gap between bracelet and case, and the SEL hanging between the lugs.

You should see the bracelet reference stamped on the inside blade of the clasp (don't recall the 'MA'), and the SEL should have the end link ref. on the inside of the link (which is hidden when installed on the watch).

Models prior to 2006 (D Serials) have the ref number stamped; F serials circa 2004 - 2005 would have the ref stamped, for instance. D serial on do not. EDIT: Looked through some more of my notes on this... late '03 F serials have the stampings; later F's may be fitted with either stamped or unstamped, depending on date of manufacture, and how new old stock the piece is (i.e. how long it's sat in dealer's stock).

Good stuff, Bazz! Looks fantastic!

A gorgeous pair, BT! The 16710 is a classic... And the Tudor Sub is a keeper in my book! I love the snowflake hands!

It's possible to repair the scratches without having to repaint the entire dial. 7 days left and both are in the $300 range. It will be interesting to see where these end up at.

Are we adding/compiling a list? If so... My addition- TW frankenstein... Originally from EL.

Looks GREAT!! A huge difference in the before and after... Very nice!

Psssst... Have a look at post 13 in this thread. And, speaking of which, I caught up with my old Director today, and I got to play around with his Yachtmaster again... I can confirm that it is indeed a soft click (as the posts in my Time Zone link also support).

I've got an EE 6263 here in house that is essentially the same DW case with the 7750 inside. A friend has asked me to work on it, but he has yet to source the movement he wants for it I can confirm that it will not fit a DW23 properly...

Not a dream... But a reality...

What type of insert are you looking for? Submariner? Sea-Dweller? Vintage or modern? For vintage, that's easy, as you really only have one size amongst all the models- 5512, 5513, 5514, 1680, 1665, etc. So, for those, there is only one insert reference. Genuine inserts look like this: Now... Once you get into the Neo-Modern transitionals, everything starts to change. These models (16800 and 16660) were the first Subs and SD's with sapphire crystals and new one way ratcheting bezels. The bezel insert between the Sub and SD are different in size, as the SD has a crystal that's roughly 1mm in size smaller. However, the luminescent pearl went from an acrylic setting to a 'glass' pearl with a metal (WG) surround/setting. Once we get into the modern style Subs and SD's, there are differences yet again- The 16610 inserts remain the same as the 16800's, the 16600's are the same as well; the 14060's, which superceded the 5513's in the late 80's were now part of the new sapphire/uni-directional ratcheting bezel club, and had a bezel insert that is the same in appearance as the Sub Date and SD. However... The 5513's insert is also of different size, and is not interchangable on it's other two counterparts. BTW... A genuine 16610 insert looks like this: A comparison between the two... Now... With regards to where to find genuine inserts- The vintage inserts are becoming more and more difficult to source, as NOS supplies are drying up and RSC's are tightening up parts control from the 3rd party vendors and watchmakers. The modern ones can be found on the open market, though it takes some looking around sometimes. Every now and then I'll take a few in, along with some other parts. Just kind of depends on what's available at the time (though I haven't made any parts purchases in quite a while). Keep on eye on the usual sources. As long as you know what to look for, you can find some good deals out there!

Nice Ing's, guys!!

Great write up, Rob! It's always interesting to see the inner workings of these modified movements, and also to see how the 'maufacturers' did things. Your posts enable us to see such things, and to me, bastardized or not, it's all fascinating! I do like Avitt's idea of using GMT as home time... And it also provides a good indication of when 'midnight' is on the movement. So... If the hour hand ever gets out of synch, you know where to set it to put it back to baseline.... Good stuff, as always! Best, R

Fri: Sat: Sun:

BTW- You guys don't have to take my word for it.... http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tre...ev=&reveal=

Hmmmm... Just trying to think of anyone I know in your area that can help with some mods. Most of the guys are in EU now... Not many that I know of in Asia. Unfortunately, I don't make a business out of mods, and after this Monday, I'll be VERY short on free time anyways...

Here's a good pic of a DD from head on. Date mag looks pretty big if you ask me. About 2.5x big...

With the bezel design as such, how could it not click? The ratcheting will be soft... But the click is there...