ubiquitous

K-

Great work! The movement swaps are a lot of fun... The finished product makes it all the more worthwhile!

Enjoy that beautiful Fiddy!

Hey gang,

I must say that I am overwhelmed by all of your kind comments! Thank you! This project has been a fascinating 'journey' for me. I learned quite a lot along the way- Perhaps the most important lesson for me being patience (I'm not typically a very patient kind of guy, heh heh. But I'm learning...). Finishing up this watch was like finally being able to take a breath of air after holding it for so long... I think I'm still in a little bit of disbelief

Anyways... To answer some questions...

The case kit was purchased for $1400.00 (if I recall correctly). That was for everything, except the movement. The movement was another $800.00, and was brand new, still in the packaging from Ebel. So, all in all, I've got around $2400.00 into this. As for where I purchased my kit... The seller doesn't want me to say. All I can divulge is that I was at the right place at the right time There are, however, Italian made cases, dials, etc for around the same price. I have no idea where to find these cases, but if someone happens to know or is able to find out, I'd like to know too, please

So, now all I have left on my to-do list for this watch is to pick up a genuine rotor, a 4030 bridge, and source a genuine box set; I don't typically purchase box/paper sets for my watches, but this one will be the exception only because of what I've put into this watch thus far. No, it won't be sold but rather passed down to my son when he's older (who hopefully won't sell it either ). Speaking of which, I must add that my son sat next to me the entire time while putting this together, just watching his Dad at work with great interest and quiet as a mouse (which is a bit surprising for a 2 year old). I think I'm making a watch nerd out of him too!

Anyhow... Thanks again for the very kind comments! It is all very much appreciated!

Cheers,

Randy

Fantastic stuff, Eddy!!

Hmmmm... Do my eyes deceive me, or is the 201A dial finally correct with the omitted T SWISS T at 6:00? Heck, the 9:00 and 6:00 indicies look a little more squared as well... The way they should be

I love 'em!!

As many of you guys know, I've always loved the Daytona. And, I've always wanted to add one to my collection. After much deliberation, and a few replicas that turned out to be more disappointment than anything else, the opportunity came along to build my favorite watch. About a year ago, I purchased a 16520 Daytona case kit, which consisted of a genuine Daytona case, bezel, crystal, pushers, crown, tube, hands, bracelet and a refinished dial on a genuine base. The kit looked like this:

All I needed to add was the movement- A Zenith El Primero caliber 400 was the one to use, as Rolex used this movement in the 16520, reworked and renamed the Rolex 4030. Finding the movement was the difficult part, as not just any movement would do for me. There were lots of old El Primeros out there; many of which came in old Zeniths and Movado Datrons, however the majority that I came across were very old and worn (sometimes not in working order), and oft times only the 17 jewel models (I was after the 31j). The movement that I was after was typically selling for well over the $1k price point, and after having watched the sales of several 31j El Primeros on eBay and other venues I was convinced that I would have to spend $1300.00 on a donor watch only to strip the movement from.

Then.... A good friend and member of this board showed me something that made my eyes widen- That being a brand new EP 400 from an Ebel 911, brand new and in the plastic factory case untouched. After discussing price, this one had my name all over it. Payment was made, and the movement was in my hands the following day (thanks, Chris!!).

So, now we're getting somewhere...

After looking at this view for a little short of a year...

...I now saw this:

And now, some behind the scenes pics...

Here is the date wheel and date changing mechanism removed from the movement:

Here is the process of adding hands (which I tackled just this afternoon):

And finally, everything in the case, buttoned down:

With everything completed and tested, it's time for some glamour shots

Bracelet fitted:

And, with a Daytona of older vintage...

So, after nearly a year my quest for my holy grail frankenwatch is now completed. I'm breathing a sigh of relief... And I have a feeling my trusty old Sea-Dweller may have to cope with being 2nd favorite for a while...

If you've managed to make it this far, thank you. Thank you for reading and taking part in what has been for me, a fantastic and somewhat emotional experience

All the best,

Randy

The DateJust, Date, Air King are all available in SS, 18k and Rolesor combinations.

DD does not come in SS; only 18k WG, YG, RG, PT etc.

Speaking of DJ's- I'm still working on this one...

-Genuine SS 16234 case

-Genuine dial

-Genuine 18k fluted bezel

-Genuine crystal

-Genuine crown and tube

-Tudor hands

-ETA 2836

-Aftermarket Jubilee bracelet

-Rep clasp

Genuine case kits for the DJ's are relatively easy to come by, and make for a fun project...

So.... 90,000RPM is a little too fast then?

Damn... I was wondering why my lugs were melting off!

316- 440 Stainless Steel....1.2mm Drill bit, use a HSS bit @200rpm and use cutting fluid...not oil!

compliments of the Machinist Handbook 28th Edition.

UB- I think the 1.3mm would work a little better? The genuine springbar ends measure at 1.2mm, and you'll want a little wiggle room to allow the ends to fully extend...

Great watches, guys! But, I have to agree with ryyannon- The WM vintage makes me drool

Randy- I like the black dial a bit better.

Me too Black it is, then!

You can use polywatch, or toothpaste Personally, I use toothpaste on my vintage Rolex crystals- Applied and rubbed in with my thumb for a few minutes, it works quite well. But, make sure it's the regular paste kind (not the gel, or extra whitening, etc). I have a tube specifically for my watches

just a couple of questions and i´ll quit from the computer. I have exams.

How accurate are tudor tiger cases? I know they do have holes in the lugs, but apart from this, can i fit a 7753 movement? does it have the same subdial spacing? if not, which movement does have the same subdial spacing?

Manuel,

The Tudor Tiger case appears to be similar, though, as you mentioned they have springbar holes in the lugs, and the pushers are spaced out further from the CG's than a 16520's. Also, I am not certain if an El Primero 400 would fit a Tudor case- It's likely that it may not. If the stem does not line up center in the tube, it's going to cause problems So, if you are planning to use one of these cases as the basis for a similar project, these are things you should keep in mind.

As for fitting a 7753- I am not certain if the movement would line up correctly. The gen Tudor Tiger uses a standard 7750 with the subdials at 12/9/6; since the 7753 and tri-compax Asian 7750 B-1's use the extra bridge to transfer the 12:00 gears to 3:00, the alignment in the case may be off. Besides... 7753 sub dial spacing will be incorrect for a 16520; the El Primero has the subdials clustered pretty closely together...

A wojtecki strap is allways nice!!!

//robi

2nd that!

I think you need some depth meters and compasses to go with that trio as well!

That 6152 is just a beauty. Maybe if I get the hang of this vintagizing after the Kampfschwimmer guinea pig I will get this one and do the distress thing to this beauty.

Eddy

I think a 6152 would be the perfect compliment to your 3646

Hate to say it Admin, but I'm certain that when Breguet charges you $21k+ change for a watch, they're banking on the fact that purchasers of such watches are ready to pay their obscene service charges, too. Kind of like the guy who purchases a Pagani Zonda- The service costs of that 7.3L V-12 ain't gonna be cheap. If you break something that requires replacing parts, it's gonna get ugly.

But I do think that $3550.00US (4400 Swiss Francs) is absurd... That's about 1/6th the price of the watch!

Krusty- We need some pics!

This is the one I love... Brown dial with Brevet crown

that model does not exist in real life

it is a luminor case with a radiomir dial. pretty much a dealbreaker if you're going for authenticity

Actually, it does exist. Historically, the Radiomir and Luminor nomenclature referred to the luminous materials of the watch, and not the case shape/type as we know them to represent today.

Here is a genuine 6152-1 with a Radiomir signed dial...

I think that Sylvester Stabone guy has a PAM

*snicker*

You can't get the dial spacing right on the newer ones without the Polex movement. Ergo Ubi's comment "build it." Now ask him how long he as been building his.

Hehe... My answer would be 'Too long!' Nevermind how much it's cost thus far...

Any Rolex AD will do

For a 116520 (caliber 4130 w/ seconds @ 6:00), and with a little patience on the waiting list- Yes; the AD will do. But for a 16520 (caliber 4030 aka El Primero 400 w/ seconds @ 9:00), you'll have to find one on the second hand market, as this model was discontinued in '00. They're not too difficult to find, typically priced around $9k to $10.5k...

It's odd that the rep makers only make current and vintage models, the pre-2000 Daytonas are the easiest to rep yet there are no good ones out there.....

Easiest to rep?!

Not with the El Primero subdial spacing....

You mean if it's like mine....

Chris-

Yours is a 116520 for Rolex Caliber 4130; so, that one wouldn't fit mine anyways

Thanks, Ludo. I think I'm leaning towards the black dial myself... Just personal preference...

Snap-On has some bits that run a couple dollars per bit. Not sure if you have access to these- I can order some (I've been meaning to anyways), and I can ship you some, if you like?

Also... You may want to try using some cooling oil in the lug hole while you drill.