ubiquitous

You guys know my stance on vintage vs. modern

Tribal, You have to use the razor to work the ring up. Push the razor blade between the case and ring- It's a very tight fit, and might require some effort. Be very careful when doing this, and if possible, use a razor blade with a handle. I'll try to post some pics tonight. Regards, Randy

Tribal, Very nice!! I really like the white font 1680... It's a nice change from the Red, and one you don't typically see repped very often. with regards to changing the crystal- I use a razor blade to wedge between the case and the crystal retaining ring. Work the razor blade going around the diameter of the retaining ring, and before long, you'll have enough of a gap to fit a thicker blade in. Keep working with the blade until you have the retaining ring removed. Then, it's a simple swap of the crystal. Now, getting the retaining ring back on is a different story. Do you have access to a good crystal press?

Ken- Happy anniversary to you and your missus!! Here's to 9 great years, and many more to come Dutchy- Ken's watch is indeed a very special watch and one that I know he holds dear. Think of it like an heirloom being passed down. If the watch does indeed pass hands, treasure that one, and, maybe someday you'll pass it on to someone else as a gesture of good faith, gratitude and community.

I just leave my scratches as they are. Every day use tends to result in knocks, dings, scratches, etc. Gives it character After all, these are supposed to be 30+ year old tool watches with colorful histories

The watch is ticking away just fine! As a matter of fact, I gave it to my friend last night, and he immediately strapped it to his wrist!

Same old...! My daily wearer... My faithful companion, and my old friend.

Maybe this pic is more appropriate since it shows my PN dial with the 6265 bezel instead...

Indeed... Start with this one- Swap the dial for a non-oyster, change the crown and tube out for the Twinlocker, and exchange the pushers for pump pushers. Of course, the ref between the lugs will still read '6263' But, I think Halley has a proper engraved 6239 or 6241 case? Hmmmmmm....

Lovely... I agree! I love those hands!! A slightly different variation based on an MBW 1680...

Very nice image!! Any profile shots of the case from the side?

Heh... If you were comfortable with working on watches, I'd send you this DateJust frankenstein to finish instead... FrankenDJ

Too late! Heehee... Euno- Many thanks for your advice. I just made my purchase!! Cheers!!

Sorry- I'd normally post this in the 'wanted' section, but I kinda need this quickly for a friend of the forum If you have something that will fit a rep and has a nice green hue to it, please let me know (price, availability, etc)! Many thanks! R

He finally listened to reason And, as a result, I'll have something on it's way to Floris as well

Someone needs to tell floris to QUIT BEING SO DAMN STUBBORN!!!

Hmmmm... Pics might be a while in that case I don't own any chaps...

Dutchy, PM coming your way.

Oh yeah... I need to get that butt shot for you chaps

I've already found some good sources for bezels, dials, and hands... My pal Richard sent me some interesting links as well. I may just start collecting bits and pieces in the next few months once my watch fund account has had a chance to re-coup from being emptied out.

Thanks, Doc! The ETA will make for a nice improvement over the CN 'Rolex' Copy movement! Big difference in winding feel (both with the rotor or hand winding), as well as beat rate. Unfortunately, the CN hands won't fit the ETA, so that's something else to consider. But, if you already have these parts on hand, it's a fun project to undertake. Here's the steps to swap the datewheel. The datewheel overlay is a small, thin metal overlay that sits on top of the movement's original datewheel. It's glued down, and requires a bit of care to remove. I use a razor blade to carefully, and slowly wedge between the overlay and the datewheel- If I'm planning on re-using the movement that the overlay is being removed from, I'll take extra care or remove the entire datewheel prior to removal if possible. There are some cases where the overlay just cannot be removed due to the manner that it was glued down (i.e. there is adhesive at the edges where I'm not able to get the razor wedged in at all). Overall, it's generally not a difficult task to perform; just have patience and a steady hand. Once it's removed, just glue it onto the new movement's datewheel- Be careful to make sure all is aligned and you're set! With regards to fitting the dial without dial feet- I simply glue the dial to a small movement spacer that sits on the rim/edge of the movement. This provides a bit of clearance between the dial and the movement to allow the datewheel to rotate properly, and it also provides some stability to the dial once the movement/dial/hands assembly is clamped down in the case. As for finding hands to fit the ETA- I purchased a small lot of 4 sets of 2824-2 Tudor hands recently from my usual supplier. I've also purchased a couple of sets from eBay as well. Ofrei might have some in the proper size... Same with Borel. You'll want the 'mercedes' hands with 90/150/25 sizing. Hope this helps! Best, R

Looks pretty good, though in some of the images it looks like you need more lighting. It's amazing the difference a lightbox can make!

Well, I guess my son kinda does enjoy reps with me. He'll sit at the table with me when I'm working on putting something together And he loves to pick up my (technically his) watches to look at and study in close examination. I'm hoping that the watches I pass on to him will have significant sentimental value since his dad had a hand in putting them together and wore them everyday (especially since frankens won't be worth much in terms of monetary value ). Hmmmm... I suppose I'm somewhere in between- kinda serious about it, but kinda not. It's an interesting hobby, and one that brings back fond memories of my childhood, but I don't see myself getting into the same league as the hardcore folks who purchase the CGC 9.0's and above. Rather... I don't mind casually looking and searching for a key Silver or Golden Age book now and then, and I'd be happy with a VG copy of something. That way, I can keep it somewhat affordable, and my son will get a decent collection of key books when he's older Hmmmm... Spider-Man #1 rep... Rep, or reprint? W- Who watches the Watchmen? One of my favorite reads as a kid- Alan Moore is an incredible writer! I also really liked Sandman, and, well I suppose anything Neil Gaiman. Of course, McFarlane was one of my all time favorites. I think he really revolutionized the manner in which comic art was done. My favorites of his were his early Marvel works- Hulk 340, Spider-Man 298-300, etc. But, above all, there is just something about those old 1960's Silver Age books that really does it for me. Simpler times, I suppose... Much like watches from the same era.

Great! Fantastic! I'll take 3 of those!! The name's Mid. Jet-Mid.

I don't know what it is, but collecting things that are, well, collectable is somewhat of a compulsive disorder (I think- at least for me). I currently collect watches with an obsession and passion (more franken-built watches than genuines these days), and in my youth, I collected comic books and the sort with the same level of enthusiasm. My son, who is showing similar traits to his dad (who are ages 2 and 28 respectively) will, I believe, be a collector of things as well. He'll be getting my watches when he's older, but I also thought it would be fun to start him a small little comic book collection of golden and silver age goodies as well. I recently found this very nice VG+/FN- copy of Spider-Man #14 (1st app of the Green Goblin). I had this one when I was younger (though not in as nice of condition as this one), and memories of nostalgia quickly took over. After checking the price, which was very agreeable, I made the purchase and now I have it in my hot little hands. It's nice and complete- No missing pieces or coupons/sections cut, nice and flat with creamy off-white patina'd pages; staples in decent condition... For the money, I couldn't pass it up. I'm now contemplating what to get him for his 2nd book. I figure 3 - 4 key issues a year will be a decent pace for growth, while not interrupting funds for watches. I'm hoping that this (along with watches and cars), will become a little hobby that my son Reece will enjoy with his Dad when he's a little older