ubiquitous

Yes pusher tubes (the part that the pusher cap/plunger passes through) are affixed via the methods jmb described. If they are threaded into the case body, you may need a specific tool to remove them.

If you're looking for a genuine retainer ring for a sapphire Sub, then the part for a 16800 or 16610 will fit. They're the same size and both are suitable for sapphire. What you don't want are rings for 16660 or 16600 (Sea-Dweller) as those are a completely different size...

I've seen two different types. One has a plunger end that is threaded into the pusher cap like a screw; the plunger head has a slot for a screw driver. The other that I've seen is held in place with a small circlip; the circlip needs to be pushed out of a small channel on the plunger and then the assembly will pull out the top. Both are accessed from inside the case, and should be fairly easy to identify once the movement is uncased.

S- The results speak for themselves. That is a phenominal build, and one you should be proud of! Absolutely amazing!

eBay...

Not all had them... I guess my point was that one shouldn't be surprised to see the caseback engraving on plexi Ladies' Dates and DateJusts; the presence of such should not automatically disqualify it from being authentic...

Depends on the model being built. 16200 needs a 2824, whereas 1600 needs s 2836 or 2846.

The older Ladies' DJ models did had engraving on the caseback... But those were acrylic crystal models. This reference should be sapphire...

And if you've obtained it... Are you left wanting for more thereafter?

A 160x (caliber 1570 with acrylic crystal) is easy enough to build.

No need for epoxy or glue... After a cool down in the ice box... No condensation under the crystal...

Crown looks a bit low to me...

Patek boutiques have this kind of set up as well

An MBW '1680' is based on the 5513 case, which is intended for a 26mm dial. The big problem with building a 1680 is that the genuine dial (and several aftermarket dials) measure at 26.5. So 1) the MBW does not provide a good basis for making a good, believable build and 2) if you were to use a gen or aftermarket dial, it would have to be trimmed down to fit the MBW case.

Well, there's the big thing to really consider. Used gens can absolutely be had in the range you mention above, but that's usually for the 160x (1570 caliber/acrylic) and 1601x (3035 caliber/acrylic) models. The newer 162xx (3135 caliber/sapphire) models are generally in the $2500 - $5k range. Of course, those are all +/- a few hundred in either direction, but not all DateJusts are the same. With this in mind, it depends on which particular model you are after to determine whether building a frankenwatch or simply buying a replica makes sense. Buying a rep gets you a pretty close piece for a small fraction of the cost.

Praetor- Bingo. Modern Rolex models are fairly reasonable to begin with when it comes to gen. Building a 16610 Submariner, 16622 YM, etc. using gen parts can easily add up and land you close to the cost of a pre-owned genuine example. In that case, it just makes more sense to buy a used gen.

Looking great!

5514 for Saturday- SS 1803 for Sunday-

I'm sure they're around... Maybe a WTB in the Sales forum might net some results?

That I'm not sure. I've not had much experience with Josh's 5513. I do know that 5513 Submariner dials (26mm) will fit MBW cases, however.

For an inlay- That's the bezel insert: For crowns- You can use a 702 (Triplock minus exterior tube gasket): Or 703 (Triplock with exterior tube gasket): There is also a 704 crown that's basically a monobloc 703 that you can use.

Absolutely yes! An old one from several years back...

I would if I could Except it was a gift to my Dad sometime ago. But that doesn't mean it couldn't be done again. If you don't mind vintage, some of the 1601 and 16013/4 cases can be had for pretty cheap. Add a gen dial and an ETA... Easy project for sure

The simplicity of the DateJust makes it a fairly easy watch to replicate in an accurate manner. The only change I would make to the actual watch itself is to put a genuine crown on it as the rep crowns are usually junk. A few years ago, it was pretty cost effective to just build a DJ frankenstein using a genuine case and dial with an ETA inside; the total cost was not much more than some of the old TW Best reps. But the cost for gen case kits has gone up. Still doable, just more expensive...

Thanks, buddy It's in dire need of a service soon... But lots of fun to look at in the meantime. Unfortunately, I don't think it's very water resistant these days; it's still got the original crown (non-screwdown) and I have no idea how old the crystal and gasket are. I guess that one of these days, I'm going to have to give it the attention that it's due (and deserves).