ubiquitous

How much do you have for a budget? If you are going down the road of using a gen 1570, etc. I would say just buy a genuine white font 1680, which can be had for around the $4 - $5k range. A build will likely run you close to that figure once you factor in gen dial, hands, bracelet, insert, and small parts. Here's how I would break down the cost basis: -Gen 1570 $900; factor in another $250 - $350 for service overhaul. Call it $1200 said and done -Gen dial $350 - $600 depending on condition, condition, relume or original etc. -Gen hands $250 - $350 depending on condition, tritium color/tone -Gen 24-702 and 24-7020 crown/tube $150 - $400; the high end is if NOS and still in the blister packaging. -Gen 25-127 $200 for an original vintage top hat -Gen fat font insert/tritium pearl $350 -Gen bezel assembly $450 - $750 depending on whether it's a vintage or service item -Gen 93150/580 $500 - $800 depending on condition or -Gen 9315/280/380 $650 - $1k, again depending on condition/end links/diver's ext/date code -Case? Phong runs $1500 or so if I recall correct. I would pass on NDT- Their lug holes are not positioned correctly. I dunno that I would go with Yuki either. The cost will run up pretty quickly if using vintage parts. Service parts may be a bit easier to justify. But in the end, it's a pretty pricey endeavor to build.

ubiquitous (juːˈbɪkwɪtəs) — adj having or seeming to have the ability to be everywhere at once; omnipresent. My handle is a bit of a poke at myself; the definition of my user name is to be everywhere at once, but in reality that is the farthest thing from the truth. The avatar changes from time to time. The current is an image I snapped while showing my kids how Rodico (watch people's Play-Doh to them) can be applied on watch parts and the sort.

Looking good, J! I'm glad you finally put one of these together! They're great pieces and the 1016 will fit in nicely with your collection Happy 4th!

Welcome to the forum. To clarify- What exactly are you trying to understand better (or, what doesn't make sense)?

I loves me some 5514! The best of the 5513 and 1665 worlds, methinks.

Thanks, fellas Well, you guys are correct- I do at times end up building duplicates of certain projects. When I am procurring parts for an initial project, I oft times end up buying two or three of the same parts when the situation presents itself (i.e. dials, movements, etc). With my luck, I'll spend weeks or months looking for a specific part; as soon as I find it and buy it two or three more of the same item will turn up right away (never fails). So, I'll double down on these items as I usually like my options open, and I'm inclined to grab a back up of an item just to be safe; one never knows what to expect with items lost or damaged in transit, or when a spare might come in handy. In those situations where I have enough parts accumulated/left over to build a second or third complete watch, I'll put 'em together. Kind of a ridiculous approach to building... And not the most economical method. But there's not a lot in this hobby that's really 'economical' when you get right down to it...

Saturday- Sunday- Monday-

Think it looks great! Very complimenting to the style of the Khaki.

Definitely a classic sapphire combo...

If it makes you feel any better, I don't think I'll be getting much wrist time with this one either...

Thanks, gang Both DD's have 1556 movements in them, but the white dial's movement has a 1570 signed auto module. I just rebuilt that auto module as well; wobbly rotor was causing all sorts of ruckus while pivoting. Lots of end shake. The white dial DD is a nice match to my 16520; the finish of the dial is akin to a powder white in terms of tone and texture on the surface. It wears nicely; just enough presence without being too ostentatious. Mrs. Ubi is already eyeing it...

Spent a late evening last night working on this one. Just a couple of pics for now… Cheers, and Happy 4th! //ubi

Don't let a silly little piece of plastic stop you, B If the case, retainer and caseback are all okay, then sorting this one out should be a snap. The best way to pay tribute to it's past is to enjoy it as much as possible in the present. I'd hate to see it go into storage just because of a crystal

Rolli, Mir- Thanks, gents! I do appreciate the replies! I've got some researching to do Cheers and best, //ubi

He does indeed have them PVD finished! The strap will ultimately go on my Pre-A 002:

Mmmmm... Rodico... I dunno if it helps, but here are some close ups of my gen service dial uncased. The subdials have a definite satin finish; they do have a bit of reflection when exposed to direct light, but otherwise have a very soft radiance off of the concentric rings. I'll try and get some pics under the sun tomorrow...

If you haven't tried a basic 44mm handwind (e.g. 111/112) or 45mm (183) yet, I'd recommend checking one out. Even though the cases might seem large, they really don't wear that big (especially the 183 Black Seal Radiomir; due to it's shape, relatively low profile and lack of CG, it wears quite a bit smaller than you might expect). Even the 44mm Luminor case fits a slender wrist rather nicely. Here's a shot of Mrs. Ubi wearing my old 44mm 009 on her dainty little wrist; it's not uncommon to see her sneaking into my watch box every now and then to take a Panerai out for a day...

But now I'm stuck with trying to figure out which strap to have it sewn into. So, I turneth to the PAM strap experts here Ideally, I'd like to have something PAV-esque (90, 91 or 99 being my favorites) or similar to my Dirk, and it has to be 24/22 dimensions. Are there any decent options out there? I'm looking forward to being able to put this strap hardware to use Cheers and best, //ubi

Theo, you are AP crazy! Got any group shots by chance? Would be nice to see the full ROO collection!

LOL at the discussion getting de-railed above. Welcome to The Internet: Where everyone can be a good friend of the slurries featuring fake tattoos while straddling toilet seats

Sorry that this one went south so quickly, A. Man... Talk about a buzz kill. I've been on the hunt for a replacement insert after trashing the last one; I'm going to keep on looking for a suitable examle for the day when (not if) you pick the 6538 project up again If I can be of help in any way, please give me a holler.

Errr... With genuine movement, dial, hands, 702 crown/tube, bezel, crystal, and bracelet (though it is a 78360/93150/580 hybrid), I am rather embarrassed to say what I've sunk into this one...

Like Torresp, I've become a fairly frequent buyer of Phong cases...

A- I wrote some background regarding the steel DD in another recent thread; hope you don't mind if I just reprint it here... The stainless steel Day-Date was built using a caliber 1556, gen dial, hands, crown/tube, bezel, DJ case, crystal, 78360, etc. Many people think that these don't exist in gen form, but there are in fact a small handfull out there. Supposedly, these were gifted to the top students finishing Rolex's watchmaker's program. The cases are without reference and serial and there are variations out there using 1555, 1556 and 3055 caliber movements. The other speculation is that these steel cases were for in-house testing and as such were never intended for public consumption. Whatever the truth, the few that have turned up for sale have traded hands for ridiculous amounts of money. If you query 'Steel Day-Date' at some of the usual gen forums, you'll find that these have been discussed from time to time A few more pics... And I've got the parts to do another... Just waiting on new day and date discs along with a couple of other small parts... It's a fun piece and quite subtle; most people probably just think it to be a very non-descript steel watch at first glance. However, it does have a very intriguing presence once given a closer look. The profile of the crystal rising above the bezel gives it a fair amount of presence. And the dial has a most interesting texture to it. I have to keep it going every day as setting the day and date is quite the endeavor