jmb

I am starting to gather pieces for a future project and have a couple questions for the experts. I think I've decided to build a dark blue dialed Sub with gold hands, a dark blue bezel with gold numbers, and stainless case and band. I like blue but have only seen the dark blue dial on gold or TT, which I don't care for. Here is the case and band I picked up from somebody on RWI. I think there is something missing from the bezel as it rotates freely and no clicking. The bezel looks to have internal "teeth" and there is a small hole at 6:00 on the ring. I'm hoping someone in this learned brotherhood might tell me what's missing. Here's a couple of pics: The coronet really doesn't show up this good in real life but at an angle, with flash and magnification it sticks out like a sore thumb. I have decided to use this dial: I have the gold hands on order and I'll use one of the tall-canon DG4813 movements from eurotimez with the onewatch datewheel.

Although it looks to be very good quality the color just doesn't "grab me". I love blue but I'm more for deep dark blues...

Tr4, the only way to make a more educated guess is to take some accurate measurements from your watch and then somebody could measure a gen or aftermarket ring if they had one.

Boingggggg!

As far as my experience is concerned the Noobmariner is a great looking watch but the movement is absolute junk. Mine lasted less than 24 hours before randomly stopping. The dealer confirmed the Noobs had the cheapest movement under the sun and were not reliable - of course that was after I bought it and my 12 hour warranty had run out! I replaced it with a DG2813, and even though still low-beat and cheap it was an upgrade! You can put in a tall canon 4813 (from eurotimez) to get a more correct beat. I still think it is excellent value and if you get one that doesn't die, well, that's just a bonus!

Rats! If you don't like your 16610 anymore you can always let me have it!

I'm outa ideas as to how to proceed without removing the insert...

Do you have a lathe?

If you pull up the ring slightly will the bezel then snap into place? If so, maybe you can then press everything down as an "assembly" and then reinstall the insert...

Thanks, TeeJay! LHOOQ, I know what you mean on crystal height as it seems the vast majority of reviews of lower priced Subs complain that the crystal is too low but I got a bit carried away with the replacement! My "investment" does not reflect any labor - I've been married long enough that I'm getting used to working for free! I have a crown and tube I could install, and if I do that I'll "liposuction" the CG. In all reality, though, I'll probably leave this one where it's at, order another and mod it to death and be a bit more careful. I had originally budgeted $50 which included enough for a new crown and tube but I broke the original crystal when I tried to clamp onto the watch case to drill the lug holes without removing the crystal. Even with padding the vise jaw the crystal shattered when only a slight amount of pressure was applied. Then, when I pressed the crystal back in (the last time) I got lazy and didn't remove the insert. I would have gotten away with it but somehow I "slipped" and the upper die slid off to one side a bit and put a nice crease in the original cheapo sheet-metal insert. So, I learned to remove insert when pressing in a crystal and remove crystal before sticking case in milling vise! I really want to do one with no additional money, only labor. The holes and CG would be all labor (unless I break some drill bits) and I am going to grind a lathe cutter so I can re-shape a crown so if I can accomplish all of this without tearing anything up I should wind up with a Sub that looks like this for under $40 - plus labor! What I need to do is order several of the watches to spread the WU fee and shipping out... My breakdown is: Watch - $32.90 (plus shipping and WU fees) Crystal - $3.00 Insert w/pearl - $10.40 Spring bars - $4.00 Total - $50.30

Thanks for the breakdown on pricing. If you plan on building a few more of these ofrei.com has the correct spring bars for $24/dozen. Where did you get the crystal from, and I'm almost afraid to ask (don't want to appear rude) how much the band set you back? Again, you've created a nice looking vintage piece that should be extremely comfortable to wear.

You, too, can start with a $32.90 watch and wind up with this! Seriously, this one has some boo-boos in it and isn't really "ready for prime time". I am thinking about buying another and being a bit more careful so if you're still interested in a couple of months I might have one that's a bit more "refined".

I'm still leaning toward gen, I think he set the time so the date would be half changed just to throw us a curve...

The folks over on RWI are roasting this movement alive...

OK, put the new 2.25mm thick crystal in and a new bezel insert. I'll add another pic after I whack on the CG and install new crown...

After y'all confirmed my suspicion that my 3.0 mm thick crystal just didn't look right (kind of an understatement) I replaced it with a ofrei generic 2.25mm crystal and put on a new cheap e-Bay (jandkwatches) bezel insert while I was at it. The crystal doesn't have quite as beveled an edge as I'd like but looks OK when not under extreme magnification. Cost of crystal was around $3.00 and the e-Bay insert was $10.40 shipped. It's not perfect but much better than it was and I think this pearl is a perfect candidate for the "epoxy" mod. After the epoxy and a little final polishing and I think I've done about all I can without breaking my self-imposed $60 total project limit. Time to order another one, I guess!

OK, I can't argue that it looks fantastic, he's in on unanimous vote!

OK, but if da goat is correct, well, I can buy 4 Subs for that much!!

Alligoat, high-roller, eh? Well, maybe he can be an associate member, I'll let TeeJay make that determination...

I know nothing about Breitlings but the engraving and detail on the back and the clasp look awfully sharp and crisply done to be a rep! The checkering on the ends of the pushers is a nice touch... gen?

LHOOQ, great budget buildup, it looks very nice to my untrained eye!! I officially welcome you into the exclusive "Cheap Ba$tard Society"!! Hopefully your creation will inspire more cheap ba$tards, err, I mean frugal members to dive in to see what they can accomplish "on the cheap". Out to the shop to work on my next cheap "fantasy" which will be a blue dialed SS Sub with gold hands and blue/gold bezel insert...

If I get bored today I may attempt to apply a little heat (from heat-gun) and try to pry the insert out. I'll advise how it goes either way. Thanks for the offer of store credit, you are probably going to cause me to buy something that will get me into further trouble!

Looks great, I now have more pictures to compare my "test victim" to while grinding on it!

Looks very nice, I'm anxious to start "Franking" in my own strange sort of way!

freddy, I thought I had read to have the stem in the "setting" position before removing, I guess I've been lucky, well, except for once! Which position SHOULD it be in?