sneed12

I flew through Schipol with 8 watches (half modded Seiko gens, half reps) and I almost lost them all.

Where'd you get the Rolex Crown device? I want!

Nothing obviously wrong from that pic. The WG surrounds look a tiny bit too thick to me, but the pic is too small to say for sure and it could easily just be the light.

I built a GMT Master II out of a Noob Explorer II case with a Submariner caseback. I'm pretty sure it's about the thickness of a "fat lady" but I'm not sure. It's hard to see the difference (in the case dimension) with the naked eye. The caseback is definitely too thick for a 16710, so I might just have a 16710 with a wrong caseback. It doesn't have lugholes, which I think would be wrong for a 16760. I've been looking for a shorter caseback that fits this case, I'll find one eventually. I'll post a pic later.

For some reason, I've always liked the Chanel J12 watches. The reps are surprisingly good in terms of the quality of the ceramic, but the J12 GMT was never available with a decent movement before. I had a cheaper 21j version a while back and quickly gifted it away--it was nice, but I just don't like low beat reps of high-beat watches. When I got this one, the first thing I noticed/realized is that it's a bigger watch than the last rep I had. It's the correct size (42mm) for this watch, the last one I think was a 39mm. If you're like me, you look at watches from the inside out, so here goes. First thing we notice is a really quite nice Asian clone ETA 2836-2, with perlage and a Chanel-signed rotor. Surprisingly pretty movement for a closed-caseback watch. Also notice a giant plastic movement holder instead of metal and tabs; it's sort of disappointing, but not hugely surprising given the way that the case is manufactured. Here's the front: and here's a shot of a gen. As you can see, the rep is pretty good. Bezel numbers aren't quite as thick/solid looking, date font is not quite thick enough, but overall pretty decent. The case has a really unusual construction (I assume the gen is the same way) that is incredibly annoying. Attaching the bracelet sucks, removing the caseback sucks, trying to waterproof it sucks. The csaeback looks decent, but it's a total scratch magnet--just the clasp rubbing on it tears it all up. Again, I'd bet the gen is probably the same way. Everything together: Remounting the bracelet SUCKS. The endlinks are three separate pieces, and they rotate around as you're trying to get them into the lugs, and the spring bar holes aren't quite straight. Try not to take the bracelet off if you don't have to. Wrist shot: It came with the jumping-hour ETA clone, so it actually has exactly the same functionality as the gen, which is pretty nice. The only real complaints that I have are that the lume is awful (even by rep standards) and the bezel doesn't turn. It's a GMT so I don't care really, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to.

waiting a few hours until the movement stops

I know, that's why I did a case swap My Fighter doesn't have a sunken DW anymore Pretty soon it'll have a chief AR'ed crystal, too!

You can easily install a hack lever if you want, every 2846 I've seen has the post already there in the plate.

Then the dial would sit almost 1.5mm too low, or the stem height would be 1.5mm too high. That plate is just there as a spacer, so that the 6-9-12 Navi can use the same case as the tricompax Navi. I suppose you could remove the plate, drill a hole wider than the datewheel (leaving just a ring) and then install another datewheel on top of the existing datewheel. Might be easier to find another case, or to do what polexpete did.

There is physically no room. Instead of transfer gears, you have this under the dial.

While that is true, a gen Navitimer's date can be set by running the hands back and forth (ie, over midnight, back to 8, then over midnight again). I don't know if the A7753 is capable of this. Personally, I wouldn't care--I REALLY want a 7753 Navitimer

There are a few things you can try, and one 99.999% effective fix... I've had good luck with trying a different GMT gear (that assumes you've torn down enough of them to have spares lying around, though) it often fixes the problem. If that doesn't work, you can remove the independent adjustment mechanism (the little gear that's installed where the day wheel flipping paddle would usually go) and glue the GMT wheel together so it's all one piece. Then it can't slip. A bit drastic but it always works.

You can't, with the regular (6-9-12) subdial arrangement. Unlike the tricompax transfer plate, the one used in the regular Fighters (the same one used in a Star GMT) physically doesn't have any room.

Nope. "CHS" is "Correct Hand Stack." The Rolex 3185/3186 movements were designed such that the hour hand is on the bottom of the stack. Most rep movements do not duplicate this, for various technical reasons. There are very few reps with faux 24 hour hands, even the cheap ones usually work (although sometimes they are not independently adjustable).

You can't "bore out" a hand. You can broach it a tiny bit, or you can paint a green hand, or you can find a GMT 4th wheel that fits your existing hand (I have several in the parts box), or you can drill out the hole of a green hand and glue your red hand over it.

OK, so I didn't read your original post that carefully. Let me try to help. You bought a GMT IIc with a fantasy "pepsi" red/blue bezel insert. I've seen these a few times. If I remember correctly, they have a dial with red GMT MASTER text on them and a red 4th hand as well, right? Which movement did it originally come with? What parts of that movement do you still have? If you still have the GMT wheel from the movement and the additional gear on the calendar mechanism, you can simply convert any ETA 2836 (or clone) into a GMT movement. It may take tweaking of the minute and hour wheels, but I've had a lot of success making pretty much any ETA (Swiss or clone) work with GMT parts. If you still have any of the original or replacement hands, you probably only need a movement. In fact if you still have any of the original movement parts (like if you have an entire movement, even if it's broken) you're probably fine. I also have red GMT hands in the parts box if you need one, or you could paint a green one. Honestly, the most helpful thing you could do is to post a pic of all of the stuff that you have now. With that it'll be much easier to figure out what you should do next.

To really fix the sunken datewheel you need a new (old) case.

Nice! Here's mine: I think brushing the case would make a big difference. I also have a Navi crystal in with Chief for AR at the moment, I've heard that's a good mod to do. The current production ones use the exact same case as the tricompax model, they all have sunken datewheels.

Uhh... did you try looking for him? Sead is a trusted dealer on this forum. Go to the main RWG page and do a search (either using the search function, or just using "find" in your browser) for Sead. He has his own section.

Dude, I said right in my post--I got mine from Sead.

I have a GMT IIc dial and hands for sale in the parts area. I can also do the install for you if you need help.

With that attitude you're sure to get a whole lot of help. If you want the most accurate sub $200 rep you can get, buy a PAM or Omega, not a Rolex. Rolex's use of in-house everything means that most Rolex reps have serious flaws until you get into the $500+ price point (DJ and DD excluded).

By-Tor's review is of the Noobfactory Explorer II, which has been out of production for almost two years now. The best one that's currently available new is this one: http://repgeek.com/showthread.php?t=127398 If you can find a used Noob Explorer II grab it, otherwise this watch (which isn't as good of a rep, but is still a pretty good watch) is still available new through the various dealers. I got mine from Sead. The GMT II, if you're talking about the ceramic model all of them are pretty decent, if you want a 16710 there isn't an acceptable one being made right now IMO.

Because of the way the movement is designed. A 28xx movement is simply designed to go the other way. It's not something you can change. If the new SA3135 movement is actually a 3135 clone, it should function the same way. Question--why do you care? How many people do you adjust the time on your Rolex rep in front of?

How's the lume?