freddy333

Canal Street has never been known for anything but Canal Street quality reps.

I have never tried switching, so take this with a grain of salt, but I believe the hour wheels (as well as the chrono hour wheels) are the same & interchangeable.

I seem to recall seeing them for sale at 1 of the watch parts supply companies. You might check ofrei, borel & the UK house whose name eludes me just now.

Correct. The part can either be replaced or repaired (with a rivet).

The printing quality is not very good, but, otherwise, the dial is called a meters 1st 5513. Nice work.

Certainly. Take it to a watchmaker who works on rep chronographs.

Many of today's reps are good enough to fool the average watchmaker or gen owner as long as they cannot open the case. Once the case is opened, most professional watchmakers can easily tell the difference.

The end links on these bracelets were not designed to be removed. It can be done, but it is not easy & often results in damage to adjoining links. I have removed links from 2 rivet bracelets, but both ended up with misshapen links. So, to reduce the likelihood of damage, I would recommend taking the bracelet to a watchmaker or jeweler who has the appropriate skill & tools. If they have the correct replacement rivets, drilling out the exiting rivets is always the best way to go &, if done correctly, does not result in visible damage to the bracelet.

2 options - either drill out (& replace) the rivets or bend open the links.

An old episode, but still entertaining.

They do not call it the golden hour for nothing.

It keeps the lions away & seems to do a good job as I have not come across a single lion since I started carrying it.

Wearing my beater early Sunday morning

Either a 7206 or 9315 would be correct, but I think a period correct (early 60s) jubilee works, too

Working late Friday/early Saturday wearing 1 of my Subs

Before re-casing, place the case (with crystal) on top of a shiny, dark surface (I use my green Rolex leather checkbook) & look for dust/debris you may have missed.

I have the parts for Spaceview conversion but this watch belonged to a close relative & the model appeared in some of the 1st ads so I am still debating whether to switch it over or not. Here it is on its original Speidel Twist-O-Flex band

Now that the watch is complete, you might want to consider upgrading some of the parts with more accurate replacements, but, overall, I like what you did. Your hard work shows.

When it comes to vintage Subs & SDs, I think you gain alot of credibility from genuine age/wear, as opposed to artificial or enhanced patina. These watches definitely benefit from genuine scars gained from real-world use.

Here is an alternative that will accept a gen xtal.