freddy333

Wearing this While working towards this

You will get the parts a few days after JB receives them (unless the backordered parts become 'obsolete' by the maker, but only JB or the maker can tell you if that might occur). I have experienced anything from a few weeks to infinity (for parts that turn out to be 'obsolete'). Especially, without knowing what parts you are waiting for, no one here can possibly tell you anything more. I assume you asked JB before posting here?

Right. Probably best to cover all the bases

This winder looks like it comes from Nanuq watch repair tool kit.

While you had the tools out, why didn't you correct that spelling mistake on the diver's extension?

Ditto.

Wearing my white GMT

Ditto.

Josh - Very good comparison & thanks for taking the time to post this. I would still recommend white or off-white markers as in this gen, which is the way the majority of gen 1655s appear today. White is also easier to replicate than the patina of natural aging (I have never seen an aftermarket dial get that right)

Yes. My Phase I 6542 (at right) is 2846-powered (the GMT gearing was transplanted from 1 of Josh's 2836-powered 1675s) (My Phase II 6542 (at left) is gen-powered)

Bracelet/endlink combos for the 1680 7206/80 9315/280 9315/380 93150/580

Much better.

Tweak the case & replace the dial (with white markers) & you might have something there.

Here is a bit of (vintage) encouragement for you, Robbie And in case you missed it, Ubi recently put together a very tasty 5514 that is worth searching out in the Rolex forum.

It all depends on how active you are (how much you normally move your arm). If you spend alot of time sitting at a desk, then you may need to wear it for 16+ hours to charge the mainspring sufficiently to keep the watch running overnight. But if you go running with it, then a few hours/day should be sufficient.

db2 - Your hard work definitely shows in this piece. I agree with the others' comments about the hands. I think Tudors, which are made to fit ETA pinions, are your best bet. After that, try Clarks (ebay). I am not too sure that the misaligned date is due to a misaligned dial (unless you removed the dial feet). Most likely, the number overlay was either printed incorrectly or placed incorrectly on the date wheel (both are very common problems). If the former is the problem, your only option is to replace the overlay (though you could also replace the entire datewheel/overlay with another MBW or similar). If the latter is the case, you would need to separate the overlay from the date wheel (try a razor blade to pry them apart) & then reglue them using slow-drying epoxy (slow dry gives you time to position/test the overlay a couple of times in the watch before the cement dries).

I hate to always be the dissenting voice (aside from Justasgood's citing of the incorrect bracelet stamp) with these types of pieces, but all of them look like Canal Street watches to me. Yes, they can be modded, but I would begin the process by throwing out the parts that seem to be their biggest selling points - their dials & inserts.

Wearing the old GMT today

Ditto what By-Tor said. Good to see you back in the fold, Robbie.

Ditto. You need to reduce the image size to 1024x768 (or thereabouts) within your image editor (Paint Shop, Photoshop, etc).

As far as I can tell, Ofrei's illumines dot (pearl) is exactly the same as the current pearls Rolex fits during servicing. However, when it comes to trying to mimic a vintage gen pearl, I have come to the conclusion that it makes more sense to bite the bullet & buy a vintage gen pearl than it is to expend the time & effort to try to replicate them with aftermarket pearls (which never quite look the same as a naturally patina-ed gen) (gen) (gen)