freddy333

3 beautiful slices of horological heaven.

My Beater & Bee

DLC is not my thing, but it does look good. I wonder how the finish will hold up since the owner does tend to WEAR his watch? Am I correct in assuming that DLC cannot be polished like the original steel can?

It is true that alot more people look at watches (& decide whether they think the watch is real or not) than will ever say anything. So, while it is very rare, in my experience, for a stranger to comment - good or bad - about my watch, I am aware that most people are thinking about it (sizing me up against my watch - do I look like I could afford the watch I appear to be wearing).

I felt the need for some tri-compax bling today

Only (new) friends will generally ask about a watch & I always say 'rep'. This of course causes uncontrollable giggles from my long-time friends since they know I am usually wearing either a gen-powered franken or a gen. I do not know why (since, in my quarter century of collecting watches, I have only ever had 1 stranger - a waiter - ask about my watch), but this has to be 1 of the most frequently asked questions by newbies. Some people must travel in very suspicious circles.

Sorry to hear you have another dead watch. Josh may have had a bad run of watches (remember, the movements in rep watches are used &/or unserviced), so you might try for the same watch from another collector. Another option (since it is always a good idea to have any rep you plan to keep serviced by a pro watchmaker as soon as you receive it) would be to have the watch properly serviced by a professional (rep-friendly) watchmaker. Post a request for help in the repair section or check your local phone book for watchmakers (I would specifically ask whether they work on reps before making the trip).

That is alot of money for a franken (at best) or rep (at worst). That auction contains all the hallmarks of a scam (no good clear pics, no bracelet, no movement pic, no returns, etc). My sympathies to the buyer.

There are 2 stems indicated for the 1030 class of calibres - a 0.90mm thread stem (part 6946) & a 1.10mm thread stem (part 6947).

Manually wind the watch 40 turns (yes, again) & then pull out the stem to the time-setting position & run the hands through a complete 24-hour cycle. Press the stem back all the way in (make sure it is all the way in, otherwise that may be the reason it will not start). If it still fails to run, I would then request a replacement (not repair). I would also request that the replacement watch be shipped out immediately (without having to wait for the 2nd defective watch to be returned). If the seller refuses, then request a refund & take your business to another seller.

Ditto.

Ditto.

I think the price to build a V72 DW begins around $2,000 & goes up from there. But that is somewhat misleading because you have to factor in the amount of time & effort (not to mention tools) required to construct a V72-powered DW. And to pay a watchmaker to do the work for you will add an even larger chunk to your total cost. So, in the end, assuming you do not replace the caseback with glass or go around opening your watch on the streets, there is so little visual or functional difference between a V72 & A7750 powered DW that I have a hard time justifying it. A common (& understandable) question that all of us go through (you can Search out numerous threads by DW builders/owners pondering the same question). But I do not know of a single case where once the Daytona was completed, its owner decided to de-construct his new Daytona in favor of the original watch.

Ditto on the 5513 (a 5508 would cost you). Time for a thoroughbred diver's watch - a watch designed for a singular purpose - that of telling the time (not the date). Fabulous collection, by the way.

The system, especially the index pages, has been S-L-O-W as molasses for the past few months, so I am glad to hear that something is finally being done about it. Hopefully, the upgrade will remedy the problem without causing any (or, at least, not too many) additional problems. Good luck & thanks for keeping RWG going.

The usual

Clark's Rolex crystals are made to the same dimensional specs as the gen Tropics & both should fit the MBW. The lug holes on the stock MBW are too small to fit the 2mm springbars that came with the gen 5513. Many owners drill the stock holes out themselves & replace the springbars with gens or gen-sized aftermarket bars from ebay. There are numerous tutorials that you can find via Search which describe the procedure. I have never seen washers used for springbars. If the correct springbar is fitted to your watch, it should not require any spacers.

Sunday

You need a drill press & vice (to hold the case in place during drilling). I use an inexpensive press I got from Sears that works with any standard hand drill. This thread discusses the procedure for drilling the duo-hole required for a working Hev, but the same procedure (minus 1 step) produces lug holes.

The PMWC 5513 insert fits (without mods) a MBW 5513 I got from Eurotimez last year.

I think the new Subs are too blingy to be called a 'true Sub'. However, accepting that they are now more jewelry than tool, I still like the blue ceramic Sub. I just cannot imagine any serious diver going into the depths with a chunk of blue bling strapped to his wrist. Unless, of course, his wet suit, mask & fins were coordinated to match his watch.

For a gen replacement, I would try ebay. Just be sure to check the seller's history before buying. For repair, try either Stan or Michael Young.

I like the pics. Excellent composition. But I do not like the caseback at all. Also, the 6 & 9 index markers are a bit too narrow, but I would need to see better pics of the watch itself (good, clear close-ups) to see enough detail to comment further (reliably).