freddy333

My MBW/MBKs are more than 2 years old & the factory may have changed the current design, but my stock dials glowed far too brightly for a 30 year-old tritium dial (which should have little or no glow at all). This is also 1 of the biggest design flaws on many aftermarket dials (the use of modern lume on what is supposed to be a vintage dial) & 1 of the main reasons I replaced (& separately relumed) my aftermarket dials

Looks similar to an early CG-less Sub, but better pics (including profile views) would help.

Definitely unique & not something you see everyday.

Ah, so it is not the company, but only the US reseller. Good sighting Ziggy.

What? No one started the Friday wristies yet? Ending the work week with my beater

It might be worth detailing the movement options (V23 or V72) for DWs & similar case kits. I think you also mentioned that all of the 1165xx cases were too thick, which is only partially correct. Some of the early secs at 6 versions (like mine) came with nearly correctly sized middle-cases, which I referenced in the Build a Perfect Daytona thread awhile back. You might also include more details &/or links for your 16520 construction projects since these are pretty much the benchmark for frankenbuilders.

Great post, Ubi.

I am sorry to hear this. They are as iconic as it gets in the watchmaking world, but I think their demise is due more to their antiquated technology (relative to today's digital diagnostic tools) than anything else.

My beater @ tea

To the best of my knowledge, gen dials (& aftermarket dials made to gen specs) will only fit Valjoux 23/72 movements & their direct variants (like Rolex 727).

Because the sub dial spacing is slightly different, you cannot use a gen dial (or aftermarket dial made to fit a V23/V72) on a 7750. I have never tried to fit a Lemania to a gen dial, but I am pretty certain it would not fit either.

Ditto.

The OP referenced By-Tor's reviews & included specific links, which tells me he put some effort into researching his quest before he posted. That, for me, merits a more in-depth response than the newbie who joins the frey with 'Who has (or where can I get) the best.......?'

Some good points there, Alli. The 2 models do have different crystals - T18 for the 6536 & T16 for the 6536/1, but I think the only difference lies in the height (I only have the T18 on hand, so I cannot do a direct comparison). Both cases should be 37mm x 13mm with 24-600 crowns (Brevet crown, if 'Brevet' is engraved between the lugs).

Grabbed the non-Daytona Daytona today

It all depends on the dial. Because they are usually sealed with a gloss coat, most modern (last 25 or so years) dials can be gently washed with water. But water can damage many older/matte dials. Back to Ziggy's original post - it seems very unusual (to the point of incredulity) that a watch would (or could) leave Breitling's factory in that condition. I wonder if the watch had been 'serviced' someone else before it got to Ziggy? From the description, it sounds like the watch had previously been swish-&-dipped, which would make alot more sense.

Ditto the above comments.

By-Tor is usually pretty comprehensive in his reviews, even listing the collector/sources for all of the watches. If you like a watch that By-Tor reviewed, why not just buy 1 from the same collector?

The 6536/1 was powered by a chronometer-rated 1030, whereas the 6536's 1030 was non-chronometer-rated. The case & crown/tube was the same. Some early 6536s were powered by an A260, which was never used in the 6536/1.

Patience, Grasshopper. Good things come to those who wait. I certainly understand where you are coming from, but 1 of the beauties of frankens is that they can be upgraded, on a continual basis, as more & better parts come along. All you need is patience. You have come this far, so why bail now? And selling off most of a collection of wonderful frankens to fund a gen or 2 usually ends with a watch case filled with regrets.

Other than buying a new rep, I do not know of a source for a cheap replacement. However, you can buy a good aftermarket insert here. Also, because this insert is made to fit a gen bezel (or an aftermarket bezel made to gen specs), it may or may not fit a standard rep bezel.

Helfand's used to have them listed on their ebay site.

Based on my experience converting a 1030 to 1036gmt (I have never worked on or converted a 157xGMT), in addition to the expense, you are likely to have trouble locating some of these parts.

Search ebay for 'rolex tropic 39'.