freddy333

Congratulations on reaching a grand. We appreciate your contributions to the community. Keep them coming.

No, just an old 335. I would have gone with the Movado. No fooling.

Several years ago, there were a few threads detailing the specs & how to drill a 5513 case for an He valve. If you search for valve and freddy333, you should be able to locate them. Here is 1 of them

Nice score, prova4.

Yes

They have been called frankens (or some variation of that) -- a term describing the space that lies between 100% genuine & 100% fake -- for decades. The 1st time I heard the term was back in the late 1970s.

A true gen rep from a gen RWG'r. Nice to see you & the Sub, Euno.

I would replace the duff roulette wheel with a more accurate monochrome. I would see an otherwise gen-looking GMT with an all-black wheel & think, 'Oh, someone must have replaced that gen GMT's original 'wheel with a newer monochrome 'wheel (since the roulettes have not been available for decades)', rather than, 'Oh, a rep with a dodgy-looking 'wheel.'

The Newman watch The Newman car

Aside from the datewheels (I would replace those asap), I can see the hard work that went into this fine project. Good job!

Minutes before midnight & wearing my Bond Sub

Wearing my Bond Sub

If a reliable private seller describes a dial as 'refinished gen dial', I would expect they mean a genuine dial that has been repainted. If a vendor describes a dial as 'refinished gen dial', I would expect they mean a dial that has been painted. Only if/when that dial plate can be authenticated by the gen company would I assume the plate to be genuine.

Wearing my 6239 today

A few things - Hands are designed to fit a specific movement. That said, they often require a bit of broaching (with a small, round file-type of tool) to increase the diameter of a hand's opening. Definitely, work that is best left to a pro & not something I would recommend you do until/unless you have a good bit of practice. As to the dial itself, I have seen better & worse. I am also 1 of the few here that do not like dials that have been heavily modded because they look 'artificial'. About all that works (for me) is a light coat of shellac or a few minutes in a 350 degree oven - both procedures have very fine dividing lines between art & damage, so practice 1st &/or proceed with GREAT caution. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to reverse modifications done to a painted dial short of replacement. So if YOU are dissatisfied with the result, you may need to consider a replacement. Again, dial mods/refinishing is not a task for the unskilled.

Excellent work on the case re-shaping, but I am not sure about your characterization of the OEM crystal shape. It looks like the aftermarket crystal you have on your watch has flat sides that curve. The curve of the original crystal began at the bezel. But I do not think anyone would cite that as an indication of fakery since most gens have been fitted with a modern T21, which is beveled (which is my preference, since it gives the watch a jewel-like quality) instead of curved. Well done in any case.

It sounds like the movement may be loose or incorrectly installed in the case so 1 or both hands are coming into contact with the underside of the crystal.