Nanuq

We all know the acronym MBW means Maria's Best Watch. I'm thinking it's time for another: ZBW

Good Lord in Heaven, not a Pan-Am build! I haven't recovered yet from the Big Gonzo build! I still wake up with cold sweats. But the Big Gonzo did prove himself worthy in the briny deep all around Hawaii. He saw duty under Waimanalo, Waimea, Koko, Hanauma, Lanikai, Sunset and Kuhio. What a joy, and utterly readable even as it gets darker the deeper you go.

Oooooooooooo tasty. What would happen if you soaked the insert in iodine overnight? Is the paint porous enough to let the tint soak in?

Tasty!!! The surface texture looks nice. Is there a way to attack the numerals from the back, and let some tint soak inside? It would be glorious to see an antique yellowing to the plastic and to the numerals themselves.

Jose, this is exactly why this place exists ... to share knowledge about watches. Do some reading here and you'll figure out what we spotted when we said it's not a genuine piece. There are lots of Tudor threads where we discuss each of those details ad nauseum. Here is my attempt at a 7016, it's still far from perfect and it took over 2 years to put together.

ME, you're on the right track. I really like Phong's stuff, and would have gone that route but a very reliable and knowledgeable member here happened to have a MQ case for sale, and he'd already gone through the heartbreak of making sure it was all correct. MQ cases look like old pieces that have accumulated damage, then have been meticulously refinished to "bring them back to life". Under a loupe they're fantastic. Phone cases look like museum pieces. Perfect. Both have the correct dimenstional shape to the caseback. My MQ is also engraved with period-correct markings inside the caseback, with a serial number to match that date range. For your crown you'll eventually go gen. The Phong crown is very nice, but it's nothing like a real crown. You can live with it, but you WILL go gen eventually. It's worth it. CWP makes very good hands for the 6538, they're brass and they age to an almost matte finish that looks just like gold under a loupe. As for dials, the ones you're describing are extremely high quality and are made only on genuine 6538 plates. They're also extremely expensive. I used an MQ dial in my build, and it was very good but when it arrived the 3:00 lume had fallen off. Instead of sending it back to MQ, I sent it off for refinishing by Big Dazza, and a relume at Ziggy's ... it's glorious. It's as close as you'll get to an uber-dial or a gen. It will also be for sale in the near future.... *cough*

Hey M, looking good! ME, you got that right, these are taaaaaasty.

Pffft what a cheapskate. I'll give him $750.

Years ago, all you cold get were steel rings with grooves cut in them. My Small Crown wore one for 10 years, then I asked NDT if they could make a brass one and plate it silver. They do now, and the new version is much better than their originals.

They come looking spanking new, then over time the plating wears off to reveal the brass underneath, like gen.

Today I ran across this big boy down toward Koko

Mahalo brother! Look closely, I've already knocked a small chunk out of the "4" and at the pearl hole. Having waaaay too much fun!

You'll likely find the NDT is $100 cheaper too.....

Here's what happened to it a couple minutes later, I got POUNDED! The shore break today was awesome!

Search for photos of my 6536/1 it has a NDT bezel and looks perfect.

Welcome aboard, GRW. We tend to take a more seasoned approach around these parts. All are welcome.

Brother, this place is about far more than watches. It's great to hear things are getting better. What does TwoTone always say? "Where people gather, life happens". Hang in there and happy Easter.

I was in Tourneau Honolulu last night and there was nothing in there as pretty as that trifecta. Nicely done.

One of the oldest of the old school. Welcome back old friend!

The Pugmeister!!

Holy bunker busters, that's right ... I forgot I was dealing with a fellow maniac! Quick! Plan "B"!

Oh yes, very nice. That one has it all!

Oh not to worry, they live in my WWII underground concrete reinforced bunker. Bear proof too!

In general terms these are the "looks" from those decades. This is from the late 50s: This is from the early 60s: This is the early 70s: This is from the early 70s too: And this is from the late 70s: Sorry I don't have anything from the 80s.