Nanuq

Don't think that genuine parts will *always* work either.  I had my A.D. install a new, never-opened Superdome Tropic 39 on a gen Sea Dweller and it failed the pressure test.

Hide and Seek

Lets see, sell the dog, sell the kids, sell a kidney, sell Ken's Left Nut ... I ought to be able to swing this!   'Course I'll eat beans and rice for a year but it's worth it.  What a stunner!  I think that's the cleanest example since my Black Lung, and those factory bands are impossible to find.

Buy with confidence boys, V_H is one of the good guys around here, he's been around literally since (and before) Day-1.  

My advice is to hurry up and wait. If you're going with a gen dial and movement it's worth it to find a good case. There's a lot more additional expense coming when you embark on a build in that rare atmosphere so your budget will be blown again a few more times over.

Like, are you going with a period correct fat font insert? Gen pearl? Top hat crystal or beveled? 702 crown and tube? Just in those 5 parts you can easily spend another $1,800 so yeah, a good case is sorta mandatory.

Unless you get one of our serious modders involved, then they can make a cheap Cartel case look perfect ... for a price.  And they have waiting lists.

It's all in the details at this level and the eye has an uncanny knack at picking out something that doesn't feel right. So be patient until the right case comes along, not necessarily the best case.  In my last build I waited 3 years for the right dial to come along.  It was worth it.

Amen, brother.  There are two rules to live by:

1)  Don't sweat the small stuff

2)  Everything  is small stuff

Just arrived today from AJ, what a beauty! An orange Compressor, does it get any better?!

Great idea Ronin, have you had any cracks?

I'd keep it purely for the irony.

JMB was mentioned in a couple of those threads and he's still here. He's a gentlemen among scholars and does fantastic work. Remember the smooth bezel Milgauss someone just did? I think he did that.

What a beauty!  Better send it to me so I can make sure it keeps running.

It gets better:

https://rwg.cc/topic/117238-superdomes-on-late-70s-1665s/

And better:

https://rwg.cc/topic/31655-a-connecticut-yankee-in-king-arthurs-court-or-maybe-not/

And finally the coup de grace:

https://rwg.cc/topic/144376-hev-mod-on-mbk-1665/

(We've had a LOT of discussions about DRSDs over the years.....)

Even more:

https://rwg.cc/topic/161952-franken-mbw-1665-palpatine-repaustria/

And more:

https://rwg.cc/topic/30025-he-men-dont-do-subs/

Take a look here:

https://rwg.cc/topic/191923-installing-a-hev-valve-on-a-cartel-1665/

An obscure 60s diver, the Emmegi Sea Magnum 300m

Pics! We gotta see this beauty!

Wow.  This guy has serious chops.

SD43 and the sun moving down toward the horizon, only about 3 more hours of daylight now.

@hologramet I know it's frustrating losing something valuable like that. I've lost the pieces to a very nice Red Sub build and an extremely rare extremely early Sub build this year. They went to a top notch builder that has quit replying to me.

Yes it sucks. Yes I hate it. I'm sure you do too. But you still have everything you need sans that movement.

My advice is to keep going. You're emotionally invested in it and you can't put a price tag on that. I think it will mean a lot for you to press on and finish this.

That sounds pretty nice!  But here in Alaska we have the sun shining, cold beer (waiting in the Rover), a rare Doxa, and mountains instead of crowds.  So yes, life DOES get better. 

Yikes.  I thought three was bad!

Relaxing with the Big Gonzo after a long hard day.