Nanuq

Welcome aboard. My advice is to watch the sales threads here. Lots of people built some really nice Tudors, they were really hot items a few years back and I haven't seen many of them come up for sale since then. How bad is your itch? It might be an expensive scratch. Fr example my build uses a Phong case set ($800), gen 702 crown and tube ($350) gen Superdome Tropic 39 crystal ($300), gen dial and hands ($450) gen MkIII slate grey insert ($1,000) , gen ETA 7846 movement ($250) and Mary's 7836 band ($50). Total not including labor, fitting, finishing and shipping was about $3200 and that's for a "good" build, not "insanely good". Behold the Frosty Flake.

Use our search function. We have discussed this thoroughly. Many people here make their own dials and have detailed the process they use. Read, read and read some more.

Raahhhhrrrrrrr!

I’m in Indiana this week, Formula powerboat races on Lake Michigan. This afternoon I was in a McGuinness pub and a guy came in with his family and sat at the next table. He was wearing what appeared to be a 6200 or A/6538 gilt dial sub homage with red triangle insert on leather strap. It was a tasty piece but appeared to be built from a 40mm Dazza or Raffles case and had a couple things wrong with the build. Anyone here? I didn’t want to grab you by the wrist and whisper “Jetmid??” In your ear with your family present.

I know the rep casebacks won't fit a genuine 1680, if that helps.

Digging deeper for vocal perfection...

In search of utter vocal perfection, the Gesualdo Six.

Here's an example of "Just because it lived a hard life it doesn't have to be beat to death". This one spent 20+ years as the primary timer for my friend on thousands of dives to the bottom of the Seven Seas, and it's been to max rated pressure in chambers "more than a few times". When I got it I had to lick the crystal to see the time, so I spent a week rubbing it with a tshirt to get it as clear as this. The lugs still show the factory "bark" finish and there are admittedly some gouges on the HEV side and the 4:00 lug. Other than that, just lots and lots and lots of tiny dings from getting bashed around a dive boat for decades.

Moi????

“Maranez” Doxa lookalike just arrived today. Thin case, domed sapphire, it just reeks of the early Sixties dive craze and the SUB 300s.

I use the tip of a pocketknife to get it started then a fine screwdriver moving up to bigger screwdrivers.

Paging @ubiquitous ...........

Absolutely right. I just checked, since I posted this every color is sold out except Orange and Black. Smi mens jernet er varmt!

Loosely translated in English as “wowsers!” [emoji1787]

I think the trick is to fool the subconscious. Your brain takes in 1,000 visual details and puts them together and they add up, or your lizard brain throws up red flags because something isn't right. Something doesn't make sense. An obvious example would be the cut in a Submariner's bezel where the insert snaps in. You can smooth the outer edge so the teeth aren't so sharp, but the inner edge sitting right above the insert should be smoothed over from years of wear too, right? Check these pictures, my Red Sub when I got it, and then after some extensive but very mild ageing. Check the before and after on the bezel teeth and the cutout, it's rounded over on the top and you would never have noticed that... but your subconscious would.

Great topic! Okay here’s a quiz... which one has had 63 years of aging and which has had 3?

It uses the Seiko NH35 movement that takes ETA hands, is readily available and can be replaced for $35 and keeps fantastic time. Price? $399 shipped. https://www.maranez.com/product-page/maranez-samui-vintage-orange

NICE!!! We all knew you were good for it. Stick around, newcomer!

Hah, me too! 15 years and 15,000 posts to earn that coveted Newbie rank!

I bought a beads of rice band from the UK and he had a cheapie breaker like that for about $5 It was really cheap metal but boy did it work great. Mine came with 3 replacement tips and it took all 3 to do two bands.

No kidding that’s 1,000% improvement over new. Very tasty!