bones

Just finished some experimental pieces. These are hybrid 6200/6538's. Weather is really dull today so pics arn't amazing and trying to capture a domed crystal without reflections is a nightmare. Silix case given gentle ageing, soften edges, dings etc. 8mm Brevet Crown Silix Rivet bracelet Dial given vintage texture (i'll try to get better pictures of the dials) Dials and hands stripped back and re-lumed with W@tchlume vintage Pearl re-shaped and lumed with same vintage lume and given matte topcoat. Insert given light aging but not bleached. Crystal height was shaved down about 2 mm at least to reduce stupid oversize superdome look.

The fact that it looks like the gen 3135 is purely incidental. If they managed to make a movement that had the same dimensions, stem height, rolex hand size and datewheel acceptable as well as dial feet positions then we would be just as excited. Those are far more critical factors when considering a movement like this.

Oh man, that really is a shame about that bezel insert :/ The rest of it looks really good, but the insert ruins it for me

Was more me being a spacker than anything. On the left hand side of the advanced search page there's an option that says search by auction number. I never could figure out why it didn't work. Then I just tried it in the first search bar on the advanced page and it works through that. Stupid eBay.

You guys need to start linking actual auctions rather than auction numbers. I can never find the auctions in question when you do this, eBay never finds em. Nm, got it now.

Was only a matter of time tbh.

I was after a blue one, but thank you very much for the offer, next in line gets it i guess.

Where did you pick up the dial? I can't for the life of me find some place that has a service dial, or a white lumed dial. All seem to have vintage coloured indices. And like you said, Yuki et al don't carry the regular blue sub, only the snowflake.

Excellent collection mate. Though do you really need two ceramic blue subs?

I've had a lot of issues with dial tape. I had to replace the 21j GMT movement in a rep I ordered as it was DOA. Ordered one from CousinsUK but found when I removed the dial that it had no feet. The dial spacer however meant that I had to layer up the dial tape 3-4 times in order to get it stuck to the dial. Using a GMT movement also means that you can't put dial tape on opposite sides but only on the topside of the dial (near 12 o'clock) and so when I go to install it all the dial has a tendency to move about. Compounding the issues in this build are other factors. The hand canons seem too short for the rep dial spacer and the GMT hand will rub the dial if installed, but if I use the included dial spacer the stem height is wrong as well! At the moment the watch is sitting with no forseable solution any time soon. Very frustrating.

Funny question actually, I was looking at plating kits the other day. I was thinking more along the lines of brass and nickle plating coin edge bezels. Would be very interested to hear if anyone has had any success with these.

No wonder the missus was getting jealous! Mine would too

Wow, that handset is awful.

Dang, makes me want one more now! Awesome solution to a simple problem.

Really taking the hobby by the horns Jamdot. Hope you don't burn yourself out too soon mate.

I'd say both are replicas to be honest. The single biggest tell is the area at the base of the hour hand. It's always so much larger in circumference than gen handsets it seems. Plus of course all the other little tells that they have.

But doubly annoying when the dial in question somehow never had feet installed in the first place

Yeah, I found a list of the crystals under Rolex generic parts. Hadn't managed to find that before for some reason. And you're right, no T17 to be found. I guess it's the calipers route when I get my next bunch of watches in. Cheers anyway alli!`

Tiny screwdriver?

I'm going to order a few of these to try out on the Silix 6538 cases to see if I can get them to fit. However I cannot for the life of me find an equivalency chart between Tropic and St sizes. Can anyone point me in the right direction? The world of crystals is very confusing. Bones.

Source was Silix-Prime in the Economy Watch section under Rolex > Submariners. I measured it roughly the other day with my brass calipers and I think it was 38mm but wont have a chance to measure again for some time. As far as Crowns are concerned I had also had a look at the rep Brevets over on Homageforum and will be getting some ordered soon(ish). I just need the other tools to be able to install a new crown in a case which I currently don't have at this moment.

You find me a cheap source of rep 8mm crowns and I will gladly complete the modifications. It really doesn't make sense to put a $250 rep crown on a rep that only cost $70 to begin with

Not that I want to disparage your comments. I love the minutia of details that this forum alone seems to harbour. But this build cost me only the ±$70 + labour. The hands and lume I'm very happy with. This below is the inspiration watch to a certain extent. And with it's cheapo siblings.

I would have lowered the profile on the crystal but try as I might the bugger just would not separate from the case.

Same as all my other builds. Experimentation and cheapness.