Mendota Explorer

Hot dayum! I love it, I love it, I love it! This is my favorite GMT reference. Such a beautiful piece. I love these pics.

Don't do it. The Yuki isn't built the same today as it was in the past. Delaforce just posted a review over on Homage Forum of his old one versus the one he just bought this summer and the new one is not the same quality.

That would stink if they are out of action.

Another

Yes! Gorgeous rhodium dial with roman numerals. This is my absolute favorite DJ iteration. Please share more about this build.

Beautiful. Really nice work with this. I didn't realize the 5513 and 5512 also had 2 dial iterations using 3,6,9 markers until I read this article featuring the collection of Mike Wood, who is a huge vintage collector. This is an excerpt and there is a link to the whole thing on VRF.

http://www.vintagehour.com/11-submariner-55123-dial-variations-by-mike-wood/

Gorgeous watch. That is a fantastic build. The 1675 is on my list of must-haves.

That's really impressive. Right now there's a 3135 on Ebay for a grand. Someone could get the beginnings of a genken like this one, if you are up for doing it again.

Would a Yuki 3135 work as a base?

That's not bad at all for such a cheap entry. How do you make the CGs usable when they start off so short already?

MenEx...

Your case looks a lot like my unmodified 5513 MBK case (same case as MBK 1680) except for the crown guards and they are very close. After drilling the lug holes out to 1.3mm the holes are not quite as close to the tops of the lugs as yours but that makes no difference as there is still plenty of metal around the holes.

It looks very good!

 

I did not take time to alter the MBK crown guards and will wait until later or let it go. They stick out a little bit too far but I can live with it. What was important to me was the fit and finish and it is real good. I used a 1570 with date works removed and the calendar spacer still in place with Yuki 5512 dial, ST bezel assembly, GS PA 462 66 crystal, TC tube/crown, and DW case back (better letters).

 

Since the PT case takes a genspec crystal, all that is needed is a genspec bezel assembly and a good insert to make a first class case.

For the difference in price they are a real bargain.

Thanks for the compliment, Automatico!  I wear mine daily and it just fits perfectly on my wrist.

 

I see you mentioned getting a genspec bezel assembly.  Who offers a good one and generally what would that run me for price?  With a genspec crystal and then this new bezel assembly, how easy would that be to install?

Nice work with these.  They look awesome.  I do agree that better pics would do them justice.  

Wow.  That's something, all right!  Nice work.  Right away in the first pic the insert jumped out at me as gen, but what threw me off was the rehaut engraving isn't aligned.  I was going to guess Noob case with gen mods since the rehaut is shifted on the 9:00 marker like all of the early Noobs were.

 

So how much was the 3185?  Was it difficult to find?

Nice pics.  Very nice, indeed.  

 

I know you are itching to get one of these fast, but if you can find a Puretime in M2M sales that might be the best overall way to go, in my opinion.  I'm no expert, though. There's a thread over on RWI that Rolex Addict posted in, and he said that one of the best cases he's worked on is the Puretime.  People on other boards have said it takes a gen sized dial (I can't confirm that), it does take a gen crown without having to replace the tube, and it will also take a gen crystal.  The issue with crystal replacements is two-fold.  You have the funky plastic gasket to deal with, but RA said it works to just throw it and put the bezel assembly back on without it.  Or you can get JMB to custom make a retaining ring for you.  The second issue is the position of the date window if you put in a gen crystal with date magnifier.  The date window is in the ETA position, not the Rolex date position, so the gen cyclops will be shifted a bit.  You can either ignore it since it isn't that big of a deal, or go with something like a T19, which I think is glorious.

 

The bezel teeth and shape of the bezel on the PT is really nice.  Compared to a lot of gens I have studied, mine is right in line in terms of shape and teeth.  The insert is also right in line with the thin font service replacements that were issued, and it has a nice vintage pearl, so I'm very happy with mine overall.  It comes stock with the low beat 2846, so no need to do any movement swapping or anything like that.  Out of the box it is fantastic.

 

Here's my Puretime red Mark 1 dial with a gen vintage crown.  I only paid $10 more for my gen crown than what Athaya is charging for his 702, but he didn't have those back then.  If that had been available 3 years ago when I bought this, I would have chosen the 702 instead, as it is period correct for the reds.  Although service replacements were 703 so both are correct.  You can't really see this in any of the pics I have taken of it with my phone, but under magnification the red Submariner text is printed over white, just like the early gen reds were.  It's a really cool little WIS feature that absolutely nobody would ever know, except for the complete nerds.  If they know enough to notice that, then they will immediately notice the flat, glossy lume markers which are way more wrong than the red text is right.  LOL  I think that will be easy to fix someday, though.  Some clear matte finish spray might remove the glossy look, as well as add a slight bit of texture to the dial.

 

When studying the crown guard shape from the side, I think they just need a slight rounding of the very tips.  The ends come to a slight point, where it should be rounded instead.  Very quick and easy to do and then it will be perfect.

 

The lug engravings are wrong, so if you put it on a nato or strap it will reveal the wrong engravings.  Other than that, it's awesome.

 

Very sad news today.  Robin Williams was found dead in his home.  Such a great loss.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2014/08/11/robin-williams-dead-at-63-in-suspected-suicide-officials-say/

 

Nice.  I like the flat top 4 on the new bezel you installed, and also on Preacher's.  I know there are many different and slight variations of the bezel font/print for this watch - is the stock one from the Cartel considered to be OK based on any of the gen variations?

 

Does the Cartel come with a bracelet and was this the 21j or the ETA version?  My guess is ETA, since doesn't Omega use decorated ETA movements in a lot of their watches?

Which AD did you visit?  Did they have more things to show off in the museum?  When I go to Vegas I'll make a point of stopping in for a visit.

Wow.  No refunds.  So if you had twisted your ankle getting off the plane at that little airport in Lukla, and never even got to take a single step on the journey, that's tough sh*t?  That's brutal.  

 

At least you made it to the base camp.  That's an experience of a lifetime right there.

That looks fantastic. Did it come with the bracelet?

Where do you get the Flight Master hands? Which Clark is that one? Where will you get the new bezel?

I waffle back and forth on this one. Sometimes I really like it and other times I think the dial is too busy.

Nice work with this.

This is a great read.  I'm sorry your expedition was cut short, but I am very glad to read you were OK in the end.  Things can definitely end very differently up there.  

 

I was wondering, since you didn't make it past the Everest base camp, is there a partial refund that you get since you didn't require any services beyond that stage of the expedition, or is it a flat price regardless of how far your journey goes?

 

How do you prepare for this?  Do you climb/hike year round to prepare?

 

Have you done any other expeditions of this magnitude?

 

It's been great reading this and seeing the amazing photos.  

What's the latest on this?  I haven't heard or read anything for a while.

Uff da, that's a hot mess...

Nice pics. Beautiful watch.

Yes, wouldn't a new plexi plus new o-rings/greasing in the case back and crown/tube solve the problem?

 

Speaking of ratty hands and dials, which is more appealing?  Service replacement hands and dial on a vintage watch or original hands and dial on the same watch?  Should one be priced more than the other?  I ask because I see both sitting side by side from the same general era, yet both are priced the same.  Wouldn't the one with service replacement dial and hands be worth less?  Or is it worth more because it is "upgraded" to modern standards?  Sort of a "one person's trash is another person's treasure" sort of scenario?

Are you saying buying a vintage 1680, 5512, 5513 or even a vintage 1675 would be a bad purchase?  I only ask because I would like to eventually get a gen 1675 and a gen 1680 and/or 5513 someday.  There is a significant age range with these, and I have found some really nice looking ones from the 1968 era all the way up through the late 1970s and very early 1980s in the case of the 5513.  Would something from the late 1970s be an overall better purchase than something from 1968/69 if the price were the same?  

I love it.  Another great build is about to begin.    I am in hog heaven with all of the recent activity regarding vintage small crowns and big crowns.  

 

Thanks for posting about this and keeping us updated with your progress.  In my amateur opinion, I think this forum definitely has the most concentrated assortment of experts and the highest number of builds going simultaneously.  This place is like the Mecca for vintage small and big crowns.  

A real, genuine DG2813 is a much better movement than the cheap, knock off 2813 movements that come in these low priced reps.  Even swapping out the cheap 2813 for a real DG2813 once it fails is a good upgrade.

 

I think the OP meant to say the DG GMT movement (I don't remember the number right now).  That is a true GMT movement, not a modified 2836-2, and it is indeed a real work horse and reliable movement.  I have not read about many complaints for this movement, but over the years I have indeed read about many, many issues concerning 2836-2 movements converted to GMT.  My own GMTIIc with the modified 2836-2 has had several repairs on it.