Mendota Explorer

Oops, sorry about that. Yes, when I get back to my PC I'll grab some pics from the websites.

With all of the amazing big crown builds and super "genkens" on display recently, I am really itching to bite the bullet and try working on a budget Silix build to get my feet wet in the big crown world. If this works out well, I am going to make a decommissioned 6538a with 3,6,9 dial and red depth rating for my second build. There is a gorgeous example on Hodinkee that I am in love with, so that's my grail until I am eventually able to devote the time and resources to build a big crown genken. To get started, however, I am going to go with the classic 6538 as my initial attempt. My parts list so far is this: - Silix classic 6538 complete watch with rivet bracelet. I know the 7206 bracelet is going to be crappy, so if I can't salvage it I will have to put it on a nice distressed leather band until Yuki or another supplier gets them. - Athaya V2 crown and tube. - Either Yuki pearl or Athaya pearl. Not sure which one is the better replacement? - OnlinestoreHK big ball white seconds hand. How much better is the HR branded 6538 dial versus the Raffles recent superlumed dial offerings? Ken now sells both a 3,6,9 6200 dial as well as a 6538 dial that appears to be nearly identical to the branded HR dial, but at half the price. Is it worth it to spend the extra money for the HR dial on my first budget build, knowing full well that I am going to age the dial anyway and brush various household colorants on it and bake it? Or is the Raffles dial going to be good enough? The standard out of box Silix and Raffles dials are the same and have that awful/strange color tone to them, but the new Raffles dials with superlume look pretty nice. I plan to practice my aging skills on the stock dial and then move over to the nicer dial once I have a steady hand. Any suggestions are welcomed. I've been kicking these tires for so long that my toes are quite sore, so I figured it's time to bite the bullet and get started. I'm pretty busy at home with 3 little boys ranging from 10 months to 6yrs old, so this might take me a while once I actually start buying the various parts. Thanks guys!

Bummer. So back to Yuki, I guess. I wonder if there is any way to find out who actually makes his bracelet? There has to be another source for these and even if Yuki is out of stock, I bet someone has them. Maybe the original source continues to make them but Yuki only chooses to stock a small amount that he knows he will sell? I can't imagine he buys every single one that is produced, so the mfr must be providing them to other sources, too. Also, if enough people come to him at the same time I wonder if he can do a special buy from the mfr?

Whoa! Those macro pics are unbelievable! This is such a nice piece.

Sounds like our options are: 1) Yuki gets some in and we binge. 2) Someone buys an NDT and reviews it - if the quality is good, we splurge. 3) Put it on a leather band or NATO, or settle for the cheap rep rivets. 4) Go gen...

I wish you lived closer to me. I would love to see and hold this and the 6536/1 in person!!

Looking good! Looking good...

Gorgeous! Can't wait to see more pics when they are ready.

Interesting. Find a good quality aftermarket rivet, put a Rolex clasp on it. Sounds like a possible solution.

Yeah, there's nothing worse than getting a rogue hair caught in a link. I don't need a stretchy bracelet doing that nonstop. I'd rather put it on a nice leather band instead, than have to deal with that on a daily basis. How much is the Yuki again? I think it's half that price, isn't it?

Those winter months are crazy. I spent Christmas with relatives in Oslo, and it would set around 3:30ish or so and wouldn't rise until later in the morning. I can't imagine what it would be like, farther north in the Arctic Circle. You'd need special lights or something to not go crazy! Lots of time to tinker with watches, though. You'd need a GMT function to just keep track of whether it was morning or night.

I once spent a week visiting a college friend in central Norway - Steinkjer. It wasn't far enough north to technically be considered midnight sun, but hell if I could tell the difference. It never got fully dark! It set at night but remained at that dusk level (slightly darker than your pics) until it started rising again. She told me if we were farther north it wouldn't actually even set at all. It would dip down to the horizon and then come up again. Uff da, what an exhausting summer that would be...

^ Good point. What if the quality has improved since the last person bought one 2 years ago and the current batch is good? What if they are the same as the Yuki? What if... By the way, which is accurate to gen - stretch or no stretch (like a regular Oyster)? How does the stretch version even work - springs or something inside? Seems like more details to fail on you...

Why does Yuki get them so infrequently? Just wondering why they are out of stock for so long and then they come in but he only has a few sets. Doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks! I never knew about the a260. Sounds like the a296 was used in the 6200 and then they moved onto the 1030 for the 6538. You learn something new every day!

Looks gorgeous!

a260? What models was that movement used in? I've never seen that number referenced before as a caliber. I looked it up on this chart and I don't see it. http://www.bernardwatch.com/Rolex-Movements-and-Calibers

Wow! Very cool. I'm really looking forward to seeing the progress you make with this, and the finished product. Beggars can't be choosers, but it would be fun to see pics and updates along the way so it can be like we are looking over your shoulder while you transform this into pure joy!

People report reps on Ebay all the time. Is there any way to report these, or at least the YM2 that is claiming to be gen?

3 months? Forget RSC. Aren't there other smiths who can do a service, such as Bob Ridley or that company in Los Angeles that all the vintage guys on TRF send their watches to? The odds of a circa 2006 3185 or 3186 needing parts is low, right? So really it's just a cleaning, regulating, grease the seals, polish her up, give her a pat on the butt and send her home. Anyone who services Rolex movements can do that, right? I don't think it has to be RSC.

I agree. I would take that over a new, ceramic sub any day of the week. Look at how gorgeous Raquel Welch was at 56.

Beautiful!

It's gorgeous. I love that watch! The story behind it makes it even better.

Are you fellas saying that the most beautiful franken build across any of the forums, which is owned by our own Nanuq, would not pass the muster? His 6538 is darned near a gen in every way and yet your arbitrary rules would DQ it because it has an aftermarket case (built to gen spec), rep dial and ETA movement. That's the nicest franken I have ever seen and it is not a "lite" in any stretch of the imagination. If I build a vintage automobile from parts and I use both original, period OEM parts as well as aftermarket parts built to gen specs, I would consider that a vintage XYZ car. I could not show it in a car show where it had to be all original, and I could not sell it without full disclosure of all the components, but it doesn't make it any less of a vintage car. I do agree that slapping a crown on a fully assembled out of box watch is just a mod.

Holy wildlife, Batman! That's crazy. We get deer, turkeys, ducks, and the other usual fauna you find in the burbs, but that is Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom right there.