Mendota Explorer

Thanks for the great info. So it sounds like the movement swap would have to be something that I did after the fact, and the dial feet would need to be clipped. Down the road you could always source better hands for a gen movement, get a gen movement, a dial from the nameless one, a gen insert and crown, and have an amazing small crown super franken.

Bummer. How about hands? Do those work?

Dayum! Very nice.

Are sellita and miyota movements, as well as the hands, easy to get? How about positioning dials? Do we need to clip the feet to use those? How do we know which one is a direct replacement for a specific ETA?

Nice crown guards on that case. Do you know which case that is?

Are those difficult to locate, much like the 2846, or are they pretty easy to find? Do hands and dial feet made for an ETA 28xx also fit the 2783? I wonder if Phong could build around the 2783 if I shipped it to him first? Just curious. I'm not in the market right now, but it would be great to know for future reference. If he offers the 5508 I wonder if he also offers a 5510 or 6538 as an ETA package?

Did NDTrading close down?

Beautiful. I really like the 1675. It is on my list!

Beautiful. Excellent work with this!

The 5508 option looks pretty sweet! I think that's the one I'd get. It comes with an ETA 2824. Is it an easy swap to go from a 2824 to a low beat 2846? The 2824 can then be saved for another build. Woot! Woot!

Just his cases alone are close to this price. So you are getting a dial, hands, spacer, and movement for next to nothing. Is this is good deal?

Sh#t. After almost 8 years in this world I was finally about to actually turn this obsession into a real hobby by tinkering with parts and starting some real builds over the winter. Seriously, I just finished buying various tools and I was going to buy a base watch in December to start practicing with it and modding it over the holidays. Does this mean I have to either go 21j with vintage builds or do they make any clones of low beat ETA 2846 movements? Some of the base watches I've been scouting out come with clone 2836 or 2824 and I was going to try to find a 2846 to replace it with.

Are these the same cases that we would buy if we were just looking for a Phong case? In other words, if I buy a case from him for a project would this be the same exact case, only now it is assembled with a movement, spacer ring, dial and hands? Aren't his cases this same price or pretty close to it?

Looks awful. I can't believe you would allow yourself to be seen with it. Send it to me and I'll dispose of it properly for you. LOL, just kidding. That is beautiful. Looks great to me just as it is. Maybe talk to Daz again and see if he can add some more pizzazz to it if that is what you are looking for. Maybe some texture?

So what does this mean for the rest of us? Do we need to use eta clones or what should we do when starting a new build?

This came up earlier this summer and I don't feel like a good answer came from it. These are fully built watches using all of his parts and an ETA movement. He says you can put in a gen Rolex movement later if you want. How are these builds overall? Are they worth the money?

Sounds fabulous. Can't wait to see pics when you get it all installed. Just curious. Which case back did you order?

Gorgeous. I love that crown. What size bit did you use for drilling out the bracelet, or did you use a file? Do you remember how much the yuki cost? I thought I read somewhere that TC also sells a 93250, but doesn't his have solid endlinks?

Interesting. My puretime red 1680 assembly does not have the middle tension washer. I don't know if MD2020 forgot to put it back on my watch when he serviced it or if it just wasn't installed on my watch from the get go. The bezel ring just snaps down onto the retainer ring. Do you guys know where I can get just the washer?

Sweet. Can't wait to see it.

ETA movements set time in the opposite direction from genuine Rolex movements. You rotate the crown clockwise to set the time with a genuine Rolex. The crown rotates clockwise and the hands move around the dial clockwise. With ETA it is the opposite. You rotate the crown towards you, or counter clockwise, to move the hands around the dial clockwise.

Great tips! [emoji106]

Thankfully, another member has just used this case for his 5513 build. Fits the Yuki 5513 dial perfectly. Two thumbs up! [emoji106] [emoji2]

Nice looking one. Is that gen version white gold? I'm thinking so, based on the polished center links?