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.

Dial feet on the 2783 are slightly different from the 2824. They're about 1min different counter clockwise. Just enough to screw stuff up.

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Bummer. How about hands? Do those work?

I never had any response from them when I was shopping...

 

I think I'm going to use a genuine (refinished) Singer gilt gloss dial from MillerDave as well as faded MKII insert. 

Pics attached.

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?

I have one of these in my franken 1675. i think its too dark. 

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

Different stem heights. A 2783 would work though.

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!

Same cases but he got ahold of a bunch of eta movements and I guess made custom spacer rings to accommodate them... He has pretty much ran out of genuine movements so you can buy a watch with an eta movement and spacer ring now but still have the quality of his cases 

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?

Thanks for all your great feedback. I ordered the yuki bracelet for a better fit and brighter steel colour. Also bought a flat case back and wil buy an athaya 702 crown in the future. Let's see how far i can get this one without going franken (or broke, lol).

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

Hard to source a 9315 outside of a gen which will run 1K+.  Gen 93150 can be found for less but still in the 500-1000 range.  Once again hard to source a decent rep 93150.  Yuki sells a decent 2 piece model that is stamped 93250 that can be drilled out for 2mm spring bars and works pretty good with a 5513/5512.  Needs a little aging and work but can be used for a reasonable cost.  I drilled one of the Yuki's for 2mm bars and did several brush, polish and dry lube treatments.  Wears and looks great for the cost.  Used WSO 580 end links from Ebay.

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?

Got an update from PBDad - Dial printing is almost done.  Sapphire glass is ordered - 10 or so days for it arrive.  Case is being chamfered as we speak.  Hope to have it towards end of November.  Can't rush perfection!

Sweet. Can't wait to see it.

'The directions the hands move ..'

Please can you explain better i don't understand..

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.

what i ALWAYS use to separate the retaining ring from the case is this

snap back watch case opener

AND a watch makers hammer

tape around the case as much as possible using electrical tape, turn the case on its side, insert the sharp edge of the opener between the ring and the case and gently tap with the small hammer, work your way around the case and it comes off, unwarped and no case damage as long as you tape it up a bit.

 

to press crystals this is my preferred method. cheap and very effective

1 1/2" polyester adapter from home depot with a flat nylon disc

in a taped up bench vise, turn slowly and press, keep it straight.

 

just make sure the crystal isnt too tight for the case beforehand, or it will crack and you may not even notice

Great tips!

usually the 1680 case fits a larger diameter dial (to make room for the date) so unless you know the diameter first...

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

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