madasboot

Unfortunately for a vintage sm300 there is no rep option from the so common sources; case shape and dimensions, dial size, bezel shape and assembly, insert, etc... are all far away from the real mccoy. The only decent option is a vietnam rep, the most accurate I know. i found one in 2018 and share some pics of it (case has correct dimensions and made to fit a cal. 550 omega mvmt, 27.5mm dial, 60 click bidirectional bezel and a mil engraved caseback). It has gone through relume and dial ageing after a minor accident and is now waiting for a custom made plexi insert.

Nice! mine:

Hi Alan, is the insert custom made? best, M.

let me try to push Quoc...

Not so active in the past few years but moving to this part of the world and travelling around often, had triggered the appetite; I bought some stuff in recent years during my stays in Saigon, finding some interesting places and some very interesting material. Started with a visit to Minh Quy, ending up finding a treasure trove a few blocks north... less refinement but some outstanding material was made available for what can be considered a residual cost... dials, cases, etc... here is my vn fully sourced 5513, to go with the 6538... Best, M.

Hey Nanuq, hope all is well with you in the northern corner... I tried to blow some magic into this oldie, replacing the metal rimmed pearl with a decent “pip”, and scratching the insert during the reassembly process. nowadays cannot do much without glasses... Here goes... some close shots:

The vintage ones require some sanding in the tops, since they usually have barbed edges along and the bellybutton from the injector. here is one of mine:

I have some from the early 60s but I find them rough (and smelly) for daily use... I usually go for nato, more suitable for tropical weather

Beautiful! and how about the strap? is it a rubber tropic diver? Are they comfortable to wear?

I had not the courage to replace the insert for the one you sent me since i will have to break this one first to be removed... and the hands... I am yet to find an accurate replacement. The AS movement is doing very decently and I am yet to test it for water tightness, guessing the crown will be an issue.

FF Aqua lung (vietnamese) disassembled and ready for the crystal replacement. originally equipped with a regular high domed plexi, found out to be far from tight and “glued”. During a trip to Indonesia humidity levels were so high that condensations formed inside of the crystal to my big surprise. Got a GS-DT crystal from a Canadian seller on Ebay; diameter 30.1. Operation was successful and new crystal is a tight fit for these cases. Thank you again Alan for all the info, recommendations and support. M. The result: a tightly fit crystal, thick, sturdy and

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Hey guys! hope to see most of you still around and, of course aprehensive with the absences, especially knowing of Rolli’s passing almost a year ago. Life has changed a lot since early times and i hop in from time to time; always a pleasure and a joy. Not posting much tough but I am always contactable please take care, especially during this awkward period. best, M.