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rolojack

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Everything posted by rolojack

  1. rolojack
    First, see the final product. I aged it accordingly to the sole original part: the crown. The result is a soft patina. No beating, just some wear and mild marks. The dial is a faux guilt from Vietnam with a very fine printing. Great font !!!! Base case was cartel, it was totally modified. Slimmed, shaved on the sides, crown seat recessed to place the crown right where it should be. Bezel insert was shaved down to paper thin untill it could snap fit in.... Overall it's very gen like. A sweet watch ! Coming next the pictures of during....
  2. rolojack
    To be honest I never checked exactly.... When I shave the cases, I just remove as much as possible until I reached a visually pleasing result. It's all about perception. In general: cartel cases are super fat vs gens. Which is good because it allows us to carve almost anything out of those pigs.
  3. rolojack
    Definitely thicker !
  4. rolojack
    I've never seen one thicker than that.... I even believe the old cartels are thinner since they used it to do other subs....
  5. rolojack
    Thanks for the kind comments !!!! Alan: please post pics after you fit in the final dial !!!
  6. rolojack
    That HR case is so thick.... It's definitely better after a little diet! The bezel was carved too to reach a closer profile to genuine. A swiss T39 was shaved and repolished to recreate the same side profile as the stock HR sapphire and so be pressed fit WITHOUT GLUE in place. A clean and tidy build, as the bezel insert was shaved thinner for it be be clipped in as well. No glue here ! All clean and dry fitted.
  7. rolojack
    Here is a build based on the late JF series. What needed to be done was mostly recessing the crown seat and cutting the bezel smaller by reducing the outer diameter. Other than than, usual reshape of the top of the lugs, redrill of the lug holes and reprofile of the CGs. Everything was aged roughly, then carefullt restaured. Bracelet was sand blasted and repolished as well. It's VERY smooth now, and without any grease of some sort... Crystal is swiss, dial is from Vietnam, crown is from Athaya, flat 4 insert is a cartel old stock aged and thinned like the gens to snap in the bezel without any glue leaving a clean step up around.
  8. rolojack
    Asian Venus 175
  9. rolojack
    I'd love to see... Unfortunately the pics are gone. So: the cases are full custom made? Or from Vietnam? Or a modified small swiss brand case like mine? My 530 is 37mm by the way... Same as the originals whose sizes range from 36,5 to 37 depending on the case versions if I got my information right.
  10. rolojack
    WOW !!! That's true love ! What a collection of parts !!!! Very impressive. That's a 130 you built right? It looks like a smaller diameter.... What movement did you use in there if you don't mind sharing?
  11. rolojack
    ... one has to learn sacrifice. Vintage or not, when it's signed with a brand sounding like a family soap, at the end of the day you don't wear it. This one I wear !!!!
  12. rolojack
    I have too much respect for the brand to do anything cheap. So: my build had to be the best possible within a reasonable budget. Not knock off quartz signed PP. Not for me. So, to create that 530 Chrono specially cased in white gold for Garrard of London, I used a genuine 1940's swiss made solid gold chronograph, modified the case to PP looks and installed one of these beautiful cartel dials. It took a year to find the correct donor watch - this case was number 4... - but it was worth the hunt !!!! Enjoy the pics !
  13. rolojack
    Yes: the case is totally reshaped. Even between the lugs as they are concave on all cartel cases... Top of the lugs slope is incorrect, I modify it. Sides are very wrong too...
  14. rolojack
    Same specs as your last born ! Except the pushers.
  15. rolojack
    It's custom made
  16. rolojack
    No. I totally reshape the lugs. Top and sides.
  17. rolojack
    Vietnam of course! Custom order
  18. rolojack
    I've reworked that pretty lady. The pushers are better now, I installed a gen top hat T21 and fine tuned the movement for the pushers to operate better... Now I think I can't do much more on this one....
  19. rolojack
    For lovers of 1930's Rolex chronos: a beautiful bi compax made for Astrua. Simple, elegant, understated... Real class in my opinion.
  20. rolojack
    Thanks! It could use a dial of that quality:
  21. rolojack
    Some better pictures showing the "dusty" brass finish on the bezel....
  22. rolojack
    It's in the pipes !!!!
  23. rolojack
    Aha !!!! A real galvanic made gilt dial !!! No decal !! No black paint !!!! No tricks !!! And the beauty is... It was made on a ETA plate, with a diameter matching the rep case. So no rubbing inside or anything off when you set the time. The look and feel is just... PERFECT! The galvanic black has that superb brown hue seen under some light. It's very hard to catch, hence the ton of pics trying to share that with you all. The mid case started as a JMB, totally reshaped to the correct flat brushed back and tonneau shape. The midcase rear finish differs from 1016s. I took some pics of it beside a 1016 for you to compare. The back case is from a 90's DJ rep. The only I've seen with 50's looking teeth. Best candidate to create a bubble back. Unfortunately these old reps are really hard to find now. We now have one of the most desirable of the early explorers. Very sexy watch, I'll have a hard time letting it go to its daddy.....
  24. rolojack
    It is brass plated. Really brass plated, no tricks. You won't have that result mate... Color won't be even and it won't be matte like that. You need plating to achieve this effect. If anyone needs a steel bezel brass plated with that dusty used finish, PM me. Cheers!!!
  25. rolojack
    Thank you for the kind feedback!!! See the watch on your wrist is the best reward!!!
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