bruce79

This has been a work in progress for the last 6 months or so. It started with a tw classic sub which was ideal because of the lug holes and rehaut. I initially wanted to build a 14060 but had trouble sourcing a decent dial so I decided to ditch the 14060 project when I came across a gen 16800 transitional dial. The dial was in great shape and was perfect for the tw case in that it had lugholes and the date window would line up with the date wheel/movement. I'm also a fan of the thick crystal with no laser etched crown, accurate for this model. In addition to having the tw dial swapped out for the gen dial, I also had the hands lumed to match the dial, a gen crown & tube installed, lug holes drilled, and crown guards shaped. I've included a picture of a gen (1st pic) for comparison. It's a great start. My favorite thing about the sub now is the gen crown and tube...a must for any and all rep subs imo. The difference between the gen crown and rep crown is astonishing...the gen crown is so tight and sturdy. At any rate, thanks for reading.

I know this is a major headache. I'm not sure what could be done and I would sure appreciate any advice on this too. Perhaps the endlinks could be sanded to allow for a little more play?

Just a thought, it would be wise for someone, anyone, to open their sd up and take a look at the existing rep valve. This would be the first step in my opinion, then go from there. Creating a new valve shouldn't be that difficult but removing the existing valve is the focus should be...for now.

Do you remove the movement when you drill or just leave it in the case?

Don't give up after a day. It's not that it can't be done, it's just that it will be challenging. Just keep your eyes peeled for a used tw sub on these forums. They pop up here and there and you just have to jump on them when they do. Do the same with the dial. They pop up on ebay every once in a while. Gen dials are hard to come by and if they were easy to find, this hobby wouldn't be as fun. I would have followed through with the 14060 project had I not came across a gen 16800 dial. Hang in there.

I stand corrected

There's a pretty nice 5513 dial on ebay right now. 5513 Dial

I know what a AD is but I didn't know if he was joking or not. After realizing that he wasn't, I changed the response. With regards to sourcing a gen dial, I touched on this in the above post. IMO, the only way, and easiest way, to create a franken 14060 is with a tw sub and gen dial as the rep dials are pretty bad. You could check ebay.

No parts of any kind can/will be sold from an AD. I would not suggest using that sub to create a 14060, mainly due to the case. Definitely start from a tw sub

This was going to be a project of mine up until 2 months ago. I bombarded Ubi & Jet with tons of questions such as these (sorry guys) but fell up a little short in the dial area. IMO, the TW classic is the only way to go as the 14060 is the only sub to still sport the lug holes. I was unaware there was a new tw classic, I know there was the tw best but I thought this model came without the lug holes. With regards to the rehaut, I'd rather be a little deeper than too shallow... At any rate, like mentioned above the tw classic is the way to go. Perhaps even harder to source though would be the dial. As we all know, all of the rep dials fall short when it comes to accuracy. The 14060 is a unique dial with respects to the small hour indices and the fact that they are so close to the hash marks. For what ever reason, the dial font is pretty bad on all of them too. I'd consider Angus' 14060 to be the most accurate but I've heard he can't source his advertised model any more. Plus, he's a little sketchy right now. With respect to a gen dial, I exhausted about every avenue on the web that I know of and was still unable to find a decent dial. There were a few on ebay but all looked to be redials and pretty bad ones at that. The dial will definitely be the hardest part of this project and the most costly. I finally gave up when I was able to source a gen 16800 dial and decided to do that project instead. hope this helps

Ok, I think I can handle removing the movement but don't have a crystal press so I hope I don't have to remove the crystal?

I'm sure the fact that the seller had 2 posts didn't help his cause. I'm just happy I was the 1st one to catch him. Not sure why though.

Is it necessary to remove the movement before drilling or can I just drill the watch as is? What should be removed before drilling? Thanks

Not sure but something doesn't seem right here...crown guards, rehaut, fact that it's the seller's second post. LV

Where are the froggin shots man?

I was going to say the same thing. Women, most...not all, would hate to have to wind a watch and then reset it because it stops. With the exception of Rolex, most watch makers have a quartz option in almost every womens model. I personally feel there is nothing wrong with a quartz movement, especially for a woman. Of course I, like many of us, prefer an mechanical/automatic movement but then I spend 2 hours a day surfing these forums and own more watches than I'll ever wear. Point is, to say one shouldn't buy a watch for their special lady friend because it's quartz is silly. You might suggest it but I bet more often than not they'll look at you like your crazy.

Beautiful job.

I'm not sure about 1:1 casing but it does look like the tw case rather than her usual cn case. Look at the minute hashes and how they meet the inside of the case, this is a classic tw characteristic.

Great post...very informative too. I think you have inspired me to mod my cgs. Thanks

Cannot wait.

Sounds like a very frustrating week. I've always used the end of a paper clip or something like that and apply the slightest amount of pressure while gently pulling the crown out.

Not quite sure how your searches aren't coming up with any insert threads. See the 'Quick Search' in the upper left corner? Just type 'insert' in there and you'll find tons of DIY threads for this exact mod. Or for more specific threads, go the the Watch Repair & Upgrade forum and at the bottom of the page there is another search function, type the same thing in there? For a gen insert, the sides will need to be sanded a bit and the bottom sanded much more for the the insert to fit. Then it must be glued to the bezel. A rather easy mod but somewhat tedious and time consuming.

The lack of shine is definitely something that can be fixed with our reps. It is true the reps are 'duller' than the gens but they can be polished up nicely, especially the bezel and sides of the case. Also, do you think every person down there wearing a sub was wearing a gen? I've never been there so I can't say what kind of people are down there but we've all heard 1 in 10 are gen so...I can't imagine they were all gen. Even here in SoCal where there are tons of subs, it's a pretty sure bet most are fake! It's fun spotting them out.