UmpaHimself

12 hours ago, sputim said:

Looks awesome! Do the clarks hands fit an eta movement? I can only find clark hands which work for the 3135 movement.

Yeah they do. http://www.ebay.com/itm/252288320695?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Fits perfectly

Trying out the service look since the lume on my new Yuki dial and Clark hands is so white

16 hours ago, porschespeedster said:

This is a beautiful build man, I wish I could have pulled the trigger when those MBWs were available for a hot minute!

Unique watch and look.

Thanks man, I think a new batch is for sale and some are popping up m2m.

5 hours ago, aphillipe said:

Wow close replication to the original that's impressive

Thank you! Still needs some work though.

Gotta love those Clark hands for $13

Very nice build. Looks like the insert is sitting a little high though

In the end it all depends on how the dial looks. Most of these "refinished dials" look like they've been hand panted and not precise. I'd personally rather have a well printed rep dial than a poorly painted "refinished." But sometimes there are good ones so you just got to get something when it looks right.

I also think many of the sellers use that term to get away with selling rep or unauthorized dials on eBay.

3 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Dial, lume and the gilt hands, seen through that curved plexi, crown match up fantastic with the watch. Could look at it all day:) The insert imho is well on the way but still retaining a little bit too much bluish tint. On the wrist it must be stunning to have.

Thanks for the encouragement. Meantime I'm sitting here thinking it looks ALL WRONG! But that's the OCD kicking in. Yes I think it's still too blue as it looks even more so in hand then in pics. But not sure I want to fade the insert any further. I may just stick with a black faded insert.

3 hours ago, cavi said:

I am not sure about the expresso stuff.  That is me personally.  Are you going to replace the pearl?  To me, without the pearl it looks worn out, not vintage.  Again personal opinion  The color does look good!

I'm not either, was just trying to counter all the blue. I have three new pearls otw from Ofrei. I agree, I am done with the no pearl look now that I have found these great ones from Ofrei.

2 hours ago, cc33 said:

Looks great! I like it 

Thank you!

1 hour ago, jackflash said:

Nice job. Would add the pearl though.

Yes, on the way.

1 hour ago, DVNE said:

Trim the outer CG's and it is finished

I agree. I still want to do a lug reshape and add a 702 crown to this one. I plan on adding a rivet bracelet as well. That will come later though. Since these MBWs are a bit hard to come by I want to make sure I find the right person to tackle the job

2 hours ago, marrickvilleboy said:

Looks good 

Can I suggest you post these in the Rolex sub forums going forward?

Thanks. Sure. I contemplated it but since the forum isn't super active I thought the thread might go by unnoticed.

At this point I have only installed the Yuki dial, hands and blue insert. The hands I aged with a light scuffing from 3000 grit sandpaper and espresso foam. I chose a dark blue insert from Yuki because the inspiration for this watch was a gen that's bezel faded to a light blue. Without knowing what the base color was for the aftermarket inserts, I decided to get this blue insert and fade it to see if it can work. I bleached it for about 30 min, buffed with 5000 grit sandpaper and then spread nearly dry espresso around it to offset the blue and add a little vintage grime. That's the main thing I would like to know you're opinion on. Does the blue look legitimately like a faded, once black insert or does it just look plain blue? I know the insert is a lighter shade then the reference picture but that was the point where I felt it started loosing that obvious blue look.

Reference gen 5513 Gilt

My MBW

That image is showing a 1675 GMT with a matte dial, old style lume applied directly to the dial and a plexi (plastic) crystal, not mineral, glass or sapphire. They should be easy enough to come by but in various conditions and prices. You can check watchrecon.com if you are looking to purchase one from a private party. If not you can check various dealers in your area and online. I know here in Los Angeles there are many stores that specialize in vintage Rolex.

Also I recommend you read through this site to figure out if that is actually the model you want or if you want something newer. http://www.gmtmasterhistory.com

Just from eying it my 5512 and 5513 have the shorter, "correct" bezel

Welcome

21 minutes ago, ceejay said:

Is it my eyes or is the minute hand lying underneath the 9 o'clock subdial hand?

I think that's the overlap of the chrono seconds hand that is on top.

Lovely watch! Congrats. Take it to a proper watchmaker who can remove the caseback and service it for you to get it running again.

2 hours ago, civic4982 said:

No this was a gen insert as sold to me by Sub007

I also noticed the same thing. The Athaya tube is a lot thicker and needs the case to be drilled and tapped.

This doesn't seem to be true for the 5513 or 1680 as my friend stated his was okay and swapped right in.

Athayas tubes for 702 should be exactly the same as gen. They will fit gen crowns.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Any advice for nicer and flatter hands? The MBW seems to be small and off on the hour hand. Actually all the MBW hands are seemingly not correct.

I'm considering TC hands vs. M. young hands vs. Clark's with Clark's being the least pricey at $15 or so.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Athaya 702 tubes might be the same spec as a gen 702 crown but will not fit 703. You can see the comparison on my thread here:

I ended up getting the Clark set. $13 vs $50, I don't think you would notice the $35 difference IMO but I have not compared both in person.

12 minutes ago, AGONZCA said:

I've heard TC hands are the best for this kind of vintage builds. Where and how should I order them? What's the exact model I should ask for?

If you do want to purchase a set of TC hands you can locate the info on his blog: http://blog.tc-sub.com/2012/05/tc-parts-list.html

I believe the V2 hands are what you would be after.

Very nice looking swap!

4 minutes ago, Tiyal said:

For the Clark it was clarity and refraction at the edges. Instantly stunning. I like have the metal bracelet, that adds to the luster. But the crystal was the biggest change. Went from like to love. 

That said, I'm already trying to talk my self out of swaping out the dail and hands. At that point I'd drop a pearl in. ... And quick insert bleach. Never ends lol

The dial is decent but I just received two Yuki dials and while not perfect, I think will make a dramatic difference. Sounds like you know your way around, it's not too hard to swap a dateless ETA dial and hands. Just installed this set on my 5513 today (left), medium bleach and Ofrei pearl on the 5512 (right) but stock MBW dial/hands.

Nice job! Get yourself an Ofrei pearl, best and cheapest on the market! Trust me it will do wonders for giving a genlike look.

Does the crystal really make that much of a difference. I really like the crystals that came with my 5512 & 5513. Definitely replaced the 1680 those since the cyclops was crooked and not strong enough.

What improvements do you find from the Clark crystal vs the MBW?

3 hours ago, mymanmatt said:

The 703 gen tube is completely different from the tube in your pic, that's why you crown won't work

Ah, got it. Yes unfortunately an expensive mistake for me but the seller stated it would come with a tube which it did not so I may be able to return it for a refund. We'll see.

50 minutes ago, marrickvilleboy said:

the athaya crown is for the 702 isn't it?

different tube to the 703...

Is it? I'm not sure

34 minutes ago, mymanmatt said:

That doesn't even close to a gen

?

52 minutes ago, automatico said:

"Although I am 90% sure the case needs to be re-tapped and then countersunk as well for it to sit like gen."

 

I posted this information 22 hours ago in 'General Discussion' under  "Please MBW 5513 case accept genuine crown?"   post number 15:

Thanks for the great info!

2 minutes ago, themannier said:

Thanks for this great comparison my friend...I have a gen spec tube on the way to install on the MBW case !

Miracles do not exist this time 

I received also a mint wrapped 703 crown(gen) from a french seller, and i want to share the link.

They are for sale for only 42 euros+ shipping  http://www.watchesulike.com/fr/rolex/8894-couronne-rolex-submariner-acier.html

 

Please do a tutorial on installing the tube, I would really appreciate it. If it's easy I would love to do that myself.

Although I am 90% sure the case needs to be re-tapped and then countersunk as well for it to sit like gen. If you do that you might as well reshape the crown guards because they will be too long and wide. Then you have to drill the lug holes too and that's bunch of money in parts+work. I may just leave it stock.

Gen crown came today @themannier, bad news I'm afraid. Read my thread here: 

I received my gen 703 crown today from eBay. Unfortunately for @themannier, myself or anyone else with high hopes, the gen 703 crown will not fit on the stock MBW tube, nor on the Athaya tube. The thread is wider then both. Even though the Athaya tube is wider then the MBW, it still isn't quite wide enough. This is all true unless I managed to get an incorrect crown but I don't believe that is the case. Look wise though IMO the Athaya from the outside is very close to the gen crown and I think it is a suitable part to use in place of a gen. I think it's best to save the $100+ to be spent in a better way on your build.

Here are some comparison pictures:

Athena Tube (left with crown) vs MBW (right no caseback)

Athaya Crown

MBW Crown

Gen 703

MBW with stem vs Gen

Athaya with stem vs Gen

Athaya (left), Gen, MBW (right)

8 hours ago, Propofol said:

Good catch, I saw it on the bay and hesitated..

It's kind of funny that two other members here were looking at it too

1 hour ago, droptopman said:

1675 what else!!!! Iconic classic Pepsi.

Easier said then done

14 minutes ago, alt.watch.obsessive said:

You need a working power reserve and a "dress" watch. The new IWC Porto fits the bill.

I agree, you have a box full of mainly diving tool watches (not that there's anything wrong with that). Might want to go in a different direction for the last one. Or you can always get another box