stilty

LOL! hey, wait a minute.... she could do the same.

120419163327 Here is a vital part for the 1570 movement for anyone who is planning on building a Franken 1680 or 1665 and using a movement salvaged from a 1601 or 1603 Datejust. If you are using a salvage from a 1500 OP Date, then you will be fine. Why you ask? The date disc seat on the 1570 for DJ is beveled for the pie pan dial, and the diameter is too large to fit in the sport case. You will not be able to fit the movement to the case. The only other fix is to grind down the part in order to fit, or replace with the proper seat. Something to keep in mind if shopping for a 1570 on the bay and you see a seller listing a 1570 from a 1601 and saying it will fit a 1680. It will not fit. I recall The Zigmeister posting this problem a while back while assembling a Franken and he had to grind the seat to the proper diameter in order to fit the case.

320372107670 I've seen the seller list quite a few, and looking at his feedback, they all sell for cheap. At least compared to what other's are selling them for. Are they genuine?

We were in NYC last month and paid a visit to a local jewelry designer and decided to get ourselves some custom rings. We just received them a few days ago, so I figured I would post a couple pics. On Mrs. Stilty's ring is a cast of my fingerprint. And I have Mrs. Stilty's fingerprint on my ring. We had them made from rose gold for something a little different.

oh, I understand now. you are talking about the crown, not the tube. Yes, the older style with the 3 dots closer to bottom of coronet. Not easy to find, at least for me anyway.

It is a 703 tube. I installed it and I can guarantee 99% that it is gen. I bought it with another from a supply house. 1 was loose, 1 was sealed, and both in the same storage bin. The 1% I can't guarantee is because it was not sealed. If you have any doubts about the tube and want to change it out, I'll gladly take that one back. A 702 would be ideal, but any 1680 that has been serviced by RSC would have the crown and tube replaced with the 703, so no worries having a modern tube in your case.

Would love to if I wasn't on the other side of the continent! Have fun!

Beauty collection! I still think your 1016 is your most stunning piece! The perfect coloring in the dial with the gilt is very beautiful. Definitely your crown jewel.

Congrats on your new time piece! Did you get it at Wempe? I look forward to seeing some pics!

I've built one based on the 2135 midsize case. ETA 2000 movement. You need 2035 hour and minute hand, and a 2135 second hand. These fit the ETA 2000. Unfortunately, the ETA parts only go up a couple heights, and you need to make sure your dial has thin markers, otherwise your hands will get hung up.

I use the tip of a soldering iron. No flames to mess with or worry about. once heated, a gentle tap with a utility blade and it pops off. scrape off any remaining residue with a razor blade.

This one is the mid-size at 38.5mm. I tried on the full size, and it seemed too big for this style. Leather strap in my sights already. The gen deployment has really increased in price since I've last looked at them! But will be getting one down the road. Stephane: Too bad we weren't able to meet up for the watch shop morning. JoJo took us to some great places.

Well, the wife and I were in New York last weekend. With the help of JoJo35, who kindly showed us around, we stopped into Wempe and I did a trade in! At first I was thinking of going vintage all the way, but after some thought I decided to go for something new. The main reason, I wanted something I could give to one of my children when the time is right. I did some research on some watches based on my budget, and I turned to Omega for the answer. For the most part, one can always get a decent discount off list and I figured I could get the most bang for my buck with an Omega. I had heard about their new in-house movements a few years ago, and decided that whatever I bought had to have their new 8500 movement. What I found was that they finally released the Seamaster Aqua Terra with the new movement! That is what I was going to look for. Some say that the 8500 was designed to give the Rolex 3135 a run. Tough call. But the movement is stunning, and having a display back was key in my search. It features 39 jewels, two mainspring barrels with a 60H power reserve. COSC certified movement. Wempe even ordered me the full COSC certificate so I can see the test results. I'm looking forward to seeing that. Also featured, but I have to confirm if my movement has it, is the new silicon balance spring! Something new for 2009. The finish is second to none. The auto wind assembly is silent and you cannot feel the rotor. Also, to maximize winding efficiency, the rotor is machined from tungsten. I'd imagine that cost a lot. The fit and feel of the bracelet is smooth and very comfortable to wear. No more pins, but now screws to adjust the fit. Nice domed sapphire crystal with double AR. And as a nice bonus, the lume glows BLUE! The dial is silver with white gold markers and white gold hands. The markers and hands feature a polish and brushed finish. Very nice! I love the minute chapter around the outside of the dial. It reminds me of the 1601 datejusts. Much more I could go on about, but I'll just show some pictures. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for viewing.

that is the first thing I noticed as well. If it needs to be drilled for 2mm bars, then that could be a problem.

I know of a certified ETA watchmaker in Vancouver who is independent. He may be able to work on it... but it still may cost you $500... but it would be CDN, so you would save about 20% due to exchange rate.

haha, that's pretty cool actually. You just need to find some mickey mouse arms to use as the hands!

The Omega boutique is an amazing place. He really knew all there is to know about Omega and seeing that tourbillon in action was a special treat. The salesman was a true gentleman with great passion for his brand.

Keep in mind, that adding a spacer between the dial and movement will throw your stem out of alignment with the case. Stock 2836-2 are fine with the HW/CP as is. I've never had to change one. It is when you get to 2824-2 and 2892-A2, that the parts need changing. If you are having overlay issues and need the clearance, opt for a 2824-2. It is thinner on the top end vs a 2836-2. This will give you all the clearance you need with out throwing your stem out of alignment. You just need a spacer that is 0.40mm thick. That is the difference between the 2824 and 2836. Then you will need to go to the 1.76mm HW. I can't remember off the top of my head the CP. hope this helps.

you will probably have some play with the ETA. An easy fix. You can line the movement holder with foil tape. It is quite sticky, and will help prevent the movement from shifting in the larger holder.

As Avitt mentioned, I have yet to see a fake 7835 or 7836.

Thanks guys! Yes, she is very creative and artistic. She is a designer by trade. I'm a lucky man. I'm keeping the Borden dial and bezel as a keepsake. The bracelet will go in the bank until I find something nice to trade for. I was given very specific instructions to get something "vintage". So I better listen to her!

Well, I recently celebrated my birthday. I just upgraded to version 4.0. Anyway, the wife got me a new watch. This baby is a one of a kind! Unfortunately, it does not tell time very well, but I think I can trade her in for something special. My wife cleverly made this watch out of 40 bills featuring our 8th Prime Minister, Sir Robert Borden. 1 bill for each year I've been on this earth. My fellow Canadians will know what this baby is worth. I think my wife is a keeper! oh yeah, this is my 999th post.

Agreed. It is a tough one. The few I've made are okay, but still not close to the gen finish. From what I can tell, there are at least five steps involved. And I still don't know the variables for each step. 1.) brass blank (is it polished, matte, brushed before plating?) 2.) silver plating (before or after brushing?) 3.) brushed finish (does one brush the brass blank or brush finish the silver plating?) Also, has anyone noticed the finish is perfect? And I mean perfect! 4.) clear coat (matte finish? Acrylic? enamel? airbrush?) 5.) pad print the numbers (how much hardener? thinner? what is the humidity today?) I'm still working on the plating and brushing... then after that, what clear coat to use? Then perfect the ink mixture on the pad printer. Then back to try again with a different combination.

It is off center, but not that extreme. From my experience, a couple things come to mind. Is the dial glued or taped to the movement? If so, it may have shifted over time. Also, how does the movement fit the case? If the case opening is even slightly too big for the movement, the pressure of the spring in the crown can push the movement to the left. Just a couple of things to look at before buying a new dial.

Depends what bezel you want to remove. I just use a caseback knife to remove sub outer bezel. But for fixed bezels and crystal retaining rings, I use the horotec case crab. A bit pricey, but a great tool for easy bezel removal. just a few effortless turns and the bezel pops off! Made for snap backs, but is ideal for bezels as well. Here is a review on PMWF. Horotec Case Crab