jackflash

In general I think they are great value. I used HR dials for my 5513, 6538 and 94010 builds. The 5513 is probably the most accurate, so with the addition of the tritium mark it should be pretty good for an ETA build. The dials do need reluming though. Something HR will do too on request if you decide not to do it yourself.

Congrats! That's a pretty good case. Looks like someone's been a little enthusiastic with the chamfers, but nothing too much to worry about. Case back markings look to be good quality, the serial number is unusual though. It should start with 0552 (Royal Navy) or W10 (British Army) rather than 6645. I was intrigued and just googled it. This 5517 has your serial number! As you'll see in the shot of the case back, the serial starts with W10/6645...: http://www.thetimetraveler.co/watches/sold/198/5517/5517-full-spec-all-original-milsub-w10/ As you're in the US, Phong is probably your best bet in terms of service and shipping – he's based in Arizona. There are a couple of semi-reliable high-end suppliers from Vietnam. Minh Quy (MQ) is one you may hear about. He's tricky to deal with. I personally won't be dealing with him again after receiving a shoddy case and poor service. Others have had a better experience with him though and his dials do look good: http://vintagewatchesmq.com/minhquy/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=800&category_id=146&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1 Ruby is another, however she's not always responsive to messages via the website: http://rubyswatch.com/Products/h1-1-|-vintage-|-submariner-|-military-|-5517-|-dial-2106 Looking forward to seeing your build come together!

Welcome to your journey down the rabbit hole! Really need to see more shots of your case, but front-on it looks good. That insert looks very good. Generally they are one of the weak points of 5517 build so you're off to a good start. Next the dial, you could try Phong: http://www.jewelryandwatch.com/contents/en-us/d216_5517_Subamriner_dials.html He has Sword hands too for a gen movement. Although the tail of the second hand is too long and will need trimming: http://www.jewelryandwatch.com/contents/en-us/d222_Submariner_1680,_5512,_5517,_6538.html Good luck! Lots of info on the forum to help you on your journey! Here’s my not so high-end build with an ETA 2846 movement.

5513 today

Thank you buddy[emoji106]

What’s the best way to contact her? I‘ve tried several times via the email on the website but never got a response. http://rubyswatch.com

One thing to check is the rehaut, make sure it's 90 degrees to the dial and not "woky". Some appear to be so, could just be crystal distortion though: https://www.watchpatrol.net/listing/574367/

Looking forward to this! Subscribed [emoji106]

6538

Lugs look better in those shots [emoji106]

My advice, do your homework before making a purchase. There are plenty of references for building a 5513 on the forums. Ultimately it’s your watch, if you’re happy with what you’ve got, that’s great.

Too expensive I’d say all things considered.

I guess you’d need to laser weld if you were to do that. Probably not worth the effort. Also, I‘d be wary of re-drilling the lug holes. You‘ll need to make sure your 580 end links line up to the holes.

Well, I hate to say it, but those lugs look a little too sharp and the lug holes too close to the edge for one thing.

5517

5517

The dial and hands lume colour mis-match is hopefully something they can fix at least.

Fantastic work!

Good catch! Excellent for a Franken build.

Nice! What’s the source? Does it have the correct case back too? You could ask [mention=50989]SSTEEL[/mention] for servicing support, he’s based in Finland I believe.

I reduced the height of the rehaut slightly and re-finished the inner wall (sanded) to reduce reflections. You can't take too much off the inner as it will also expand the dial seat, if you do the dial will fall through. The the addition of a GS PA 462-66 crystal from Ofrei helped too. Some crystals, i.e. the T19 from Clark, have the effect of distorting the rehaut width. I would avoid them. The high-dome T19 crystal (CWPT19) from Michael Young would be another option, it actually reduces the width of the rehaut optically. However, they do tend to fracture easily around the base when fitted and they aren't cheap. Take a look at the fourth post in the link below: No it shouldn't, the rehaut should be 90° to the dial face. But with the a little effort it’s not so noticeable.

94010 today

That’s visual poetry right there!

Thank you!

Excellent work! What recipe did you use for the lume-mix?