dbane883

Terrible . What a joke

SELs look good

As some of you know, I have recently had the good fortune of acquiring a gen 116610 bezel assembly: The construction of this particular unit has been a mystery for me, until today. I have struggled for the past couple of weeks in finding a way to remove the ceramic insert from the bezel itself. Having heard horror stories that RSC themselves have problems removing the fragile insert (often breaking them), this was quite the challenge. As a result, inserts and bezels come fully assembled now. I have not seen or read any method where this surgery was successful. I have also heard rumors of a "special" tool that RSC uses that is only somewhat successful. However, I am happy to report that I have developed a process that I can repeat, and the bezel has now been fully, and safely disassembled! I understand that very few will ever have a need to attempt this, but for those of you interested, here's how I did it. After carefully examining the assembly, I gathered that I would have to somehow push the insert upwards while pressing down on the bezel to release the insert. Unlike rep inserts, the gen insert is held in with friction. as such, if one does not apply even pressure, the insert will snap. If you look closely, the middle of the insert overhangs the inside of the bezel leaving about 0.3-0.4mm of clearance: Using this diameter, I had a die fabricated out of delrin, such that it would fit inside the bezel and rest under the inside lip of the insert: In the same vein, I reasoned that I would then have to apply downward pressure on the bezel edge only while pressing the insert up. So I fabricated a die so that the entire bezel would fit inside a recessed channel, milled to the same contour of the bezel that would only apply pressure to the outer edge: The key was to have the bezel fit exactly and not allow any wiggle room as I did not want to risk the die slipping off during the pressing process. Now I gently put the two dies together to test for snugness. Perfect fit: The "crystal" press I have been using is actually my wifes grommet/eyelet press. Its beefy and very solid. I had my dies fitted with the appropriate connection hardware. I installed the bottom die and placed the bezel assembly onto the pedestal. Followed by the top die: Now the moment of truth! I will not lie, I was peeing my pants. Would be a shame to destroy a brand new insert! The result? Success! Insert is perfectly preserved. I am somewhat surprised I had to resort to this. Definitely not for the faint of heart. But with my new tools, I think I can confidently repeat this safely in the future. Upon close examination, the insert retaining ring is metal. For some reason I had thought this was plastic. Reassembling will be relatively simple in comparison; All three pieces will go back together and simply pressed together. I think there is a reason I have stuck with vintage builds. Working with these modern ceramic parts can be very scary! I hope you enjoyed the show.

Guys. I've managed to separate the gen insert from the bezel! I have to go out for dinner soon, but will start a new thread on the process later: Rather interesting construction.

Will a Yuki 3135 fit in the noob case?

Only way to fit gen dial to an ETA clone is to cut feet. .

nt

Sorry. That looks retarded. And I think I'm being kind. That camo design is terrible. I think digital camo, if you must, would be much better

So you cut off the feet on a gen dial??

Is that a gen crystal. Maybe its just me, but that fore arm/hand looks real creepy

This is the best 5514 to begin with: http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/170689-ultimate-rolex-5514-pre-comex-submariner/ ....Oh wait... I guess you said something about a budget...nevermind

Any local watchshop will have one. it takes a 20mm bar (22mm from shoulder to shoulder). If memory serves, the TC takes 1.8mm bars instead of the beefier 2.0mm. At anyrate, very easy and cheap fix.

Is that a 702 crown? That strap is very similar to mine:

Nice. But I personally prefer a matte dial in a 5513. Are those the original tritium hands?

You overdid it on that portion of the insert. To be frank, you ruined it. Of course it won't snap in now. As stubborn as it might be, I honestly don't believe a gen insert requires any filing to fit into a TC bezel. But my sample size of experience with TCs is limited to two.

The "engravings" between the lugs. Not good. You could get it redone properly so not end of the world. But one lug is noticeably thicker than the other. That can be fixed with a bit of elbow grease. Insert needs to go. Back the the CGs are horrendous. Dial printing seems a tad bold. I'll stop here.

M, Are you talking about the tiny "Friction gasket" at the inside bottom of the bezel? This is one time use only? just like the retaining clip that holds the insert into the bezel?

Why does the insert need to be removed? Just curious. The retaining ring system is slightly different on gen compared to noob or BP (where the insert MUST be removed). Once the gen ring is installed, the assembled bezel should just press on. What process has he used to remove insert in the past? My custom dies will probably be ready next week, but I had no frame of reference for the design. Just went with what I think it should look like.

I normally go 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500 then jewellers rouge when I reshape cases. Surprised you went from nail file straight to cape cod without leaving grit marks from the course nail file. anyhow.. look forward to the pics

Nail file? did you polish it afterwards? curious to see the results.

Allegedly you can grow monster cabbages there due to the 24 hour sunlight. Scary:

I think you're right. I'm now 95% sure they are 14270 hands with an WSO aftermarket sweep.

gen springs/bearings/clicker same(ish) as the BP. i.e., gen parts will fit

Thanks.. contacting seller. Awaiting response.

I use a 10x and a 15x. My 10x is excellent. Very crisp/clear. Got it from Jed down under last year. Just as good as a Zeiss lens loupe: http://www.thetimetraveler.co/accessories/parts/41/wl01/the-time-traveler-watch-loupe/