jerkstore

Fantastic work.  Looking forward to the finished product!

I've got the same dial, and I want to make a similar franken. Because it's from a 42mm watch, I want to make sure I get the right base... What should I use?

I tried to PM you triple, but I think your inbox is full.

@jerkstore.. Is your insert on properly?  looks like you could lose it at any moment

Thanks. Yeah, it's hypo-ed down. Still working on getting the ST bezel right. I spent a lot more time polishing it last night to no avail. I guess my best best is WSO or Clark's for an aftermarket?

Head on:

Of course I can't....but you made it seem that easy!

Sure you can. The concepts are very similar from watch to watch. It just takes some knowledge, a little practice, and the right tools. You learn a lot by just reading on the forum. I bought myself a Bagelsport sub on eBay for like $25 and practiced taking it apart and putting it back together, over and over again. See the original post for links to buy tools.

Good luck!

Looks gen to me.

Thanks! I saw that. The budget is the limiting factor, right now

I just built this franken 5513. My plan is to use all gen parts eventually. I'm liking the gilt though, so it may be a while before I get bored with it

The build list is:

Gen 5513 midcase

Gen 24-700 crown and 24-7000 tube

Ingod gilt dial

Yuki case back

ST vintage bezel assembly, pearl removed from insert

ST t-19 crystal

DG 4813 movement

Rafflestime #2 movement ring, modded

21j hands, "gilded"

Gnomon NATO

I settled on an Ingod gilt dial for the franken stage. It's not as correct as some put there, but the Ingod is relatively inexpensive, and more than adequate as a temporary solution. I had an old cartel 1675 case back that fit the gen midcase well, by there was no room for a gasket. Luckily, I found this Yuki from dbane...

I used a DG4813 movement. It fits perfectly--the stem hole lines up smack in the center of the case tube, but I had to sand down a Rafflestime #2 ring pretty far to get it to center the movement properly in the case:

I rubbed some 21j hands down with 1500 grit paper to produce a gilt effect, then baked them enough to get a decent color match to the dial markers. I popped the ugly base pearl out of the insert and tried to fit an acrylic I have, but the acrylic was too big. So that still needs to be done. But here is the semi-finished product:

I still need to find a bezel assembly, a case back, hands, and a movement. But, these will help when I decide to go full-gen:

The dial is a rep for sure. Looks like a Mahand.

Can you provide a better shot of the insert? One easy tell is the shape of the 2's in "22".

I bought a dial from him about a month ago. We emailed back and forth a few times, at the time. It arrived OK last week.

Hi,

Does anybody know the exact location for genuine Rolex dial feet (any movement), and the width of those feet?

I was able to find technical documents for ETA movements that show these locations, but Rolex doesn't publish those freely, or I'm using the wrong search words.

My aim is to modify my DWO tool so it can also serve as a dial foot positioner for franken building. Using the original feet to the locate the ETA/21j feet makes the alignment process a lot smoother.

Wow. Beautiful job. You're setting the pace with this one.

Looks great, Bones! I like all the open space. Work smart, not hard.

Fingers crossed on my math

Some possible improvements:

1. More windows

2. A small cutout to push on the overlay at 3 o'clock

3. Different material. This one is printed in somewhat rough plastic. It might catch the DWO if it's too close. The vendor also offers smoother choices.

I can make a similar tool for virtually any dial, though my program is currently configured for a date window at 3 o'clock, centered over the cannon pinion hole.

I find DWO alignment to be overly time consuming and sometimes frustrating.

I had been thinking about how to speed up the process with a 3d printed tool until Bonesey mentioned something I hadn't considered. Because there are 31 dates on the wheel, they are not spaced such that you can make four windows at 3,6,9, and 12. So I worked it out using a little trig.

I made this prototype "dial" that should aid in the centering process... Here it is overlayed on a genuine 3035 date wheel:

It has five windows cut out around the dial, and three slots intended for manual alignment. The two small holes are meant for replacement dial feet that you just slide in from above and glue in place. These are located for an ETA 2824/2836.

I still need to test it to see how well it works, but things look promising: the 3035 dates seem to fit properly, as expected. Bonesey is planning to include something like it as part of his 3d printed tools suite:

http://www.replica-w...ad.php?t=164231

Any comments or ideas about how to improve the tool are appreciated.

One other thing to keep in mind is that your datewheel advances counterclockwise. ETA datewheel advance in the opposite direction. If you were to use it as an overlay for an ETA date wheel, the date would change in the wrong direction.

You can often find DWOs in M2M sales. I've bought them from BK and TC. You can sometimes find them on eBay, or try contacting a TD.

I used a 2846-2 movement with a Rafflestime #2 ring. I modified the ring so its OD fit in the case properly and supported the dial. As for the DWO, I had a (beat up) open 6/9 that worked fine. Not sure of the source, though.

Obviously its not a gen swiss eta, i meant it would be a clone . . .

:

RWI doesn't seem very pleased that you listed the origin as a TD. Also, why do you claim it as a Swiss ETA over there while openly acknowledging its not Swiss in this thread?

I get 4.6mm deep at 9:00 for my gen 5513 midcase. I think it's a thin-type case though, which would explain the discrepancy.

This is great info. Thanks!

Does anybody know where I can find a diagram for the correct position of the 3035/3135 date window, relative to the center of the dial?  Also, the exact size of the date window?

I know ETA posts technical diagrams for its movements.  Where can I find Rolex documents that provide the same information?

Thanks in advance.

Wow, that looks great! I love it on the NATO. People around here do great work vintagizing, but I'm also a fan of the modern look. After all, that's what Sean Connery saw when he looked at his wrist