CptTripps

Step 1: Secure donor watch. Complete! Keeping good time. Only losing about 40sec a day right now. Nothing a service won’t fix. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Digging up a WAY old topic, but it's my topic, so I feel I can do this safely! I'm back to building another 6263, and wishing I had some of the old parts that I let go with the build on this thread. What I'd give for a gen bracelet and sweeper hand right now! Anyway....off to buy parts all over again! Glad to see you're all still here.

Just got the QC pics from Sead for the 1675 I ordered. I read up and it looked like he was the best source for 1675s. What do I need to do to mod it closer to gen? I hate the look of a new "old" watch, so I need to age it a bit. Is there anything else I need to do to the case while I'm aging it?

I found the list of parts I bought for the movement rebuild. Still can't figure out WHO it was that built it for me. 4030-335 Center Wheel 4030-8000 Chronograph Wheel 4030-270 Cannon Pinion 4030-280 Hour Wheel 4030-240 Yoke for Sliding pinion 4030-220 Setting Lever 4030-251 Intermediate Setting Wheel 4030-8500 Bridge for Chronograph 4030-570 Oscillating Weight/Rotor I sent another email to Phong to see if I can get the case re-worked. I haven't had the watch for years, so what's another month or two to get it fixed and working correctly. In the meantime, I need to find a reasonably priced 78390 bracelet. Holy crap did these things shoot up in value over the last 4 years! They used to be $800-$900 and I balked at that. Now the cheapest one I can find on ebay is $2K!

I emailed him a week ago about something else, and haven't heard back from him. If he replies, I'll ask. Can't hurt! Although, when I engaged the pushers manually, from inside the case, nothing happened. The chrono hand didn't move. I clicked it several times, and clicked the reset too. It seems like something is happening, because the bottom reset trigger won't engage unless I first "start/stop" the top one. I think I need a proper builder to sort this out for me...after I get the case squared away.

I started this build about 5 years ago, and it's still not done. Started out with an idea...build a "close as I can get" Daytona. I found a NOS El Primero movement...seems like a good place to start. So that led me to getting Phong's case. Then I found a gen dial and hands...then a bezel...then gen pushers...you know the drill. I even found a genuine rotor to finish off the build nicely. I sent the lot of parts off to a watch builder (whom I can't locate anymore because I lost access to the email address that we'd conversed over) to put everything together for me. He came back with a laundry-list of gen parts that I'd need in order to make it work. "No problem...do it." 6 weeks later, I got the watch back with a note that said the case wasn't drilled correctly and the pushers wouldn't engage. This really aggravated me, but I figured that Phong would fix it for me. As expected, Phong offered to replace the case, just send it off to him. No problem! ...then I mis-placed the watch. Couldn't find it anywhere. Looked high and low...not in my safe, not in my watch box. GONE. I was [censored]. I had about $5,500 into the build. I was upset for a few months, but eventually got over it. Then, today happened. I found the watch. I'm packing to move and was digging through my "I never wear these sweaters" drawer, and there it was. Just sitting there looking at me. Wound it up, set the time, and it's ticking away. But it's still not working correctly. I'm positive that Phong won't replace the case now, as it's been 4.5y since we talked about it, and I don't have that email address to go back to him. I opened the back up, and can click the chronograph pushers from the inside. They click, but do nothing. It doesn't engage the second hand, or either of the other 2 hands. So now I'm in the hunt for a talented watchmaker that could work on this for me. Hopefully, they can fix the movement and make the pushers work somehow. I don't know...I'm happy, but now frustrated again. Here are a few pics I took when I had it on the old bench a few min ago. Any ideas?

Such an awesome build. Congrats.

Just ordered another 1675 from Sead. Can't wait to get one back on my wrist. I've had a number of gens over the years, and always regretted selling them. Just looked on ebay, and the prices have really shot up in the last 3-4 years. I used to be able to buy them for $3,000-$4,500. Holy crap. Hopefully this rep will do the trick for me for a while.

Yeah, I know...too long. I was cleaning my house to move, and found a bunch of watches I forgot about. Time to get active here again!

Looking at all of these, I really need to do another 1675 build...

Hey gang. It's been a while... I bought one of the first FC divers a few years ago, and I can't find it ANYWHERE. I've looked high and low and I think it's a goner. I'd really like to replace it, but I want to make sure I'm getting the best version. Who has it, and what's it called? Normally, I'd just hop over to Trusty and buy whatever they have, but it's been a few years since I've bought a rep, so I thought I'd check in to see what else is out there. Thanks for the help.

I paid about $950 for a similar combination.

Yup...you guys win.

It was several years ago on a putter I was buying. Learned the lesson one time...that's all it took.