TeeJay

Fantastic result

And my future wife is a white anglo Texan, so her name doesn't lend itself to Korean...

Had you considered using the initials of her first and last names to make a little 'character', kind of like the JRR Tolkien 'character'?

I still think best to lose the personalization on the dial, maybe have the backs engraved instead, but that's just my .2c

Yes, that is 1 of the 1st things that caught my eye.

Update -

I removed the coronets from both dials. The DW coronet is (properly) affixed with 2 small positioning pins that go through the dial, but the new dial's coronet is simply cemented into place. Because I lack the tools to drill such minute holes in the new dial to fit the DW coronet's pins, I opted for Plan B - removing the pins on the coronet & cementing the coronet onto the new dial in the same manner as the original. Unfortunately, the sticking point (no pun intended) will be to find a way to apply the cement & position the coronet (very difficult since it does not slide, it just flicks around when you nudge it!!!!!!!!) without getting cement all over the dial/coronet. My thinking is to use GC crystal cement to affix the coronet since it dries mostly clear & will give me a few seconds to reposition the coronet before it starts to set. Trouble is that I am already picturing the dial covered with strands of GC cement all over it & the coronet. So, I am definitely open to recommendations for cement/affixing methods & procedures.

In the meantime, here is the DW coronet sitting (loosely) in position on the new dial. If I can figure out how to cement it here, I may have something

Would I be right in thinking that the color of the dial shifts through the grey/silver spectrum depending on the lightsources?

For cementing the coronet into place, had you considered putting a rodico blob on the end of a brush/pen/skewer and using that to lower the coronet into place?

And be sure to take the family for an afternoon picnic in Hyde Park (Bayswater Road entrance is nicer than some of the other areas)

I really don't know much about dial specifics, but the primary color of that dial is absolutely gorgeous

Awesome project, and congratulations on the upcoming wedding

I agree with the comment to have just your name and your wife's name instead of Perpetual, but I would also suggest removing all the lower text, as the watch and the event will be memorable enough that the recipient will not need an additional reminder of who they are, or what they did I'd suggest having the entire second hand, and the triangle of the GMT hand matching the blue of the Korean character

Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks TJ!

Anytime While I would be the first to admit that the Sub is hardly the best suited watch for every situation/scenario, it is probably the best 'all rounder' I can think of and can fulfill many roles with ease

It's been laying around a while. I figured I might as well wind it up and wear it today.

Any other "beaters" out there?

Looking good, my friend, I'm sure it'll be on your wrist for a while to come Here's my usual beater

Someone asked me Saturday what I thought was 'the best everyday watch', and even with all the awesome watches and various brands which are displayed and discussed here, I had to say that for a watch with all-round versatility, functional in most situations yet still wearable when relaxing, I could only say the Rolex Submariner Probably the most copied watch out there, but I guess it's copied for a reason

I'd say that looks like 42mm to me

I believe Avitt's the man when it comes to PVD

Wow,

got quite a fright yesterday when our friend B posted this ("beware of") thread yesterday.

This was the seller I bought my bezel and insert from for my 1680 project.

Maybe the experts here can weigh-in on whether I actually purchased gen parts or not.

From the shape of the 2 in 20, I would say that it looks kosher... Emphasis on 'looks', as I am by no means an expert... Looks good, infact, it looks fine on the watch, I just hope that you got what you paid for

First of all, welcome to the party

With regards aging the watch, how comfortable are you with breaking it down into parts and re-assembling it? Aging the parts individually would be a bit easier than aging it all in one assembled watch... Here is how I personally would age the watch after totally breaking it down...

1. Apply a very fine mist of matte-finish clear varnish spray to the dial.

2. Take note of which links of the bracelet would be on 'contact surfaces' of your wrist, ie which links correspond with the inside and outside edges of your wrist.

3. Push those links against bricks/ceramic tile edges, and drag sideways, creating some quite deep scratches.

4. Take a green Scotchbrite pad, and use it heavily in a circular pattern on all the links of the bracelet (including the closed clasp) your objective is two-fold: To start blending in the 'brick scratches' and to re-create decades of the watch bracelet rubbing against surfaces and sleeve cuffs with hair-fine circular scratches.

5. Once that is done, take the pad and more gently, brush all the links of the bracelet (including the closed clasp) parallel with the direction of the bracelet, stroke by stroke, not backwards and forwards. The objective here is to 're-finish' the bracelet so all the previous scratches are blended in, but still visible. The aim here is not to create a bracelet which looks seriously abused, but one which looks 'worn'

6. Take a four-surface nail buffer and gently buff the edges of the closed clasp, where the sides 'roll up' onto the top of the clasp. Your aim is to create small 'polished' areas (about 3mm in width) to represent where the clasp has rubbed against things gently, but frequently enough for it to leave an impression.

7. With the nail buffer, gently buff a line going across the bracelet links about 3m wide on the links which are at the edge of the underneath of your wrist (probably about 1cm from the ends of the clasp) The aim, as above, is to create 'friction polish' on specific areas of the bracelet where it would have contacted sleeves, rubbed on desks etc etc.

Note: The above scuffing marks (apart from the deepest 'brick scratches' should be barely perceptible to the naked eye under normal lighting conditions.

8. Taking the four-surface nail buffer, start with the most course surface, and use it in small circular patterns all over the crystal, until it is almost totally opaque. Then, repeat the process using the progressively finer surfaces, until the crystal is polished back towards clarity, but will retain the same hair-fine scratches as on the bracelet (if the 1680 doesn't have a plexi crystal, ignore this process

9. (Optional) With a jeweller's screwdriver, make very slight scuffs randomly on the bezel insert.

10. With the coarsest surface of the nail buffer, very gently sand the edges of the bezel insert to remove a very fine ring of paint from both the inner, and outer edges (maybe only .5mm in from either edge)

11. With the finest surface of the nail buffer, very gently sand the flat top surface of the bezel insert in tight circular patterns. All you are doing here is dulling the painted finish, and blending it with the sanded edges, you do not want to actually visibly remove paint. Think of it as 'texturizing' rather than actual 'sanding'. It should only really be visible under direct lighting, not to the naked eye.

12. Taking the green Scotchbrite pad, make tight circular brushing movements along both sides of the watch case (including the crown) Again, you are only aiming to get hair-fine scuffs.

Here're a few examples of what the above processes should result in:

Simulated age: Appx 10-15 years

Simulated age: Appx 5-10 years

Simulated age: Appx 56 years but restored to as new condition as possible

As with the above examples, you may wish to keep the bezel insert totally clean, as if it is a new replacement part fitted to an older watch...

Best of luck with your project

[Edit to add]

A watch which should be 30+ years old, and looking pristine will attract more attention than one which has been aged. Remember the supposed age of the 1680, remember who would have used it, and what for when it was brand new, and put all that into the aging process. Other than the bezel insert, even if you go 'too heavy' on the bracelet or case, much of that can always be buffed out with the green Scotchbrite pad, but the insert, once it's scuffed/bleached, there's no option but to replace it with a fresh insert and try again

Very tasty It certainly is a nice evening, perfect bbq weather

I am thinking that is the way to go with this dial, as the red background for the SUBMARINER 'clear' text in the transfer would have to be so close to the SUPERLATIVE (etc. etc.) text that it would be a bugger to align.

Problem is, I don't have (or have access to) a colour laser printer with a minimum 1200dpi resolution.

I see what you mean there, it would certainly require some precision work if it was going to be painted beneath the decal, but I'm sure it'll look great as you've planned

Anytime, I think this is going to really look the business when it's done

That's how it was done on the DRSDs

The SWISS - <25 needs to be wider, but other than that, I'd say you're there The triangle looks spot on

I saw your comment about color printers, is this going to be printed so that the red text is actually printed red on the decal?

I say go for it, it'll be like the Teflon-coated SouthAfrican MilSub

today my super avenger on a honey tan croc strap

love it

Looking good, bro, that really suits you

I was starting to worry about my TimeTwin, so fantastic to have you back, bro Funny thing is I was actually talking about you yesterday, and your dream of minimalist 'hotel living', which was a very well received theory by the people I was talking to I hope all is good with you

I have to agree with Logan. As much as we despise the out and out scammers, whether they are selling on sites like "bluefakes" or ripping off unsuspecting buyers on Ebay with fake Rolexes,they are selling fakes as genuine. We tend to take the moral high ground, rationalizing that what we are doing is not bad, because we aren't intentionally trying to pass off something counterfeit as the genuine article, however we are buying and selling fakes, which in the eyes of the authorities is one and the same.This to me is just a tiny bit of "the pot calling the kettle black"

I would suspect the reason these folks were caught was the blatant advertising on websites of fake goods. While they were not trying to fool anyone into thinking that what they were selling was the genuine article, they were thumbing their noses at the companies that they were copying. It would not surprise me that companies like Tiffany,Chanel, Gucci, etc. would come down hard on them. Especially after some of these same companies lost their bid to take Ebay to the cleaners over counterfeit goods.

Just my opinion, but the lower we fly under the radar, the better I like it.

+1

Fantastic projects, bro, absolutely top notch

The one I inquired on was $17k... At the time

addingwatch has this one, I believe...

Though I think the price has increased, I don't think it's gone up to $30k (at least, not this specific one). But I'm pretty sure I know which one you're referencing on the hand made one... And if it is... Then I would agree. It would probably never get called out.

Of course it would never get called out...

It doesn't say 'Rolex' on the dial

Not quite on topic, but still on the theme, there was a show on TV last night about fraudulent auctions using 'phantom branded' Chinese watches, and showing punters glossy catalogues (which they produce themselves) to get a good price for them. One of the watches, was essentially a modern Daytona on a white strap, with the Day/Date/24 subdials, which the show's expert valued at about