TeeJay

Something else I forgot to mention, is that I read somewhere than when a watch is at depth, that depth will compress and seal any micro-breaches in the assembly, so if it doesn't flood at low pressure immersions like a faucet or in a glass of water, then it's not going to flood under a greater pressure like swimming or snorkling. I don't know how true that actually is, but, in my experience, if a watch hasn't flooded under a faucet test, it equally hasn't then flooded while showering, bathing, or swimming in strong currents, although I can't report on any depth submersions, as I've never gone diving with one (yet )

I'm like Nanuq, but I'm not Hardcore enough to stick my hand in a sink of boiling water, instead, I run a faucet on full force, and then put my wrist directly under the stream, so it hits on crown, crystal and caseback as much as possible, then take my hand out and wait to see what happens. If a crystal isn't completely sealed, droplets will appear at the edges. In the issue of micro-breaches, there may initially be no droplets at the edges, but eventually with a few moments wear, condensation can appear on the inside edge of the crystal, where upon I dismantle the watch, dry it out, re-check the seals and try again (This mostly only applies to watches which I have 'experimented' with ) I've had two out of over twenty reps which had water resistance issues, the others have all been fine Equally, my Tudor Heritage and plastic submariner don't have screw down crowns, but they are both water resistant (at shower/bathing/swimming levels) as there are two gaskets on the collar of the crowns, which creates a seal Of course, wether any of the reps would survive a dive is a different matter, but, in answer to the thread, that's how I test mine

Not sure whether to or on that, but the result is well worth it The crystal on the case I'm going to be using originally had a cyclops, which I cut off, smoothed in a little, and then re-alligned to the upper left lug tolook like an impact wound, so I might snap my insert accordingly to the damage all matches up

Excellent attention to detail, are they full thickness, or just surface cracks? I was planning on putting a few nicks on one when I get one, but I have to admit, those cracks really do add a nice bit of wabi-sabi

Hard to say really, some people like to try and use gen parts where possible, personally, I like to keep things as budget as possible My 79090 is 100% budget. Sure, the dial and movement (a21j) were gifted, but other than that, the pearl is probably the most expensive individual part (mid case doesn't really count, as the cost obviously included another dial, movement, bracelet etc ) Totally agree with your point though, if spending near gen prices, might as well just buy gen, as no matter how many gen parts get included in a franken, at the end of the day, it'll always still be 'just a fake'...

I've always wondered, the marks on the insert over the 8 and 10 numerals, are they cracks through the insert, or just surface scratches?

I've often wondered about Adam Savage, one of the hosts of Mythbusters. The guy goes through a lot of watches.. On the topic of Mythbusters, DAMN that Kari Byron is fine :tu:

Absolutely, especially as wifey hasn't noticed it as a new watch yet As mentioned, elsewhere, it was only bought as a movement donor, but I figured I'd give it some wrist time to give the movement a shakedown

I can't be of too much help, as the key ingredient is the dial (which IMHO, is the best dial Rolex/Tudor produced) and mine was a gifted water-slide project from another member. However, I'm sure I've seen the dial on eBay from time to time, and well worth keeping a look for Other than that, I think you've hit everything on your shopping list Mine is essentially a 5513 case, with a self-constructed bracelet (although I prefer to wear the watch on a Tropic-style strap) with the gifted dial Best of luck with your project PS Don't forget a Yuki pearl, it really is the icing on the cake

Another option, would be to swap the bezel for a flat one

Oh absolutely, I just find it amusing that during a time when many forum trusted dealers are reporting issues, an off-board source comes through with the goods, and sooner than any previous order For the record, it was a budget GMT Master II

Pure class My .2c would be to use a jubilee bracelet with a fluted bezel

I received a budget GMT today. I made sure the back was secure, made sure the crystal was firmly seated, and made sure the crown was securely closed after setting the time, then held my wrist under a faucet at full force No issue whatsoever

I'm not keen on the re-lume work, but that patina is very interesting... I'm wondering if it is in the process of 'going matte',I bet it would be interesting to see in direct light with the naked eye Have to admit though, it I were to get such a dial, I would re-lume it, and then matte varnish it myself

New month, new watch. Purchassed solely to serve as a movement donor, it's actually rather nice (12 triangle needs resetting, but for a donor piece, I can't be bothered...)

Just to throw the cat amongst the pidgeons, I've got to report completely the opposite situation... I ordered a new watch 8 days ago, was prepared to wait 4-5 weeks for it to arrive, then see the threads about factory raids and think "Oh shit..." I was tempted to send a message to the dealer and enquire if I should expect delays, but didn't, and today, I received the new watch, way faster than the dealer has ever sent anything before

Interesting stuff, maybe Rolex used a different dial varnish on the MTs than was being used on the 16800's I was considering modifying my incoming dial to a matte finish, to be a bit 16800-esque, but if there's no precedent for that dial turning matte, I might just leave it gloss

+1 on what's been said above... How many times has someone posted the comment that all new watches should be serviced and treated on the assumption that the movement is recycled, not box fresh? C'mon, left foot right foot, it's not hard , and certainly not unheard of. Yes, this is part of the game, and it's a known part of the game, not some recently pulled trick... As PeteM mentions, CQ pics are nothing but a dealer's trick to avoid responsibility, and it's just like a three magic trick: Part One: Dealer: Here're pictures, you like? Buyer: Looks good, send it over Part Two: Situation as described by the OP... Buyer: There's a problem with the movement, it's not a new movement. Part Three: Dealer: You said pics were fine, I sent watch... So yeah, while this may not happen all the time (meaning most watches don't fail so soon) as above, the situation itself is totally part of the game. As PeteM said, you need to trust the dealer you use, not rely on reputation, status or anything like that. Don't be a fish in a barrel, think outside the box...

Looks like everyone had a fantastic time Sorry I couldn't make it... Maybe one day

Thanks for the feedback, amigos I figured that there might not be a 'factory issued' silver on matte dials, same as with the 1984 16800, but I wondered if there might have been some unusual aging examples the same as the 16800 Needless to say, I might well be modifying the en-route GMT to reflect my vision

The other day, Justlounging posted this rather fantastic photo: For some reason, it reminded me of the 16800s, and that got me thinking, was there ever a matte-dialled/silver marker GMT dial?

Absolutely, I was happy to put up with a stock modern GMT as a 'temporary wearer' before using the movement for a custom build when I can then source other parts, but as soon as I saw that picture, I just thought 'that gives me an idea... ' Ahh, good to see another Octobaby on the forum I like the sound of that, I don't trust wifey or MiL to buy me watches anymore, but if I was to point them in the right direction, it might be a different matter

First of all, kudos on an amazing piece Secondly, the photo with which you opened the thread has inspired me to plan a few minor cosmetic alterations to a budget GMT I was able to scrounge up the cash to order last week Thirdly, October? Which day? Mine's the 10th PS May I re-post the first photo in the thread?

Fantastic acquisition, and as mentioned already, that handset really is magic