bbell6

Several different dealers have 5517 replicas. Are all of the 5517 replicas the same?

Its a rep case for sure,there are alot of these about just now and the few ive seen have been poor quality and somewhat incorrect. Everything with it is rep with the only possible exception being the tube and crown. Theres differing opinions re the tube. Mine is that its not gen but a remake. Ive not seen the crowns so cannot comment on them.

Fyi the tube on this is early triplock, introduced 1972 and as such the crown should have three dots. Ive no idea how a gen movement would fit in this though it is advertised as being for this fit.

I thought all triplocks had an O-ring on the tube (my '94 sub does)? I guess that shows how much I know. The crown package is labeled:

241

24-702-0

T-03

Rolex

Its in a green and white package. From what I can tell without opening package, the crown threads appear to line up with the tube. I tried to take pictures but my camera isn't working.

Someone Please correct me if i am wrong but that doesn't look like a triplock tube ... therefore a triplock would be incorrect for that tube ... ( not neccesarly wrong for 5513 - the earlier subs had a thick twinlock sans three dots --- well sans dots at all...)

It's definitley not a triplock tube.

Hmmm the marks on the case back look a bit dodgy to me (someone correct me if i am wrong) . Did that bad boy come with a crown... if it didn't the crowns for that tube cost a [censored] load... and the bezel insert looks aftermarket ... is this case advertised to be a Gen replacement ? It will be interesting to see the progress you make with it .

Rob

It came with a Rolex triple locking crown. I haven't taken the crown out of its package yet, incase I decide to sell it. The auction language was as follows:

"You are bidding on a Submariner Replacement Case # 5513

Rolex Movement CAL. # 1530, 1520.

This is includes:

Case (1), Caseback (1), Bezel Stainless (1), Insert Bezel -Black/Silver (1), Crystal # 25-19 (1), Crown (1), & Tube (1)

SOLD AS IS ! ALL SALES ARE FINAL !!!

Thank you for visiting."

The only thing that I suspect is original is the crown (it is still in the package) and possibly the crystal and/or tube. The insert is definitely not original. There are signs that the outer edge had to be filed to make it fit. I'm sure the remaining parts are all aftermarket

I also saw that case on ebay and it looked a REP case to me, I wonder if a Rolex 1520 or 1530 movement would actually fit in there w/orig case clamps, has anybody tried it ?

I don't have a 1520 movement to try. I'm meeting "Justasgood" for lunch today, maybe he will be able to shed some light on the case.

I tried to send you an e-mail but your box was full. I'm interested in a white 1680 and/or possibly a vintage explorer 1 and/or a 5513 military depending on what is available.

Thanks

Eunomians,

When I was referring to "cost" not being an issue, I was referring to the tools. Meaning that I wanted to purchase high quality tools as you were suggesting. Not that cost wasn't an issue with regards to the watch. I'm going to have to agree with you on altering a 5513. If I buy a genuine 5513, I won't screw with it.

I was just wanting to play with building a replica. I bought the replacement case without really thinking it through. I logged on to ebay and there were two minutes left and it looked like a good price (based on what I'd seen others go for - but I really didn't know what I was buying). I got it for $335. I was just wondering if I should try to build a replica with it or buy an MBW and start from there. Or, maybe buy one of the MBW military 5513's that I saw in TTK's photobucket for the group buy (I think this is a 5517 and I do like that look which I believe you were referring to)

The advantage to using the replacement case (at least from my point of view) is that I could always pop in a rolex movement later if I found a great deal on one. If not, I could just be happy with an ETA. Of course, this is assuming that the replacement case is worth a crap. The bezel doesn't operate the way I would think an original would (I've never seen a 5513 in person - I'm basing my statement on my '94 sub). It moves in both directions and there is no click. It just feels like metal on metal and is extremely stiff. Additionally, the bottom edges of the case and the inside of the lugs are quite sharp.

Hopefully, this post clears up my intentions.

Thanks

Disclaimer I am a complete novice, I've never even taken the back off a watch. So this is definitely a situation where I'm just jumping in to the deep end of the pool and I'm either going to sink or swim. Any assitance would be greatly appreciated. I'll apologize upfront for the dumb questions that I'm sure I'll ask.

I recently purchased a replacement case off of ebay. It may or may not be any good. I'd like to get people's opinion as to whether this case is worth fooling with or whether I should just scrap it. It is supposed to be for a 5513 and was built to hold a 1520 or 1570. My thoughts are that I would start with an ETA movement and possibly one day upgrade to a rolex movement.

In addition to your opinions on the case, I'd also like some recommendations on necessary tools. I'm not so worried about cost as I am interested in quality. If I can make this first project work, I'll probably build other watches and would rather have good tools upfront rather than having to repurchase later because I went cheap to begin with.

I've been getting it constantly today.

the price you paid and the case itself would impact how good a deal you got. its all in the eye of the beholder though with these things so if your happy then thats fine.

one point though, if you bid and paid as if it were a genuine case then you may have some scope for requesting a refund. if it was one of the myriad of replica cases advertised as "replacement" and doesnt say that its genuine then you will have trouble returning due to this. most are worded very carefully so that the buyer thinks they are getting a genuine case bidding with an according value and yet has no recourse when it appears they didnt. theres alot of seadweller and sub cases, all from the same original source on ebay just now. many going for 4 figure sums and none of them genuine. ive no idea as to quality of material or workmanship on these however.

did you get the blank case or the "kit" with the bezel, insert, tube,crystal and dial?

anyways, onto your questions.

unless the inside of the case has been machined to fit an eta movement then you will have issues getting one to fit in easily. most likely is been done for the rolex 15xx movement i would suspect, the ones ive seen were though without more details on your one i cant say for sure.

to fit an eta in here you will need a spacer ring at the very least. theres a size differential you need to bridge. while rings are readily available from the reps, you will most likely need to work down one of these to custom fit your own case unless it comes supplied with one as the size wont be the same. perhaps you could ask the seller for one. its probable that they sell them too or can get one easily enough.

you may also encounter an issue with the stem placement. reps have the crown holes somewhat offset compared to the gens due to a slightly different location/depth on the movement. you may be able to just force it to work however its worth mentioning that there is likely to be some issue here too.

from your question regarding the tudor movement i assume that you thought like many that the tudors are simply rolex subs with a different movement and that this might prove a good access route. while tudors did indeed use eta movements with a modified rotor, the cases are different from that of the rolex versions in order to accommodate the different movement dimensions. if you are picking up an eta movement. try to get the slow beat version. the current ones use 28,000bph compared to 18,000 or 19,500 on the genuine rolex movements. the difference is noticeable to say the least and worth the hunt.

for the simplest build it would perhaps be easiest if your new case is 1:1 to buy a rolex cal 1520 or similar and use this for your watch. a decent one of these can be picked up for around $1000 or so but figure on another couple of hundred to have a service carried out on it before you start. sources of good used gen vintage parts are also becoming tight with the increase in value of the vintage sports models which isnt good news for franken enthusiasts or gen owners alike.

many parts are now less then simple to obtain and what is about it often less then top quality or expensive....and often both. dials are $500 atleast for a passable one, domed crystals $150 minimum now and often more, bezel inserts annoyingly hard to get and expensive when you do. even things like bracelets and endlinks have gone rocketing upwards. even later glossy WG surround 5513 dials, IMHO absolutely disgusting arent cheap anymore. the rise of 5513 has caused sellers to speculate and charge more even for parts considered undesireable.

my own 5513 has almost doubled in value in about the last 6 months or so just to give you an idea of the rise currently underway. it had doubled in value over the course of the year previous too.

while its fun to build your own watch for sure, it may have proven cheaper and easier to have bought something like an MBW for your starting point and then just customised this as you felt. that being said, watches are a hobby and dont need to make financial sense in the least. theres an attachment and pride in a built watch that cant be bought for sure.

its very hard to get a good result with the vintage models IMHO. theres lots of little issues that if you are used to seeing gens really jump out before you even get to the big ones like crown guards, lug holes and the fact that the watch looks too new.

I really appreciate your assistance. I may have paid a little more than the case was worth, but I knew it wasn't genuine. With shipping, I paid $335. It includes a case, back, bezel and insert, and what I believe to be a genuine tube (already installed), crown, and crystal (I had been watching two similar cases from two different sellers and had verified information with one of them - I signed on to ebay and realized that there was only about a minute left before the auction ended and in my haste purchased the one from the seller that I had not contacted - big blunder on my part).

If I'm correct, I need to pick up a movement, dial, hands, and stem. I'm not sure if the cg's have been moded, but I believe it is a 1:1 case. As you eluded to, it is prepped to take a 1530 or a 1520. My thought is that I will take my time finding the genuine Rolex movement and pick up an ETA for the time being (assuming I wouldn't have to make any modifications - and it sounds like I'll just need a spacer). I've never purchased a rep before and am new to all this. I've just been reading this board for a couple of weeks and wanted to try something. I guess the next thing for me to do is buy some tools and possible take the online Time Zone watch classes (any advice on those classes?). This project may end up being an expensive lesson, but as you say, I'll have the pride of knowing I assembled the watch. Additionally, I should learn more about Rolexes (specifically the 5513). This will probably pay off in the long run if I decide to buy a genuine.

It has been quite interesting reading the post on this site. I would say that people on this board know far more about Rolexes than most of the people who own the real thing (Of course, it sounds like quite a few people on this board do own the real thing). I have genuine sub that I bought from an AD in '94. But to be honest, I probably couldn't tell the difference in it and one of the unmoded replicas without holding them side by side.

Once again, thanks for your assitance,

Ben

I purchased a case for a 5513. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best ETA movement for completing this watch? I've tried to determine what ETA movements were used in the tudor subs, but it appears that more than one may have been used over the years.

From your answer, I assume that means that a person is just as well off to buy a replica and work from that case? Unfortunately, the auction I was watching ended a little earlier today and I couldn't help bidding. I got lucky and won (or as it turns out I may have been unlucky). I guess that's what happens when you don't know what you are doing and you are impatient on top of that.

I'm new to this forum, and was hoping someone could help me out. I've seen quite a few Rolex Replacement Cases on Ebay. Usually a stainless case that has been augmented with a few genuine Rolex parts (i.e. crown, tube, crystal). These replacement cases sell from between $300 and $1500 depending on the model. Are they that much better than the replica cases discussed on this forum? I'm a little confused as to why they cost as much or several times more that a complete replica. Could anyone enlighten me?

I suppose it would help if I explained my intended usage. I am not trying to build the perfect replica. In fact, I'm not as much interested in a replica as a high quality Rolex style case that I can convert into a one of a kind watch . I was thinking of piecing together a watch. Maybe a black sub bezel with a white Explorer II face. Therefore, I'm not as interested in whether the crystal sits a little too high or too low, or if the crown guards are accurate, but rather whether the case feels solid and takes genuine parts.

Thanks in advance,

Ben