Greetings,
I've always been a huge fan of the 1655, but not the price (especially in today's market). My plan over the next couple of months is to build my own franken, using a gen Rolex 1575 GMT at the core with as many other gen parts as I can source (zero interest in cutting corners with a non-Rolex movement).
In researching the parts I need, I realize that:
1570/1575 movements are somewhat scarce (would a 1565 work?)
It would be unrealistic to think that I can find a gen 1655 case at a reasonable price
Here's where I might be nuts (1675 lovers, please do not hate me!):
My plan may very well be to purchase a gen 1675 and:
Slap a high quality rep dial on it (mq, ingod, etc)
New hands (I actually like the dot second hand vs straight)
Swap the bezel
Throw a gen 7836/78360 bracelet on it with proper endings for accuracy (I'm more of a fan of the folded links though)
Replace the tropic if needed (T-116)
I can probably pick up a 1675 in the $4K range locally, and I'd also be able to resell the 1675 bezel / bracelet to recoup some of the project funds.
This would get me close to a gen 1655 by my personal standards.
Does this sound too crazy or plausible? (It almost feels like cheating vs building one off of an ingod case)