JSebWC

I think I have achieved passable results on my 5500 build. perhaps a bit much but I wanted to give it a well worn look with a gloss dial and gilt hands.. the contrast between the two is what does it for me. I use plyers , green scrub pad , fine sand paper and then a light buff with dremmel and paste

Raffles dials has added a no date ranger to their offerings. I just recently finished a build with a some help from the decal dial thread on RWI Mondonero created this small rose dial for me with gilt minute track. I cant be happier with the results!! \ Also a hand made 7205 rivet bracelet in 19mm to complete the build. this was commissioned by another builder on rwi It hasnt left my wrist in weeks.

I commissioned a member of the community to construct a 19mm 7205 Rivet bracelet and it arrived yesterday He did a great job and the look and feel is great and it compliments the Ranger nicely!! Having 7.5" wrists , finding a gen spec rivet bracelet is hard. Most if not all of the gen bracelets have a max of 12-13 links where I like to wear mine a bit loose and need 15 links. not to mention that the price of these bracelets have increased significantly with some complete pieces are on ebay for big money. The icing on the case will be to find a gen clasp for it which will likely cost me....but it will be worth it as it will pair nicely with a number of my 34mm in my collection. With the smooth clasp it looks like a gay freres . I would say his workmanship is impressive. handling a viet rivet bracelet I would say that it is on par or if in fact nicer than any I have seen . Time and attention to detain are evident. Especially with the stamping Thanks again buluth I truly appreciate you work!

Agreed with Rolojack on the vintage watches. Those are created by the truly obsessive. However its not the brands that have an issue ..its the second hand vintage dealers that have the issue with aftermarket and rep parts..since vintage watches are a minefield and you really need to know your stuff to spot a franken piece. I find that the rep community in most cases has a sharper eye to sus watches as we obsess over the details more than most gen owners do

The infamous Tudor Ranger.. like the 5500 Explorer a minefield of questions and doubt in the gen market. Many shy away from them as so many are franken , but every once in a while you come across one that appears to be legit and unmolested , they generally fetch a premium. Ebay was filled with Red Rangers and many poor redials from asia that were so very wrong but were selling for $1500-$2500 + but the red flags were too hard to ignore. What better way to know what your getting than to build one yourself! This journey started almost 2 years ago when i set out to build a 34mm ranger. The best dial option at the time was the Yuki ranger shield dial. So I went with that along with the Raffles case set, hands , eta movement and domed crystal I built this watch as a birthday gift for myself and I took it on a trip out to Arizona where I was celebrating my birthday with some family friends. ( vacationing . I remember we used to do that) Anyway this was how it started. JMB was kind enough to engrave me a proper caseback for the build. which was icing on the cake. I wore it for a while and enjoyed it but then you start noticing things that aren't correct about the dial and the watch starts to lose its appeal so in the watch box it sat. Finding a correct dial was always on my todo list so I reached out to manodeoro to see if he would be up to the challenge of creating a decal dial . After some discussion and sharing images of what I was after, he went to work creating the file. The 7995 is an earlier small rose version of the ranger and the most coveted . These are complex as they have a gilt minute track and T SWISS T but the rest of the print is in white. It took him a few tries to nail it but he nailed it!! It turned out beautiful The dial made it here in record time from France. .to arrive in my mailbox in about a week. So I went to work. The embossed appearance of the text and the negative relive gilt in one dial....crisp details and that satin flat black appearance sans film makes this dial look soo legit I asked him to leave the lume as off white as possible as I was intending to age the dial lume to match my hand set. it took a few attempts but I think I hit it and gave the hands an equally vintage appearance as the dial After a few tweeks I cased it back up to get my first look. YES PLEASE!! So I have to take some better pics to showcase this beauty and the current favorite of my collection. This will most likely end up being my summer 21 watch. 34mm gets a bad rap but it is one of the most comfortable watches . light on the wrist, especially in the summer heat and does not draw a lot of attention to itself. Pictured here with my Gen 7909 Tudor Those that know , know the significance of this model and its use in the BNGE in the early 50's I found this watch earlier this year and got it for a fair price. It was recently serviced, new crystal and appears to be all original, including crown . You can see the lineage of the 7909 and how it was carried into the Ranger line into the 60's The almond tone of the dial with the radium burns really give this watch alot of visual interest. Also shown with my 6429 commando another favorite of my collection. Less is more and the commando owns that motto! hand wind 3 hander , simple yet unique enough My collection is starting to get 34mm heavy which is really odd for a guy with 7.5" wrists but once you get used to them, its all you ever want to wear. The 34mm oysters are underappreciated by alot of people but I think they are a hidden gem Big Thanks to JMB and Manodeoro for sharing their skills and talents with me so that I can add a few very rare and unique pieces to my collection. I couldn't be happier! As always, comments and criticism welcome. Thanks for looking

The infamous Tudor Ranger.. like the 5500 Explorer a minefield of questions and doubt in the gen market. Many shy away from them as so many are franken , but every once in a while you come across one that appears to be legit and unmolested , they generally fetch a premium. Ebay was filled with Red Rangers and many poor redials from asia that were so very wrong but were selling for $1500-$2500 + but the red flags were too hard to ignore. What better way to know what your getting than to build one yourself! This journey started almost 2 years ago when i set out to build a 34mm ranger. The best dial option at the time was the Yuki ranger shield dial. So I went with that along with the Raffles case set, hands , eta movement and domed crystal I built this watch as a birthday gift for myself and I took it on a trip out to Arizona where I was celebrating my birthday with some family friends. ( vacationing . I remember we used to do that) Anyway this was how it started. [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgkkgL][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgkkgL.jpg[/img][/url] JMB was kind enough to engrave me a proper caseback for the build. which was icing on the cake. [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgk4mR][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgk4mR.jpg[/img][/url] I wore it for a while and enjoyed it but then you start noticing things that aren't correct about the dial and the watch starts to lose its appeal so in the watch box it sat. Finding a correct dial was always on my todo list so I reached out to manodeoro to see if he would be up to the challenge of creating a decal dial . After some discussion and sharing images of what I was after, he went to work creating the file. The 7995 is an earlier small rose version of the ranger and the most coveted . These are complex as they have a gilt minute track and T SWISS T but the rest of the print is in white. It took him a few tries to nail it but he nailed it!! It turned out beautiful The dial made it here in record time from France. .to arrive in my mailbox in about a week. So I went to work. The embossed appearance of the text and the negative relive gilt in one dial....crisp details and that satin flat black appearance sans film makes this dial look soo legit [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgkMP8][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgkMP8.jpg[/img][/url] I asked him to leave the lume as off white as possible as I was intending to age the dial lume to match my hand set. it took a few attempts but I think I hit it and gave the hands an equally vintage appearance as the dial [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgks0K][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgks0K.jpg[/img][/url] After a few tweeks I cased it back up to get my first look. [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgkvev][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgkvev.jpg[/img][/url] YES PLEASE!! So I have to take some better pics to showcase this beauty and the current favorite of my collection. This will most likely end up being my summer 21 watch. 34mm gets a bad rap but it is one of the most comfortable watches . light on the wrist, especially in the summer heat and does not draw a lot of attention to itself. Pictured here with my Gen 7909 Tudor Those that know , know the significance of this model and its use in the BNGE in the early 50's I found this watch earlier this year and got it for a fair price. It was recently serviced, new crystal and appears to be all original, including crown . You can see the lineage of the 7909 and how it was carried into the Ranger line into the 60's The almond tone of the dial with the radium burns really give this watch alot of visual interest. [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgk7t1][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgk7t1.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgkENj][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgkENj.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgkf1I][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgkf1I.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgkRH4][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgkRH4.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgkF4c][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgkF4c.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgkGgX][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgkGgX.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgk0oi][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgk0oi.jpg[/img][/url] Also shown with my 6429 commando another favorite of my collection. Less is more and the commando owns that motto! hand wind 3 hander , simple yet unique enough My collection is starting to get 34mm heavy which is really odd for a guy with 7.5" wrists but once you get used to them, its all you ever want to wear. The 34mm oysters are underappreciated by alot of people but I think they are a hidden gem Big Thanks to JMB and Manodeoro for sharing their skills and talents with me so that I can add a few very rare and unique pieces to my collection. I couldn't be happier! As always, comments and criticism welcome. Thanks for looking

Nice job!! night and day difference!! Ruby dial?

Was commissioned on another site by a member to build a space dweller 1016 The ingredients. Raffles explorer case. modified bezel to accept dommed t22 crystal aged case Ruby Space Dweller dial with some slight aging details. Ebay hands set , aged to match dial Eta 2824 clone. The results.

Nice one! Specs >?

Rolex 5500 Explorer. A few weeks back , while buying parts for some other builds I was working on, I decided to add a 5500 dial to my order as I have yet to add one to my collection of explorers. Parts arrive and I went to work. Dial In the Gen world, this is one of the ultra rare double t<25 stamped underline dial with gilt text and gloss finish. I first aged the lume some as it just looks too perfect out of the box. After all this watch was available in the late 50s to mid 60s . Hands: originally threw some generic merc hand set on there but wasn't feeling the hour hand. I had used the second hand for another project so for this build I used a dj style seconds hand and i liked the look ...but quickly tired of them and replaced them with a set from raffles time. I had a domed crystal on the case set but it took away from the appearance of the watch. made it feel much smaller and just wasn't feelin it on this build for some reason so I swapped it for a 25-12 clarks crystal . The clarks crystal gives the watch a bigger appearance and allows clearer view and really showcases the dial compared to the domed crystal. I have a preference for the domed crystal but the 25-12 just works for this build more so in my eyes. (with domed crystal and generic hands ) I settled on hands from Raffles , which I aged appropriately to achieve the vintage look and match the lume of the dial . Truthfully the lume is darker than what I was after but the pumpkin orange tone of the lume compliments the gold hands and text and it gives the watch a warm vintage feel. I went with the display case back as it is more rolex like and resolved the display window with a service sticker mounted on the inside of the caseback. This prevents the decal from getting damaged and peeling with use. I pushed it with the aging process of the case set. I tried out a few new techniques to achieve the aged appearance and I am quite happy with the results. I feel that it gives the watch a realistic well used look without looking deliberate. Eta 2824 clone movement. I've had good luck with the clones for half the price of Gen and they beat slightly slower than Gen ETAs. Bracelet is a Raffles 19mm rivet , which I aged similar to the case and complete the build . The result.: a great vintage piece with wrist presence that offers details that the other ref in the explorer line doesn't. As always comments and criticism welcome. I may be tempted to build more of these or sell this one on if anyone is interested. but in the meantime I am enjoying it. Thanks for looking.

Rolex 5500 Explorer. A few weeks back , while buying parts for some other builds I was working on, I decided to add a 5500 dial to my order as I have yet to add one to my collection of explorers. Parts arrive and I went to work. Dial In the Gen world, this is one of the ultra rare double t<25 stamped underline dial with gilt text and gloss finish. I first aged the lume some as it just looks too perfect out of the box. After all this watch was available in the late 50s to mid 60s . Hands: originally threw some generic merc hand set on there but wasn't feeling the hour hand. I had used the second hand for another project so for this build I used a dj style seconds hand and i liked the look ...but quickly tired of them and replaced them with a set from raffles time. I had a domed crystal on the case set but it took away from the appearance of the watch. made it feel much smaller and just wasn't feelin it on this build for some reason so I swapped it for a 25-12 clarks crystal . The clarks crystal gives the watch a bigger appearance and allows clearer view and really showcases the dial compared to the domed crystal. I have a preference for the domed crystal but the 25-12 just works for this build more so in my eyes. (with domed crystal and generic hands ) I settled on hands from Raffles , which I aged appropriately to achieve the vintage look and match the lume of the dial . Truthfully the lume is darker than what I was after but the pumpkin orange tone of the lume compliments the gold hands and text and it gives the watch a warm vintage feel. I went with the display case back as it is more rolex like and resolved the display window with a service sticker mounted on the inside of the caseback. This prevents the decal from getting damaged and peeling with use. I pushed it with the aging process of the case set. I tried out a few new techniques to achieve the aged appearance and I am quite happy with the results. I feel that it gives the watch a realistic well used look without looking deliberate. Eta 2824 clone movement. I've had good luck with the clones for half the price of Gen and they beat slightly slower than Gen ETAs. Bracelet is a Raffles 19mm rivet , which I aged similar to the case and complete the build . The result.: a great vintage piece with wrist presence that offers details that the other ref in the explorer line doesn't. As always comments and criticism welcome. I may be tempted to build more of these or sell this one on if anyone is interested. but in the meantime I am enjoying it. Thanks for looking.

Rolex 5500 Explorer. A few weeks back , while buying parts for some other builds I was working on, I decided to add a 5500 dial to my order as I have yet to add one to my collection of explorers. Parts arrive and I went to work. Dial In the Gen world, this is one of the ultra rare double t<25 stamped underline dial with gilt text and gloss finish. I first aged the lume some as it just looks too perfect out of the box. After all this watch was available in the late 50s to mid 60s . Hands: originally threw some generic merc hand set on there but wasn't feeling the hour hand. I had used the second hand for another project so for this build I used a dj style seconds hand and i liked the look ...but quickly tired of them and replaced them with a set from raffles time. I had a domed crystal on the case set but it took away from the appearance of the watch. made it feel much smaller and just wasnt feelin it on this build for some reason so I swapped it for a 25-12 clarks crystal . The clarks crystal gives the watch a bigger appearance and allows clearer view and really showcases the dial compared to the domed crystal. I have a preference for the domed crystal but the 25-12 just works for this build more so in my eyes. (with domed crystal and generic hands ) [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgqvAJ][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgqvAJ.jpg[/img][/url] I settled on hands from Raffles , which I aged appropriately to achieve the vintage look and match the lume of the dial . Truthfully the lume is darker than what I was after but the pumpkin orange tone of the lume compliments the gold hands and text and it gives the watch a warm vintage feel. I went with the display case back as it is more rolex like and resolved the display window with a service sticker mounted on the inside of the caseback. This prevents the decal from getting damaged and pealing with use. I pushed it with the aging process of the case set. I tried out a few new techniques to achieve the aged appearance and I am quite happy with the results. I feel that it gives the watch a realistic well used look without looking deliberate. [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgqXY3][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgqXY3.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgqdks][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgqdks.jpg[/img][/url] Eta 2824 clone movement. I've had good luck with the clones for half the price of Gen and they beat slightly slower than Gen ETAs. Bracelet is a Raffles 19mm rivet , which I aged similar to the case and complete the build . The result.: a great vintage piece with wrist presence that offers details that the other ref in the explorer line doesn't. [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgqcrj][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgqcrj.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/Zgqg74][img]https://clickpix.org/images/Zgqg74.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgqVL1][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgqVL1.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgqxGv][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgqxGv.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgIZ3I][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgIZ3I.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgIjYc][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgIjYc.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgIzwX][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgIzwX.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgI3ci][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgI3ci.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgIKib][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgIKib.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://clickpix.org/image/ZgIhCp][img]https://clickpix.org/images/ZgIhCp.jpg[/img][/url] As always comments and criticism welcome. I may be tempted to build more of these or sell this one on if anyone is interested. but in the meantime I am enjoying it. Thanks for looking.

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/Silver-Stainless-Steel-Watch-Band-Strap-Bracelets-Straight-End-12-24MM/402341470907?hash=item5dad6ba2bb:g:29UAAOSwQ-BdMIhw