hanski

These dims are super helpful! Thanks for posting this. Any chance you still have a gen 1675 that you’d be willing to post more pics and dims of? I have an incoming Cartel case that I’d like to push the limits of case rework on. The more dimensions I have the better. I’m fully aware it won’t ever be identical, especially with the lack of material at the CG’s. I just want to see what I can do with it anyways. Thanks in advance!!

Cool! It'l be a fun project! - I used 1.3mm for lug holes. Worked well. - I have a Yuki dial on the way. It's 26.5mm. I will update how I end up fitting it - I suspect I'll take .5mm off the dial though. - I have looked at Clark's and WSO crystals. Clark's is better - correct date mag, good height, and good construction. I've seen a lot of people post about using Sternkreuz but I haven't gotten one of those in person yet. I did this comparison over at another forum but haven't duplicated it here: https://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?/topic/142676-1680-crystal-comparison-wso-clarks-jkf/ - I look forward to what other's have to say about DWO. I have seen a JK, BP, and Raffle's Dial DWO. So far, I like the BP the best - it is sharp/crisp, has open 6/9, and serifs. Raffle's Dial was the worst - kind of blotchy. I second this! I had my 1680 as my sole project for about 2-months and it was super frustrating to not be able to wear it. Now I have a 1680 and 1675 - as a project comes up on one, I will be able to wear the other.

Looks nice!

Thanks for the clarification! As this discussion was happening I stumbled upon a Tiger Concept sub case for sale on RWI for $60 and thought, whoa, something isn't adding up here. They were also using the acronym TC Sub... Anyways, would love to see a TC Sub.

Are TC subs "Tiger Concepts"? These must be an older, high-end aftermarket case. I'll do some searching but I'll also ask the question, why do people desire TC subs so much?

I know, I know, I titled this post “project complete”. But a few things were irking me and my OCD. After wearing it around I noticed the CG’s and bezel could be improved. So I disassembled and reworked the case, this time much more aggressively around the CG’s. Now they are more pronounced and slope upwards from the case back. I also took the bezel and milled a chamfer at the base where it meets the case. Previously the stock Watchman bezel comes straight down - no shadow line between case and bezel. I could probably go a little more with it but even what I did do helped tremendously. Here are some updates pics.

Thanks! I didn't do too much to it. Outside of the unintended scuff marks of a novice watch hobbyist I only relumed the dial. I have considered adding a matte lacquer spray for some texture but I haven't gotten to it yet. Right now the white logo/branding has a nice gloss and is slightly raised. I don't want the spray to detract from that.

I’ve just wrapped up (for now) another one of my ongoing projects - a 1680 Red Submariner. Inspired by some of the mid-70’s versions I’ve seen on Chrono24, etc I imagine this was a fairly well care-for watch serviced several times with a replacement, service dial and insert. Case isn’t too beat up and isn’t over-polished. The specs on the project: - JK Factory Case, Caseback, 93250 Bracelet, Open 6/9 Datewheel and Dial (purchased from TrustyTime) - Clark’s 25-127 Crystal - WSO Bezel Assembly - Athaya 702 Tube and Crown - WSO 580 Endlinks - Sellita SW-200-1 Movement - Raffle’s Time Hand Set I relumed the hand set, pearl, and dial to match. Pearl was lumed then finished with clear coat of binder for durability and gloss. Like my other vintage project, I went for a vintage tone lume a high-intensity, green glow. Insert has been very lightly bleached, just enough to eliminate the gloss finish. Crown guards have been squared off in the front, case was lightly aged via a tumble in a bag of screws, all exposed edges were eased, and case was repolished. Athaya tube installed with Blue Loctite and tube hole countersunk to ensure tight fit of crown when screwed down. SW200-1 was purchased from a fellow member but needed the keyless works to be repaired. I repaired the keyless works then installed H5 second wheel, minute cannon, and hour cannon along with a date wheel from an ETA2836-2. Dial was fitted with a slightly thicker dial spacer. This modification allowed me to fit the slimmer SW200-1 into a case designed for an ETA2836-2 while maintaining stem alignment. Everything has been installed as friction fit, gaskets sealed and siliconed. Bracelet has been minimally aged. Sometime in the future I will likely swap out the DW Overlay and Dial for better quality. Working with a Ruby’s Watch dial on my 1675 project, the quality difference is super obvious. I should also get around to doing a water resistance test - I’d like to know how water resistant I’ve built this. I honestly worry the most about the crown tube since I countersunk the top edge but otherwise feel good about things. Here’s some pics, thanks for looking!

After several months of obtaining parts, building, rebuilding, learning how to work on watches, and then rebuilding again I've completed (for now) my 1675 All Red Hand GMT Master. The specs are as follows: - Cartel Case, Crown, Open 6/9 Date Wheel, and Jubilee Bracelet (thank you Mary) - Vietnam Dial (thank you Ruby) - Raffles Time Hand Set (including All Red GMT Hand) - Raffles Time Flat Case Back - Clark's 25-116 Crystal - Watchman Bezel Assembly and Insert - DG3804B (from Esslinger) I relumed both the hand set and dial to match - opting to use a light vintage tone but working lume. It's not "gen vintage" but I want the watch to glow in the dark. Insert has been lightly aged and bleached to a light royal blue and near magenta red. Case has been reshaped to narrow the body as it transitions into the crown guards, crown guards squared off, deep chamfer added to the top edges, tumbled in a bucket of screws, and completely repolished. Bezel has been completely repolished as well. Retaining ring has been machined to allow full function of the friction bezel. Everything is friction/compression fitted together. Gaskets all there and siliconed. Bracelet as been minimally aged and repolished. The build was inspired by a 1970 1675 All Red Hand I stumbled upon on Bulang and Sons. I purchased a non-gilted dial which as I understand it precludes the El Cornino CG's as they were paired together in the 60's. Since I was a matte dial I had to look to 70's era 1675's. For fun, I wanted to include the all red GMT hand so this lead to an early 70's inspired build. While I didn't do so far as to add mass/metal to the CG's to get them taller like a gen nor did I change out the crown, I think it's a pretty nice homage to that era of watch. Maybe once I've enjoyed it on my wrist for a while I will take a look in to swapping out the crown for something better then a stock Cartel. Until then, enjoy some pictures! Thanks for looking!

Help! I’m very close to wrapping up a 1675 Cartel project watch: Reshaped and polished Cartel case Raffles flat case back Clark’s 25-116 Watchman Bezel Assembly (re-polished) Faded Clark’s Pepsi insert Raffles all red gmt hand DG3804B movement Ruby Dial (relumed and new dial feet epoxied on) Raffles hands (relumed) Like I said, I’m very close to getting this done but I’ve bent two retaining rings out of shape trying to press them over my replacement crystal. I’ve tried a few different vises and plastic tubes but nothing worked yet. The crystal fits easily over the rehaute. It isn’t tight but it isn’t floppy. It would fall off if I turned it upside down. Before putting the crystal on the watch, the retaining ring will fit over the crystal, albeit it tightly. Need to use something to push it on (like a tube) but can do this by hand. When I get the crystal on, align the cyclops, then start pushing on the retaining ring, I get it level and and semi tight by hand. Then I set up a gig with a woodworker vise or clamp and squeeze away. At this point, the retaining ring slides on with great force, usually unevenly. I can squeeze it almost all the way down but it must be at this point that the retaining ring is bent out of shape. Seeing that it didn’t work, I disassemble and find the retaining ring has pressed a ridge/groove in one half of the crystal near the base (where it would press all the way down). I’m ordering another new retaining ring to try yet again. In hopes to not waste more money on this process, can someone help me with so guidance, tutorial, or otherwise suggest how to do this better. For what it’s worth, I did it just fine with my 1680. I’m struggling to figure out the differences and what I’m messing up. Any help is greatly appreciated!!

I recently noticed in another post that there might be issues with the complete bezel assemblies purchased off eBay from Clark's or WSO. https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...mt-master-1675 Original post: "The watch has WSO bezel assembly and insert ($70). There is also a clarks spec crystal as well which makes the crystal as tall per the gen and makes the cyclops magnification gen like. I purchased this from a member who got it from Toro. The reason i'm selling this for a little cheaper than usual, is that the bezel will not turn with the metal washer installed for some reason. If you take the metal washer out of the bezel however, then it will turn freely. I do not mind having the bezel fixed as I usually don't turn it anyways, however you are free to do what you like with it. I have no idea whats wrong it and have no tried to fix it. " I had a similar issue with a bezel assembly purchased from Clark's on eBay. Without the spring, it would loosely spin. With the spring, it wouldn't budge. It could be that there is an issue with the spring thickness or the space between the retaining ring and bezel but I solved the issue by milling away fractional amounts of the retaining ring to allow the bezel to float up and down more. So, the bezel on these non-click variation works through friction. The bezel snaps into the retaining ring with a miniature chamfer at the bottom edge (look under a loupe to see it). The spring between these two elements pushes them away from one another, creating friction along the chamfered edge. If the chamfer is too small, no amount of pushing them closer will release the friction. To solve this, I milled more chamfer in to the retaining ring. I set up a jig to maintain a 45 degree angle to a metal grinding wheel, observed under a loupe, and very gently took away fractions of millimeters of material. I tested it repeatedly as I went to get the level of movement I wanted. I'm putting this out there as both a possible solution and for critique from more advanced modder's. Thanks for looking.

I'm working on a budget project - Cartel 1675 case, DG3804b movement, Raffles-Time hand set, Clarks crystal and bezel assembly, Essingler spring bars, and obviously a Ruby's Watch dial. Still hunting for a flat case back. I'm debating how much casework I'll do outside of a light aging. I might just enjoy it as a close-enough homage until I upgrade. In the future, I'd love to upgrade to Vietnam case and bezel assembly along with swapping in an ETA 2893. But my budget requires I stop here for now.

For 1675 GMT project I’m currently working on I ordered a dial from Ruby’s Watch. It is a thing of beauty, head and shoulders above the default dials on a Cartel. The lume is tight and crisp...  Buuut unfortunately it doesn’t glow. While it might not be period correct, I really want my lume to glow when I’m using the watch. So off came that lume and on went my lume. While it’s not as perfect as what was delivered to me, I’m pleased with the slight pillowing, color, and consistency - most especially that it glows. I’ll say, on this dial the binder reacted to the dial marker paint - wanted to melt it right off. Made reluming a bit more difficult. Anyways, here’s some pics of my results. Thanks for looking!

I recently learned Sellita used to be a Swiss manufacturer of ETA movements until the patents ran out. At that point they opted to create their own brand with the same movements. This is to say, when you buy a Sellita you’re essentially buying an ETA with a different name. Pay close attention to what you’re getting on eBay - there are 4 different levels of quality of ETA and several variations of jewel shock protection. I believe the gold colored ones are typically the Economic (lowest) grade while the nickel ones are standard grade. Anyways, this is to say the same movement number is not a one to one comparison.

That's a valid point. Using height #5 minute, hour, and second wheel/cannons along with a DW from a 2836 and a .5mm dial spacer helps with all of that. In any event, Sellita is a solid alternative to ETA and better made the the asian alternatives. The SW220-1 is the Sellita version of ETA 2836-2. The parts are interchangeable and Sellita parts are about 1/2 the price. http://www.ofrei.com/Sellita-Watch-Movement.html

Parts are VERY readily available and cheaper than ETA parts (albeit ETA parts are interchangeable).

Do you need the Day function? If not, I would recommend you buy a SW200 from Otto Frei. Much better quality over the Asian clones albeit for twice the price (but almost half of a genuine ETA).

Thank you for the compliments! It’s my first dial (if you don’t count the many practice print dials a did in advance of it). Hopefully it’s not just beginners luck - I am still very much a novice learning as I go. I posted in hopes to share my learning process and resources in a consolidated location. I would offer one more thing, the mix is critical. I noticed if the lume is too thin, it spreads uncontrollably. If it is too thick, you don’t get liquid tension to create a droplet but rather clumpy texture. I found it was about getting the right amount of that mix onto the oiler, placing it in the center of the marker, and gently spiraling out to the edges. At that point, it’s all about releasing the droplet and letting the surface tension take over, forming the nice pillow-like shape. I’m sure I’ll get thrown thru a loupe (hahaha) when I try to work on reluming my gen 1940’s Wittnauer. The lume job on this has bothered me since I got it like a decade ago. I’ll certainly have to practice up to this one! I’ll post the results in triumph or shame in a month or two

I’m thoroughly enjoying the dial on this JKF 1680 Red Dial Sub - the crown, font, and alignments are all close enough to pass, particularly on the wrist. But what’s been bothering me is the lume. It’s very, very flat. I decided to learn how to relume a dial and hands. I needed a handful of things to get it done: Tutorial on luming: http://forums.watchuseek.com/f6/watch-luminizing-tutorial-673983.html Lume: www.noctilumina.com I contacted Scott at Noctilume for recommendations on mixing a high-glow, “vintage” lume. He was very helpful! Recommended I mix his G15F with AG40F to get a light-yellow appearance but high-glow output. I ended up buying my binder, pigment, oilers, and mixing bowl from him. Tools: - Set of Oilers (fine and medium used most) - Ceramic mixing bowl - Ag40F pigment - G15F pigment - Binder 3 - 3x Loupe - Paint Thinner - Xacto Knife Practice: I used images of 1680 dials, printed and lacquered (to scale) as practice runs. This worked very well for me. I got used to working under the loupe, mixing, and applying lume. In the end I think it turned out quite nice. Clean edges, nice pillowing, and good color consistency. After it cures for 72hrs I’ll reassemble and get back to wearing this. Thanks for looking!

Is there a password or secret email to contact Yukiwatch? I submitted an order with them about 2-weeks ago now and no word in return. I've followed up with emails and tried private messaging them on the forum - nada. Any help, pointers, or ideas people could offer? Thanks!

This is a great post and tutorial! Any chance the pictures can be re-linked or re-posted? They appear as broken JPG files when I view this.

What is peoples' experience with ordering dials + hands from Yukiwatch (http://www.yukiwatch.net/)? I've submitted an order a few days ago, received confirmation that the order was in the cue, but I haven't received anything about payment. I'm asking the collective about what to expect? After the quick orders from TrustyTime and PerfectClones as well as quick responses to questions submitted to Phong, Mary, etc, I expected this would be a similar experience.

I ended up ordering a BP Factory 1680 Red Dial and a Cartel 1675. Looking forward to the 1675 build but I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the BP 1680. What TD is selling MBK/MBW?

Thanks for the reply! The last time I said, “relax, it’s no big deal” I ended up with two kids and a wife... But in all seriousness I’m trying to avoid throwing a couple hundred bucks at something that’ll die in 6 months. I presently have two watches in rotation: - A Junghans Max Bill Mechanical with leather strap for the office and dressing up. - A 1940s Wittnauer Military mechanical with nylon bond strap, SS casing, 15j Swiss movement (services once in 10 years), and never properly sealed for knocking around. Both serve me well but I’m looking for something to replace the Wittnauer as my rough-house watch. It’ll get knocked around with the kids and most definitely wet - whether that be from the 8 months of rain here or plunging my hand in the bathtub to pop a kid out. I like the aesthetic of the Subs. I like the concept of a durable, well-built watch. I somehow really like the idea of getting a replica for 20x less that will serve me as well (or better since I didn’t shell out 20x more). Unfortunately the homages always seem to get something wrong with the aesthetics. They don’t ever seem to look quite as nice. If Reg gets back to me I’ll probably take the plunge and try one out.

Hello, new to the replica marketplace but have been reading as much as possible. I’ve noticed no one seems to be talking about two things I’d like to know more about: reliability and construction of all the parts of a replica. (Please post links of discussion that exist that I haven’t found yet) First, reliability. What should ones expectation be for these replicas? For instance, a Regmariner from Narikaa is in the same price range as an Invicta 9937 ProDiver. Can one assume they will perform similarly over time? At this price range, what is expected to fail after 1 yr, 5 yrs, or even 10 years (if anything)? Comparing the next price level up, how will a Noobmariner V7 perform in comparison to, say, a Steinhart Ocean One? Asked a different way, when buying a replica, are you buying a lesser watch with better aesthetics/branding than a name brand at that price point? Or are you buying a similar quality? Second, can anyone speak to the construction of replicas as a whole? Everyone points out the bezel, band, crystal, and movement but what about: - Dial material - Hand material - Pearl material - Marker material - Luminescent paint type - Rubber gasket material - Type of screws holding the band together - Type of spring bar - And how are these things attached (Elmer’s glue, solder, etc) I get it, it’s a replica marketplace - there is no QC. But there is plenty of opportunity for QC by those buying the watches. Add that extra layer of construction information and follow up on how your watch is holding up after some number of years. Thanks in advance for your thoughts and insights.