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I have been considering getting an aftermarket caseback (Yuki & NDtrading both sell the reasonable facsimiles) & having it engraved with the Pan Am globe, but, 1st things 1st. As I was assembling the Phase II watch, I found that I may need to replace the calendar ring. The only part I did not replace even though the parts list shows a different part number for the GMT is the calendar ring. A couple of watchmakers told me they were virtually interchangeable throughout the 103x series, so I did not replace it. It seems the watchmakers may have been wrong. Trouble is that the GMT calendar wheel (the wheel that drives the date wheel) stands a bit taller than the original 1036 calendar wheel & this causes the date wheel to likewise rise slightly above the top face of the 1036 calendar ring The result of this is that the date wheel rises up above the top of the calendar ring's surface & pops out of its channel. Once I snap the dial onto the pillar, the date wheel, which is sitting up a bit too high, is coming into contact with the underside of the dial, which keeps it from revolving. So I am putting the word out trying to locate the correct GMT calendar ring.

Nice watch.. could you let me know where you got the datewheel? I would swap the insert with something better e.g. NDtrading or Yuki or Andy

Natalie's Passion is NDtrading, but I cannot tell you if a gen insert will fit their 5517 bezel (though, from my experience with some of their other parts, it likely would).

Good Afternoon to the Vintage Rolex experts amoungst you,need some advise if possible. Rebuilding a 1655 from Gen parts but missing the Gen hand set,so need to buy a nice set of replacement hands. Who's are best? NDTrading or does Phong at J&W sell anything better.Or is there another souce someone can put me onto. Appreciate your help Denimhead

Phong, in AZ, is J&W & Natalie, in CA, is NDtrading.

Looks good. You can get a case to fit a gen dial (& movement) from Yuki or NDtrading.

JoJo's NDtrading dial is better than the MBW, but neither is 100% accurate. You should seek out some gen examples to compare both dials to.

PS: Here's a pic of mine. Brand new and never used "NDTrading" dial. PM me if you'd be interested, I can save you a few bucks JJ

If it helps, while I have not handled the final products, I assisted DW with these (they are designed to gen specs), so they should be similar to Yuki's or NDtrading's. They were designed to accept/fit only gen parts (not ETA or standard rep dials).

I believe that all the old MBW 1665's had the same serial number. Other members who have one might want to weigh in on this, but it seems like thats from threads posted several years back. If all the serial numbers are the same, replacing the case wouldn't help. Possibly a earlier dial would be the solution. If you are going to get a case with a unique serial number, I think you would have to go the route of a yuki, NDtrading, etc. I believe that they will engrave a number of your choice on the case.I never considered this a problem, as the serial # is hidden by the end links, and I'm not going to let someone take my bracelet off to look!

Great work on the case. Now get yourself a good dial/handset (NDtrading, Yuki, etc) or, at least, have the hour markers on your dial relumed to tone down the shine.

Welcome to the wonderful world of diy watch construction. At best, replica watch cases are not made to any specific standard of quality. Their dimensions & form are dictated solely by what the factory may have available at any given time. For this reason, it is folly to assume that a gen movement (or any other gen Rolex part) will automatically fit anything other than a gen case (exceptions being a few $650-$2,000 made-to-gen-specs aftermarket cases from the likes of NDtrading, Yuki, etc). And even some of the best made-to-gen-spec cases do not always mate properly with gen parts. Building frankens is much more of an art than a science, meaning that the theory (of what should fit) more often proves to be the exception rather than the rule.

A couple of others come to mind- Natalie over at NDTrading Corp, http://ndtradingcorp.com/zen/ Kinda expensive like Phong, but good selection of vintage rolex parts. Jewelryoutlet555 is the sister company to wholesaleoutlet990, http://myworld.ebay.com/jewelryoutlet555/ Good rolex inserts, but not always the best aftermarket parts- buy w/ caution.

This is for planning the next upgrade available for 1665. Hope to learn more from experts... Does MBW 1665 take gen 1570 movements like Yuki/NDTrading? Does MBW spacer ring fit Yuki/NDTrading? Are the caseback interchangeable between MBW/Yuki/NDTrading? Which case set would you recommend? Thanks in advance for your guidance.

5508's are around. But it may be that you might have to consider spending more money for a franken built from parts from Yuki Watch, NDTrading Corp, or Jewelry and Watch. The economy 5508's from the regular dealers aren't very faithful reps, anyway. But with a little modding they can be fun. Keep looking and hopefully you'll find sommething you like. BTW, Consensus seems to be that the true Bond sub was most likely a 6538.

If the case was made to exact Rolex dimensions (like NDtrading, Yuki, etc), then they ought to fit. But most rep cases are nowhere that exact. In fact, most rep cases appear to be 'ballparked', at best. My guess is that things like retaining rings probably will not fit. But I have been (pleasantly) surprised on more than 1 occasion, so it is always worth a try to find out. Keep in mind that the gaskets used in rep watches are usually the lowest quality, so, even if they do fit, I would replace them.

Every aftermarket vintage Rolex dial I have seen glows fairly brightly when activated by a direct light source. And it remains glowing for at least 10 minutes. That goes for dials from NDtrading, Phong, Yuki, Minh Quh, MY, etc. They all (incorrectly) glow. At the same time, all of my vintage gen dials -- either original or later Rolex service replacements (that are more than 30 years old) -- have either no glow or give off a (barely perceptible) faint, green hue that may be seen only in pitch black darkness & only for a minute or 2, at most. So, with that in mind, I just noticed that the only glow emanating from my Tudor Rose Sub comes from the pearl (which came from Ofrei) & hands (which glow a different color than the new pearl). The lume on the dial gives off a (barely perceptible) faint, green hue that I can only see when there is insufficient light to charge my camera's sensors, even at its highest ISO setting & with infinite exposure time. I mean, the dial lume on this thing is just dead (like my gens). This is what it looks like immediately after being charged under direct incandescent light for about 15 minutes The point of all this is that I am once again feeling like this watch, part of the lot scored (just in time & for a song) by a handful of very fortunate RWG members last year, is gen. Because of the dial's 't<25' marking, it is clearly not original equipment (as the watch would have left the Rolex factory saying only 'SWISS'). But it lacks the 1 thing that identifies virtually every other repaint or aftermarket dial - a mistake. Just 1. But there are none. The finish looks gen, the printing (even under my 10x loupe) looks gen, the fonts look gen, even the lume looks gen. I have been through my picture archives at least a dozen times & other than the 't<25', this dial looks like most gen dials. Thoughts?

Actually, the reverse is generally true - the more expensive cases (DW, Yuki, NDtrading, etc), having been designed to gen specs, tend to be the same, whereas cheap copies, being less concerned with dimensional accuracy, tend to vary. I agree with Nanuq, since we know nothing about the parts you have, it is impossible to tell whether or how they will fit together. So your best option is to dive right in & find out. Then report back with good, clear pics.

The 7928 uses the same basic case as the Rolex Sub, so any case made to fit a gen Rolex Sub dial should work. However, I am not sure of the dimensions of the Rolex 390 used in the 7928. Generally, just about any movement can be made to fit any case (of similar design) if you are willing to spend the time, effort & money to do the work (alot of grinding/polishing/test-fitting/grinding/polishing/test-fitting/grinding/polishing/test-fitting, etc). You might check with 1 of the case sellers like NDtrading or Yuki.

I would figure a completed 6538 is going to be expensive- at least $3500. Phong would want $4500 plus. If you do it yourself, yuki case and dial $850 movement and service $1200-1700 hands, say $200 Install 50-100 So a rough estimate is $2300-2850, say. you might do it for less if you get a deal on the 1030 movt. I spent somewhere between $2200-2500 building a 5508 a year ago from NDTrading. I quit keeping trade at some point!

Remember the adage - If you want it done right, do it yourself. Phong's (J&W), NDtrading & Yuki all use essentially the same component sources in their watches. The primary difference is price (Yuki is often cheapest). If you are unable to build a watch yourself, then these assembled frankens are a great alternative. However, you should beware that, like rep watches themselves, QC, from what I have seen (& I am sure Ziggy will concur), is next to non-existent from any of these commercial franken builders. Further, whenever a corner can be cut during assembly, it usually is......& not in ways that a proper watchmaker (or knowledgeable watch collector) would exactly appreciate. With this in mind, I would recommend that if you plan to buy an assembled franken, also plan to have it fully serviced by a professional watchmaker as soon as it arrives. This will allow you to catch most potential disasters before they occur (or before the seller's guarantee runs out) & help to insure a long, serviceable life.

IMHO : Jewelry, Phong , NDTrading = not worth it try yuki watch ? but 1655 is a special case want to use a gen movement ? cheers, Frank

That is an option for standard rep cases, but not for gens, Yuki/NDtrading or already drilled-out frankens. The thin 'bars just rattle around inside the lug hole, plus they do not look right.

Yes, I think that is it (40mm diameter x 16 mm high) A gen 5517 for comparison (40mm diameter x 14mm high) Toss in an NDtrading dial (better, but not exact) & swap out the crown/tube for a gen 24-703 Triplock the crystal for Clark's Tropic 19 (if it will fit the case - someone else might be able to answer that question) the (incorrect) pearl for Ofrei.com's illumines dot the ETA 2836-2 (28.8kbph) for a slow-beat ETA 2846 (21.6kbph - the gen 1520 beats at 19.8kbph) (you will need to search the watch parts houses for this) & strap it to your wrist with Corvus's RAF-style 18mm Bond strap (I would remove the 2nd metal ring, which the original did not have) & you have a pretty nice military Sub for under a grand.

I would love to build a 1655. I had even a Ndtrading case set and subsequently sold to a friend for $300. the hardest bit was the dial, esp getting the Rolex Coronet correct. Here is a pic the Coronet on the dial