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I've been getting quite a few emails about building a 6542, and I don't think I'm anywhere near an expert on these builds, but there's not a whole lot out there regarding one of these builds, so I figured I'd write up a little tutorial based on info I've scrounged up. Hope it helps! First things first, the case. To start with, The PT 6542 complete watch is not a good base. Nothing on it is gen-spec, or could be made gen-spec. Like I say, I'd go with the 1655 case and grind it down. It's a bigger case, so you could get really damn close by just grinding it down - there's no problems like the stubby CG's on the 5513s. Just do a lot of checking on VRF - find a case you like and make it look exactly like that one. I don't remember what case I used. It was a Silix case, but one of the first I ever bought. From the email I dug up (in 2011), it was a ROL170. I don't know if he has that model anymore, or if you could figure it out from the pictures. I have the pics, and the watch started out as a 6538 (kind of) - it was really, really wrong, and had things like a small crown, wrong size springbar holes, wrong bezel, and so on. My personal recommendation would be not to go with a Silix at all, if you intend on using JoeyB's bezel and insert. They're too nice for a POS Silix rep (even though that's what a few people here swear by). The case is not gen-spec in any way at all. The crystal is glued inside, not outside a lip like gen, the bezel probably won't swap over without heavy modifications, and so on. My recommendation would be actually using a 1655 rep from The Cartel. What I've seen is grinding off the crownguards, thinning the case just a bit, thinning the caseback, drilling the lugs, and retapping for a gen small crown. The reason for this is because the 1655 rep will accept a gen 116 with no trouble, and uses gen bezel construction, so the bezel should swap over with no problem. I would use a gen 116 if you can get one (or a 115, whichever it is - don't remember the exact number) because it really does sparkle and look much, much better than any aftermarket. Next, the dial. I used an Ingod 6542 dial which had the lip ground off. To my eyes, it is closest to gen. However, the lume is awful. My dial arrived with all of the lume basically rubbed off. I would have it relumed by the modder of your choice (either glow or non-glow) and you should be as good as you can get. The dial will need to be glued onto a sort of "spacer" so that it can be attached to the movement. I think it was ground down (the lip) and JB welded onto a flat disc that functioned like a dial spacer. Not sure though. The InGod dial I used was messed with by PB and JMB. Not sure what they did, but I know they both hate me for it! haha Next, the hands. I like Clarks hand, as they look a little more gen (for the old style) than anything I can find. There are flaws (like the minute hand being too short) and the tip on the hour hand is not quite the right shape, as well as the "rectangle" part of the hour hand being too short. If you look at gen pictures you'll see that the hand is a little longer than newer styles - check it out and you'll see what I mean. TBH, I don't remember where I got the small GMT hand. I think I got it from Raffles-Time, but I'm not sure. Next, the movement. I started out using the DG 2804 (or the 2813, whichever is the GMT version) and hated every minute of it. It's not as easy to swap as some people make it sound, and personally I like getting stuff working for a long while, not doing a constant tear down and repair all the time. For that reason, I used the 2836GMT. I know people can bash that movement, but if it's serviced, it shouldn't be a problem. The DWO should be a roulette, which I think someone on RWG is selling for like 20 Euros. Expensive, but worth it. Mine is OK for now, but it really does irk me and I'll probably upgrade it at some point... One of those things, you know. Finally, the bracelet. I would use either a folded 6210 Jubilee or a rivet 6636/7206 (stretch or no stretch). Those would be period correct (the first being custom at Rolex AD and the other being the PanAm standard issue). My recommendation would be to check out some on real auction sites or VRF and find one you like, and mod it to look like that. I think with some case reshaping, a good movement, proper relumed hands and dial, a good roulette wheel DWO and the Joey B bezel and insert, plus a killer bracelet you'd have a top notch 6542. Now go, and make some really awesome 6542s!

I'm thinking this is my next watch. Any comments? http://www.pure-time.com/product/gmt-master-ii-116713-ln-noob-black-dial-on-ssyg-bracelet-a2836/

Some of you may be familiar with these projects, especially one of them... Around August of 2011 I caught the GMT bug, because that was the year of GMTs, much like this year was the year of 1016s. I saw some of the work done by members here and knew I had to have one, but couldn't figure out - did I want 6542 or 1675? Call me crazy, but I always felt the brighter colors of the 1675 Pepsi bezel too garish, and the black inserts too boring. I decided I would go with the 6542 and its beautiful understated acrylic Pepsi goodness... And thus the project started. I had an old Silix rep sub from when I first got into reps which was horribly inaccurate, so I used it as the donor case. I sourced an Ingod dial (black, as I didn't want to draw too much attention to the watch) and a small GMT hand. I decided to use a DG3804, because from what I read here it was a very reliable movement with cheap replacement cost should thing a go south. I also obtained a rep crown and tube and an insert from JoeyB. Gleefully I packed it all up and mailed it to PBDad. He did a fantastic job in a pretty short amount of time (I was impatient) but unfortunately my cheap side came out and I had him not relume the dial, as all of the line from Ingod had rubbed off, leaving the bare dial plate. I figured it would be cake to lume the dial from the top down if he left the crystal unglued. Anyway, one bottle of glue and some messed up hands later, my lesson was learned too late. The watch sat in a pile of gluey parts for the better part of a year, a monument to my frustration and sadness. Around that same time I became fascinated with a custom 1675 which was created for the Transglobe Expedition. Oliver Shepard, leader of the expedition, had wanted a 1655, but felt the dial was too busy and illegible in harsh conditions, but that a GMT would be too fragile with its moving bezel. He had Rolex swap a 1675 dial and movement into a 1655 case, resulting in one of the coolest looking watches ever - the fixed, brushed bezel of an EXP II with the easy to read handset of the GMT Master. Anyway, I set about collecting parts - a Josh 1655 case, a gen 1675 dial, and a Zodiac GMT movement and gen spec hands. I had done some reading on this site and saw that at least one person had made a watch using that movement, as it had gen spec hands and a DW which turns in the right direction. What followed was three long years and five modders later, as each one I sent it to would give it a go for a few months then give up, as the modding of this movement is unlike any other. These parts bounced their way back and forth, doing more globe trotting than I did in two years, before finally ending back up with the modded who started it all - JMB. He tried his best to get the Zodiac movement to work, but in those three years I realized the movement was not to be. Finally, I agreed to a 2836GMT movement swap. At the same time, he was working on my 6542, which he described as a mess (mainly due to my attempt to glue in JoeyBs insert) and convinced me to use a 2836 on that as well. He crafted an amazing roulette DWO and a new insert (the glue had partially eaten away the old insert) and we were in business again. Anyway, long story short - three years, and some of JMB's magic later, I have two very amazing watches. Thanks to all the members here who helped out - first and foremost, JMB, but also the other unnamed members - I'm sure you know who you are... One doesn't usually forget headaches! Haha And now, pics:

I am beginning my first franken build--or really just saving on a gen with with some fake parts: a 1675 with gen case and pre-hacking 1575. I got a hand set and complete bezel assembly from Wholesale Outlet, AKA ewatchparts. Last night I tried fitting the hands to the movement, and they're not even close to the right size. I even took the GMT wheel off the movement and tried fitting the GMT hand with a plastic press, giving it about 20-40lbs of pressure, and it just sat on top. Looks to me like the inner and outer diameter of the wheel and the hand are exactly the same on each, and there's no way it's going on. As for their bezel assembly, which is "guaranteed" to fit gen parts: the insert (which looks pretty good, I have to admit) is about 1.5mm smaller in diameter and is a tight fit, meaning my gen Pepsi is going on without sanding, which I won't do to a gen insert. Granted, this is my first build using gen parts. Am I doing something wrong, or does WSO/ewatchparts just have terrible quality control? Finally, the "complete" bezel assembly, which shows all four parts in the listing, didn't have a tension ring, which adds to my sense that it's not just me...

Weird rehaut, too much room between the CGs and the crown, and a CG profile that's generally a little off. I think this is a high end rep, but would love the experts' take before I report it: 1979 ROLEX GMT MASTER I 1675, Matte Dial, Pepsi Bezel - Stainless Steel

Hi guys, following the description on one of Trusty's listings: http://www.ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_7&products_id=10893&zenid=158642ddbadfb457ca51a119b242ff00 "External Dimension is 1 : 1 against the Genuine... All External Parts are interchangeable with Genuine...." The same description can be seen on the GMT master rep listing. Is it legit ? e.g. could I fit a gen crown and tube without re-tapping and without doing any adjustments ? how about a bezel assembly ? or a gen dial , crystal etc.. (The plan is to buy the rep with an asian ETA, and fit gen tube+crown, gen bezel assembly+insert, gen dial and maybe also gen crystal later on ) Any help will be appreciated. Many thanks! Db

Has anyone found a decent GMT Root Beer from one of the TD's? I have been on the lookout for one. I bought an el cheapo to mod and the crown tube hole is too big for the gen crown that I bought for it.

Hey Guys- Still a noob here but just wanted to see which reps and AD's you think have the best or most undetectable rolex reps? I am looking for something that only a jewler could determine as a rep or as close as reps can get to that. If this really isn't a possibility and it very well could be, then should I just be scouring the forum for franken watches that have the important gen pieces (whatever those may be)? Sorry for the presumable noob questions but I figured it was worth a shot and you guys might hook me up with some valuble info/ lessons in this whole ordeal.

Wanted to share a shot of the family before they get split up. Moving a few out to make room for some newbies.

Posted on Hodinkee today: http://www.hodinkee.com/blog/on-the-block-gold-rolex-gmt-ref-6542-with-bakelite-bezel-at-sothebys-new-york-live-pics As much i don't like gold watches i found this GMT beautiful! I have never knew Rolex made them with that Bakelite bezel color variation and without crown guards. Interesting is the long and slim GMT hand. Thanks!

Good news everyone, I've not run out of parts yet! Here's my interpretation of one of the three kings of old school GMTs. The very underrated and beautifully balanced PAM63. I hope you like what I've come up with this time. This is the third version, v1 & v2 now belong to long-time forum friends. Big thanks to everyone who helped Specifications: -Honpo original thin case 63 w/ full deco 2893-2 movement -Genuine dial -Genuine hands -Genuine crown -Genuine bezel -MM104 crystal w/ Chief cyclops -Lello DW -Custom SS crown tube -My usual CG mods (lever bushing, chamfering, bevel, etc.)

Hi, I'm looking for one (or more) of those little round, brass springs that space the dial away from the GMT gear. Any idea where I can find one suitable for a 2836-2? Do the supply houses carry these? Thanks for your help!

Took only 6 days after I approved the qc pics from tt to get here. Dial was crooked but easily fixed. Not terrible for a cheapy. What I can see and what I've learned here is that the rehaut engraving isn't supposed to be there on a 16710. The bracelet says 72200 and I believe if that's what style its supposed to be the clasp is also wrong and I don't think that bracelet ever came on a 16710. Anything else I'm missing? Its my first cheapy in about 10+ years. Definitely going to have to start a build now that I've got the watch bug again.

I have a "Tritium service dial" that the seller claimed was genuine, and guaranteed that it was never refinished/relumed. Based on what I saw, I believed it to be a genuine Mk5 1675 dial. Do you agree? Here are a few pics: I checked with the usual suspects (at least what they post online currently): Yuki and Ingod appear to rep Mk4's; their coronets are completely different than mine. NDT's is the closest to the pics I posted above, although the text on NDT's is quite different, and so is the sample dial's back. Phong's website wouldn't let me zoom into the one dial he carries that might be close. My dial appears similar to this one, although my lume is in a little better shape. It also resembles the Mk5 example at this RWG post. What are your thoughts? Are there any tests I can conduct to check and make sure it's actually tritium lumed? Or anything else I can use to verify its authenticity? If it is in fact authentic and tritium lumed, where does that place it value-wise with respect to service dials that use luminova/superluminova? Thanks for your help, and apologies for the noobish questions. Happy 4th!

I just finished building this 1675: Ingredients: Silix old-style 16750(ish) case, reworked Clark's aftermarket 25-116 crystal, shaved to gen spec height and installed with UV lamp/glue Cartel 1675 "1:1" dial, lightly aged Hands aged and re-lumed with vintage patina Base bezel insert, faded _____________________ Even though it has a wire-type bezel construction, I chose to mod this Silix case because it's got the right thinness compared to my gen 1675. Plus it's a little cheaper than the Josh 1655 and the Cartel "1:1" As my first real vintagizing attempt of a full watch, I thought it would be better to start with something I wouldn't be too [censored] about completely screwing up. The donor watch comes with a really annoying dial. The 1675 did not carry a movement with quickset date function--although the later model 16750 did. To set the date, you had to do it the old-fashioned way: winding the hands around and around and around. So, the 1675 dial simply read "Oyster Perpetual". Even when Rolex intoduced the quickset date feature to the 16750's, along with the "Oyster Perpetual Date" label, they did it on a glossy dial with metal markers. So, a matte dial that reads "Date" kind of doesn't fit anywhere--certainly not in a 1675. Even though it is also flawed, for that reason I chose to put a Cartel dial in the Silix case. The original dial is the standard 29mm width, but the 28mm cartel fits OK. A gen spec 26.5mm dial would fall right through the rehaut opening. As for the cartel dial, for some reason the makers chose to stop the minute markers short, before the edge of the dial. If they had just continued them... Oh well, it's still a rep, right? In any case, I have a gen 1675 (that's badly in need of a service). I used it as a model for the case reshaping and as inspiration, along with all the detailed posts that Rolex Addict has made on the subject. Using lots of sandpaper and my new dremel, I spent probably too much time slimming down the lugs, reshaping the crownguards, and adding a beveled edge to the outside edges of the case. I couldn't get the crownguards perfect because (1) they're too stubby, (2) too thin, and (3) they slope down at the top quite abruptly, unlike the gen. Also, (4) I'm new to this. The crown on the gen is also noticeably smaller than my 6mm rep crown. My goal was to vintagize the dial and hands as close to my gen as possible: aged, but not like they were found around the wrist of a dinosaur skeleton. I aged the dial markers using my patented worcestershire sauce/oven treatment. I also had a couple glasses of a nice Rioja to keep me company. To reduce the sheen of the dial, I mixed some cocoa powder with water and dabbed it on the dial face. The bezel construction on the SIlix case is a very reppy wire framework. However, you can fit the 25-116 cyclops with some heavy sanding. I tried to get it as close as possible to gen height. One tip: bezel fading goes faster than you think it will. In my case, less than one minute sitting in bleach got me to a nice shade of powder blue. I was not happy at first, but it grew on me. After looking at gen pics of pepsi 1675's, I'm actually really pleased with it. After spending all that time putting this thing together, I'm going to give it away as a gift! I have a jubilee bracelet soaking in oil right now, and it will be friends with my build real soon. But for now I just have a NATO strap... Here are some parting shots of my latest creation...

I don't see these in the Forum very much, but I like them. Out of the box they need AR, lume and maybe a service ...

Hi, I'm looking to buy Rolex -GMT Master 2 116710LN with full black Ceramic Bezel. The watch has to be exact replica with a genuine swiss automatic movement. It has to be water resistance at least 50 meter. Basically speaking, i want the watch to be the top quality that it ever can get. Can anyone help me to find a trusted dealer or seller to buy it? thank you,

I'd like to start on a project to purchase and build either rep GMT Master II 18k/SS 16713 or newer 116713. My initial thought is to get the best available Noob or comparable GMT Master II 18k plate/SS watch. It would need to be a 1:1 so that in the future I could add genuine (or quality aftermarket) parts; i.e. genuine 18k bezel and 18k crown), to enhance the watch. It needs only to have a genuine ETA movement and does not need to be cloned to look like a genuine movement. Once the gold wears from the bracelet, I'll consider either a replacement or get an aftermarket 18k/SS bracelet to complete the Franken project. Are high quality reps of the 16713 still available? Though I've not seen any on any of the TD's websites, I ask because getting either genuine parts or quality aftermarket items seem easier than obtaining ones for the newer 116713. Finally, the watch will need service to make sure the movement is working well and also to replace the factory seals and re-glue and seal the crystal. I would like the watch to meet or exceed 100m in water resistance. (Is 100m unreasonable?) I would appreciate any comments, criticisms or advice you might have to I don’t neglect to consider something important.

I've seen pictures of this ProHunter GMT on both here and RepGeek (posted by projectologist). The AR just seems to be incredible. Not only does the crystal vanish but the cyclops seems to retain the "black hole" effect. I have a ProHunter sub that I don't wear purely because the crystal is terrible. The glare off the cyclops is so bad I can't even read the date unless I turn it to just the right angle. I'd love to somehow get a crystal similar to the one on Projectologists ProHunter GMT on my ProHunter Sub. Does anyone have any idea how to get this done? In his post, Projectologists lists that the crystal was double AR coated on both sides. While I believe it was my gut tells me that the crystal must have also been additionally AR coated under the cyclops to add the blackhole effect. I was thinnking that ideally I would take a crystal that already has an AR'd cyclops, like the ones from BigCrown (I actually have one already) and have the whole thing additional double AR coated. The problem is that it's a gen spec crystal and I'm not sure if that will fit in the noob sub, which the ProHunters are based on. Anyone know whether a gen spec crystal can be stuffed into a noob sub? I thought I saw a tutorial on here where someone shows how to take apart a noob sub and replace the crystal with a Clarks (gen spec) crystal by remvoing it through the case back. Anyone run across this thread? Assuming it fits do you think that double AR coating a BigCrown "black hole" crystal would give me a similar result? My other option would be to take out the crystal that came with my ProHunter sub and have it double AR coated but my gut tells me that's not going to give me the "black hole" effect. Can someone who's knows more about AR than me help guide me in the right direction or just chime in with your thoughts?

I received a GMT Master II Asian Clone ETA 2836 from Marvellous Replica a couple of months ago and am very pleased with it. It ran about 15 seconds fast at first, but I bought the Kello app and was able to regulate it so it's about +5 sec/day. The bracelet was not very smooth at first, but I soaked it in WD40 and that made a noticeable improvement. The bezel has a little slack to it, but it's not bad--only about 1/2 minute counter clockwise. Also, the lack of AR on the cyclops makes the date a little hard for me to read sometimes. The flaw on this particular watch is the lume on the minute hand. The factory put a blue hand instead of a green one. My plan is to have the entire watch re-lumed some day. Luckily, out of site, out of mind so I don't notice it most of the time. A lume shot was not one of my requests during the QC process--but this is my first rep and I've learned--and am still learning!

I finally finished a project I'd been working on since I started in the rep game - a gilt 6542. First I had problems with figuring out which movement to use, then not having a decent dial, and finally not having a small GMT hand or affordable insert. Finally, about two months ago, all of that fell together and I was on my way. By the way, a huge shout-out goes to PBDad, who made this whole thing work together. The dial is an Ingod gilt dial, and while it is not super glossy, it is not entirely matte - kind of like the gen gloss dials I have. It has the OCC marking and the SWISS markings, and IMHO is a pretty good alternative to Yuki, NDT, etc., especially as it is priced at $130. I had to relume it, so I tried to make it look like an early advertisement I saw. I know the 5, 10, 20, etc. markings are too small, but that's how it appeared in the ad so I wanted to make it look like the ad. (The ad was what made me fall in love with the 6542) PB modified the dial (by grinding off the lip) and mounting it to a separate dial ring. This took a lot of ingenuity on his part, so props to him. The hands are a combination of different hands I had lying about - it is a cartel white second hand (for the 1655), a curve-ish hour hand (unknown maker) and a minute hand that matched the gen as far as I could tell for length/lume space. The small GMT hand is Rafflestime, and is pretty close to spec, IMHO. The movement is a DG 3804b, which I am extremely happy with so far. I am now convinced that this is the best movement for PB added a silver DW (which I don't think would have been accurate to the watch originally - I think my two main choices would have been roulette or b/w) but I'm really happy with the DWO. It bugs me to no end to have the numbers either fuzzy or not absolutely center justified, and this one is neither. The numbers are super crisp, even through the magnifier and are lined up perfectly in the datewindow. The case is an old Silix 5510 case. It has the bezel needed for a 6542, and while I did some initial reshaping (filing the lugs down to a normal level, and installing a better, though not gen crown) it was pretty good out of the box. PB drilled the lugholes and to me, it is pretty convincing. I have it on a Hirsch buffalo strap, which makes it a pretty comfy wear, though I am looking for a Jubilee, just to try... I have a 6636 stretch rivet bracelet that goes well with it, too. The bezel insert came from JoeyB. Mine was a custom order, as I wanted it to be really lumed - I know that's not reality, but again, that's how it looked in the ad. He superlumed it for me, which resulted in a really cool (IMHO) aged look. It looks slightly water-damaged, which to me gives it an air of authenticity. Edit - Oh, I forgot to mention - genuine Tropic 116! This crystal is super clear!! I couldn't believe that gen was that much better than Clarks, but believe me, it is! Here's the preliminary pics. More to come soon!

What is the best vintage Jubilee bracelet? I'm kind of curious about one for my 6542 (although I know it is not technically correct, it appears that a good deal of them were either special ordered that way or modified down the line) and would like to get the best possible one I can... Also, I know this isn't the place for it, but if anyone has one they wouldn't mind getting rid of, I'd love to buy it from you.

Does anyone know if the new 2012 Panerai PAM00438 is ever going to be available as a replica?

Hey guys I bought this the other day and tried to put it on a perfect clones GMT master but it doesn't use the same assembly. I don't want to glue it on, it kind of goes on but uses a diff system I think. Can anyone tell me which model I should buy and from which dealer, I can't search because I don't know what bezel this is. Pls let me know if you can, thanks

Any good? http://www.1-pc8838.com/00rlgs00008-ssss-2007-black-swiss-2836-p-12313.html