vlydog Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 A stunning transformation Ubi. Not a huge Omega fan but your pictorial and TLC has brought me closer to this timepiece. I never grow weary of these post. You skills are respected and admired. Beautiful photos to boot.
dluddy Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 My favorite PO combo. I happen to really like the styling of the PO. It's hard to describe because it is such a simple piece but it truly is a beautiful design. You have proved that the 4th Gen can be taken to the limit. Is the 2892 DW easily procured? For your all-in price I expect it is a pretty good value Franken? Nicely done
HauteHippie Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Very nice results. Long ago I started and then abandoned such a project, and have had my eye on used gens ever since. The dial is of course a night and day difference for this franken, and I really do recommend double AR on the crystal at some point simply because it'll really show off that dial. Nice touch with the 2892 DW... And of course, gen bracelets are so underrated. The look and feel is never matched with the rep versions.... save for maybe the EL 3717. Overall, very nice. Please keep me in mind when you sell.
Guest avitt Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Lovely! The bezel was a real breakthrough, as there has never been a suitable pearl for this model.
triplehd Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Absolutely awesome. You're gonna make you go broke because now, I wanna mod the hell out of my 42mm PO too !!!! Wear it well.
ubiquitous Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Posted July 23, 2009 Thanks, gents. This was a fun one to build... But maybe a little too simple to complete The 2892-2 datewheel was a direct fit, and shouldn't be too difficult to find; I'm sure plenty of PAM27/28/29/63 owners who have replaced their's with a Lello wheel will have an old DW that they likely wouldn't mind parting with It should be a direct fit to the 2824-2 and looks the business I should note that the black 2824-2 datewheel is probably the same either way, so if you don't have a 2892 DW, the 2824 DW can be used with the same results. As for total cost- I'm at a little over $1k inclusive of the base watch. Gen crown and AR might bump this up another $100 - $125 so still below the cost of a second hand gen by 45% or so. Maybe not the best value for a franken, but my drive to build was fueled more out of curiosity than cash flow
Steve52 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 This looks awesome Ubi. I wish I had the confidence to do the work myself. My UPO is with Vac getting all this and more. He's also adding the gen crown/tube/HE valve, chief AR, servicing, waterproofing. Your project has made me think maybe I should add the date wheel while he has it apart. Hmmmmmm. Thanks for the thought, and the great pictures!
Pugwash Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 I'm surprised the crystal AR wasn't on the first round of mods. It makes such a difference. And yes, I'll probably copy this list of mods on mine.
Wayward Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Excellent transformation, professionaly executed Ubi...good work!
ubiquitous Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Posted July 23, 2009 I''ll be heading over to the Omega AD's after work so they can size it for me Okay, not really... But I probably will have my usual local independent guy pressure test it for me today I'm surprised the crystal AR wasn't on the first round of mods. It makes such a difference. I'm almost tempted to pick up another 4th gen so I can pop the crystal out and use that one as the AR specimen; this way, I can keep the current 4th gen in tact and wearable while the crystal is getting coated. Then, a simple matter of swapping crystals, getting the other crystal done and then figuring out what to do with the new one. Maybe another project?
Pugwash Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 I'm almost tempted to pick up another 4th gen so I can pop the crystal out and use that one as the AR specimen; this way, I can keep the current 4th gen in tact and wearable while the crystal is getting coated. Then, a simple matter of swapping crystals, getting the other crystal done and then figuring out what to do with the new one. Maybe another project? Yeah, an all-orange one. You can sell it afterwards to cover the costs of this one.
ubiquitous Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Posted July 23, 2009 Well, if I build an all orange pumpkin, the wifey is likely to take it since her favorite accessory color is orange. And since she is in utter amazement over the effects that Chief's double AR provides... Well, I have a feeling I won't be recovering any costs. Rather, it will be another expenditure
Guest avitt Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Yeah, an all-orange one. You can sell it afterwards to cover the costs of this one. Hmm....Maybe if he sold the second one for $1800.
ubiquitous Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Posted July 23, 2009 Anymore, I tend to prefer trading when it comes to modded pieces like this. An exchange for a piece with similar content value and build is easier for me to stomach than trying to sell, justify costs, taking a loss in parts depreciation/write down, etc. By trading with a piece on an even keel, I feel the terms to be a little more equitable for both parties
Eton Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Amazing work, it looks fantastic! It's posts like these that inspire others to embark on their own journey to Franken a watch! Enjoy Cheers
capice Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Deep respect for this transformation Ubi.........Really inspires me to try this too. What I would have thought was that you would change the movement for a gen as well? Any reason why not to? Hats off for this one
ubiquitous Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Posted July 23, 2009 Thanks for the kind comments, gang I certainly do hope that this helps inspire others to give building/modding a try. It's a fun project, though maybe not the most cost friendly; I'm less than halfway to a gen. If you take the base watch out of the equation and factor in what a gen case, movement, etc would cost, the project would be more than what a gen at current secondary market prices would run. I sourced some parts from Ofrei- Others were found elsewhere. It definitely pays to shop around as some parts were picked up for significantly less than what they can usually be sourced at from the supply houses. As for movement- I did consider maybe fitting in an ETA 2892, but cost just didn't make sense for something hidden behind a caseback. The 2824 does a good job in it's own right and I feel it's adequate for this kind of project. Plus, the 2892 is a thinner movement and has a different profile compared to the 2824; the stem may not have lined up center in the tube without some work. A gen 2500 would have been nice with the 25k beat rate, but again, it's cost prohibitive and the issues with fit were a concern. So, all in all, a nice piece to wear and enjoy. This project also satisfied my curiosity as to how a PO might fit into my collection without spending the extra to procure the gen.
pollux1 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 Fantastic work Ubi, a joy to see. The datewheel swap really adds to this and wasn't something I was aware of before.
capice Posted July 23, 2009 Report Posted July 23, 2009 I came acros a few used ETA 2892 and 2824 movements from a guy in Spain, may need service/regulation, can check if they are still available if you want Don;t know about fitting but I guess you know what on what...... But what the heck.it's aclosed caseback so who knows.......? (except for 10.000 RWGmembers Thanks for the kind comments, gang I certainly do hope that this helps inspire others to give building/modding a try. It's a fun project, though maybe not the most cost friendly; I'm less than halfway to a gen. If you take the base watch out of the equation and factor in what a gen case, movement, etc would cost, the project would be more than what a gen at current secondary market prices would run. I sourced some parts from Ofrei- Others were found elsewhere. It definitely pays to shop around as some parts were picked up for significantly less than what they can usually be sourced at from the supply houses. As for movement- I did consider maybe fitting in an ETA 2892, but cost just didn't make sense for something hidden behind a caseback. The 2824 does a good job in it's own right and I feel it's adequate for this kind of project. Plus, the 2892 is a thinner movement and has a different profile compared to the 2824; the stem may not have lined up center in the tube without some work. A gen 2500 would have been nice with the 25k beat rate, but again, it's cost prohibitive and the issues with fit were a concern. So, all in all, a nice piece to wear and enjoy. This project also satisfied my curiosity as to how a PO might fit into my collection without spending the extra to procure the gen.
ubiquitous Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Posted July 23, 2009 Just got back from getting the watch pressure tested, etc. All set to submerge into the H2O depths should the need arise.
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