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Movement help for a Yuki 6538 case set


pbdad

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I'm on the verge of buying a Yuki 6538 case set...finally.

But wanted to see if anyone has had any success fitting a non-original 1030 c. Rolex movement in one.

And if so, what movement dis they use and was an adaptor ring required?

My budget is shot on watches for a while and it's going to be some time before I can spring $2K plus on an original ROlex 1030.

So if anyone can shed some light for me if it's possible, or if I'm just spinning my wheels.

thanks for the help!

RIMG0306.jpg

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Congratulations. :good:

Dials can be an iffy proposition since the dimensions of aftermarket dials tend to vary. However, I have 2 of their 6536 cases & 1030s are perfect fits (which does not surprise me since the cases are made for 1030s)

016-2_2__tonemapped_enhand_warm1.jpg

In the case of the gens, both the 6536 & 6538 used the same (1030) movement, so you should have the same experience fitting a 1030 into that case. In my experience, Yuki has been very honest (& honorable) in all of my dealings with them. But, as always, with aftermarket parts (especially in view of my recent 7206 experience), ask the seller specific questions before you buy. You cannot assume anything.

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I noticed Yuki has a "white copper" bezel for the 6542 case set. :Jumpy: I asked if he had the same for a 6536 and so far, no luck.

Man it will be sweet someday to get a bezel that looks original for the 653x. My machined stainless MY bezel is nice, definitely better than no bezel, but I'd love the old "plated brass" look.

Maybe if enough people ask him about it.....??? :whistling:

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A 1030 IS a great movement, but I would think twice before buying 1 from this seller. At least if you expect it to be complete & work as advertised. His buyer rating is only 96.6% & the 1st line in his description is wrong -

Extremely hard to find genuine Rolex James Bond [Ref. 6608] original Rolex 1030 movement.

6608 Bond Sub? :g: I think he meant the 5508, which used the 1530 caliber. :thumbdown:

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thanks, everyone, for your help.

I'm torn if I should get the Yuki and hope to one day get a good 1030 for a decent price, or...

get a MBW 6538 and mod it with a new crystal, a MY bezel and insert, a NDT dial and hands, drill the lug holes, age it and call it a day.

hmmm...

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All it takes is a little sanding & baking

All right, spill it. How'd you get the brassy tint? Mine is polished down and aged so it looks old and worn, but it's all sparkly steel color. I neeeeeeeed that brassy yellow.

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thanks, everyone, for your help.

I'm torn if I should get the Yuki and hope to one day get a good 1030 for a decent price, or...

get a MBW 6538 and mod it with a new crystal, a MY bezel and insert, a NDT dial and hands, drill the lug holes, age it and call it a day.

hmmm...

If I remember, the MBW case is far too thick and the crown tube extends far below the case centerline when viewed from the side. It's not even close to accurate. I'd get the Yuki parts and wait for the movement to come along.

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All right, spill it. How'd you get the brassy tint? Mine is polished down and aged so it looks old and worn, but it's all sparkly steel color. I neeeeeeeed that brassy yellow.

If yours is still sparkly, then you need to sand it some more (medium grade sandpaper will do).

The brassy color comes from baking the bezel (with insert & watch removed of course ;) ) in your home over at 550 degrees until it reaches the desired golden color (30-90 minutes). Just keep an eye on the part & remove it as soon as it 'browns'. (I posted more detailed instructions in a mini tutorial a couple of years ago, but I cannot find it now.)

Or, if you would rather not risk damage or deal with the high temps, I have also achieved similar results at lower temps (375 to be exact) by tossing a bezel in with a few trays full of chocolate chip cookies. By the time the last pan of cookies comes out of the oven, the bezel should be very tasty indeed

chocochips.jpg

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FANTASTIC idea! I had His Zigginess :notworthy: do some serious aging/polishing shaping to get a nice worn look to the knurled coin edges last time it was there, and it came out as nice as those cookies.

But I've been chafing over the steely glint. I need brassy yellow-ness and then I can sleep at night once more.

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As long as I'm recalling correctly (help me out here Freddy) the MBW case when viewed from the side has the crown tube exiting comically low on the side. The tube should be vertically centered in the "meat" of the case, with the crystal/bezel extending above the case deck and the back extending below the case. The MBW has the tube extending from the case way down at the level where the caseback screws on. :thumbdown: Not even remotely accurate. You can spot it across the room.

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Are we all talking about a Yuki case or an MBW? And, in the case of MBWs, are we talking about the 6538 or more recent MBWs (1680/5513 & 1665)?

If MBW makes a 6538 case, I have never seen it so I cannot really help either way. As for the 1680/5513 & 1665 MBWs, things get a bit murky because I believe there are at least 3 versions of each model, depending on the time period. I have what I believe is the most current version of the MBW 5513 (the 1680 uses the same case) & its tube is a bit low

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As for the 1665, I believe the earliest version came from the factory with a working Hev (I believe this is the 1 that Nanuq has). The 1665 I have is about 3 years old & had only an engraved Hev (which I later replaced with a working valve) & I believe mine is the 2nd version. The tube is installed just about dead-center

0531.jpg

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Here's the Big Crown case from MBW, fortuitously provided in another post today.

P1020303-1.jpg

Eeeeeek!!!!!! :shock:

I have never seen that before & what a travesty (& the mineral glass lens just ices an already crummy cake). Yuki, who are also good & reliable people to deal with, is definitely the way to go for a big crown Sub.

This merits repeating - Eeeeeek!!!!!! :shock:

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