jmb Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 With all of the activity on the "no-date" front around here lately I felt left out so I figured I'd build me up one. It still has a ways to go but it will get there (I think) with a couple more mods. I started out with an example that had a very low crystal and no lug holes so I popped out the crystal, drilled the lug holes, and set back in a 30.0 mm dia. x 3.0 mm thick crystal from ofrei. After looking at condemore's fantastic pics of his "budget GMT" I now see I need to polish the edges of the crystal I used as the top has a slight bevel but the sides are "frosted" looking. I still want to either re-shape or replace the crown as it just seems a bit bulky and unrefined, and of course polish the edge of the crystal or maybe even put in a 2.0 mm thick crystal as this one really sticks out a lot farther than I thought it would. Here's what it looked like out of the box. Typical no-date rep with no lug holes: This is after a couple hours in the shop this evening. I still need to finish brushing or buffing it, I haven't decided whether it will be all brushed or have polished sides. One last observation, although this was the cheapest of my cheap subs the case is made of the hardest stainless so far - I broke two cobalt bits drilling these lug holes while the last drilled like butter. I think I'll be buying the rest of my cheapies from this supplier. But, enough jaw-jacking - here we are: Now that I have this done I can devote the weekend to machining hand pressers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 The lugholes look good, now you just have to polish the sides to be correct. Definitely need a 2mm crystal and a 93150 with 501B end pieces from Chris at Eurotimez would be correct for the bracelet- I don't think even the new 14060M COSC has SEL's. Trimming the cg's would help, but your crown (and tube) might be the older rep variety- a few years ago noobs had a similar notoriously big crown. Best fix was a gen crown and gen (or aftermarket) tube at the time. Now days MBK's, Euromariners and WM9's have a decent copy crown and tube which will even interchange w/ the gen parts. Newer noobs even have these copy crown parts these days. You might be able to switch out a smaller rep crown which is a fairly easy swap- crowns just unscrew from the stem- maybe a little heat if it's glued or tough to unscrew. Heck, with a little more work, you could beat Eurotimez to the punch w/ a decent 14060! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I doubt Eurotimez has anything to worry about. I have a crown and tube on order from the same supplier I used for the GMT Master crown and tube swap so I'll change it out when it gets here and also order a 2 mm crystal on the next ofrei order. Hopefully the crystal gasket will stand up to another mangling from me! I guess I don't completely understand what a solid end link is, then. I thought it was an end link that was cast and machined, the ones on this band are basically heavy "sheet metal". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 That's looking awesome, bro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
predfan2001 Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 I could actually deal with a nodate like this as long as it had lugholes. The dial looks pretty good.....but that crystal seems too tall. What collector sells this one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 I'm sorta building it. I thought the crystal needed to be a little taller so I put in a 3.0 mm thick crystal but I went too far. Next ofrei order will have a 2.0 mm thick crystal in it... Either that or I'll put a vintage dial on it, don't the old buggers have a pretty thick crystal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 I guess I don't completely understand what a solid end link is, then. I thought it was an end link that was cast and machined, the ones on this band are basically heavy "sheet metal". Either that or I'll put a vintage dial on it, don't the old buggers have a pretty thick crystal? The band you have now is a SEL. This is the modern band which came out around 2000 and is numbered 93250. Prior to that the 93150 was used like on a Submariner 16610 and it had detachable end links (501B's for the 16610). The 14060 still uses the old style 93150 (I believe w/ 501B end pieces). Here's a sub w/ the old style band: http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLEX-Submariner-DATE-S-Steel-Genuine-Rolex_W0QQitemZ110435397226QQcategoryZ31387QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3907.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26itu%3DUCI%252BUA%252BP%252BFICS%252BUFI%252BIIUM%252BDDSIC%26otn%3D12%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D54 Earlier subs also used this band- 16800's, 1680's 5513, etc. Don't put a vintage dial on this sub- it would be all wrong with the sapphire crystal. Vintage subs had the plastic crystals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 I think I understand about the end-links, now. Since I have to change the crystal again anyway I think ofrei has the plastic ones so I can go with a thinner glass crystal and this dial or if I put an "older" dial on I would need to change to a plastic crystal and non-SEL band, correct? I'll just change the crystal... Geeze, I need beer... OK, right now the crystal sticks up 1.63 mm above the bezel. How much should stick up? Seems I read quite often critical reviews of reps and a grip being the crystal doesn't stick up far enough! This is a 3.0 mm crystal, ofrei has 2.5 mm, 2.25 mm, and 2.0 mm. Which one would "look" the most correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 nice attempt. awesome lug hole drilling i think your bracelet is on backwards tho apply this to a noobmariner with non sels and pop off the cyclops with heat or acetone and itd almost be perfect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Thanks, I've almost got the lug-hole thing figured out - I think... I have to put any more "practicing" on hold until I get some more drill bits as the case on this one had a lot harder stainless than the first and I busted all my drills on it! What happens is all is OK drilling through the solid part of the lug but as soon as the drill starts to break out into the existing inner hole it will grab and snap unless you are either very careful or lucky! I have been rather unlucky even keeping my eye glued to the digital readout on the drilling depth. The drills are not wearing out just grabbing and snapping... You are the first to point out the band being on wrong! It was late and after I took the pix I went to put it on and realized the boo-boo but I was too lazy to put it on correctly and retake pix! I'm not sure what you're saying about the Noob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Sorry to say but your No Date Sub is completly wrong, because the Dial must be smaller also Crystal. It has the same Diameter as the SD. Also the Bezel is smaller on a 14600 No date Sub. I have never seen a Rep with correct dimensions on this Cheers Tribal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Welcome back Tribal, hope you had a nice vacation! I'm afraid you're kinda missing the point here. We all realize the size variations on the 14060- it was discussed in another recent topic where Eurotimez is trying to come out w/ a better 14060- not perfect but better. This is just a watch that jmb is playing with, did a nice job drilling the lugholes, put a no date 14060 dial in there, different crystal, a work in progress. It ain't perfect, but it is better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 OK, I put the band on correctly, buffed the sides a bit, and ordered a 2mm thick crystal. After a new crown and tube this one will be about as done as it gets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Don't forget to trim the crown guards before you install the new tube! Also, a www.watchmaterial.com pearl at $10 is an easy swap and well worth it, IMO. After that, a $70 93150 bracelet from Eurotimez w/ the 501B end pieces and you'd basically be there. That's as close as we can get at this point with what's available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblueprince Posted October 13, 2009 Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Good work, looking swish. I've also joined the no-date club this week but can't claim to have done any of the work myself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2009 Alligoat, probably won't do the band swap as I'm trying to keep this one under $60 (I would have hit my original $50 goal if I hadn't busted the freakin' crystal!) and with another crystal AND the new crown and tube I have on order I'll be right at that amount. I think I'm going to try the "epoxy mod" on the pearl. A nicer no-date watch will have to wait until the eurotimez 98% no-date as available! ;-) That means y'all need to buy a bunch of "hand pressers" from me so I can get the PayPal balance up to where I can afford one! TBP, I am trying to learn so I start out with cheap beaters and attempt to refine and improve them with a strict $ limit. So far I've been successful on some and not so much so on others... My Deepsea Sea Dweller was just so incorrect that I turned it into a franked up "Super Sub" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 OK, put the new 2.25mm thick crystal in and a new bezel insert. I'll add another pic after I whack on the CG and install new crown... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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