lhooq Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) First-time poster here, and this is my first time doing anything more drastic to a rep than changing a strap. I've lurked RWG for a while, and felt it necessary to pay respect to those who inspired me. I've had a long obsession with the 1016 Explorer, which is the only Rolex design that's really got a hold on me. Unfortunately, a gen purchase isn't within my reach anytime soon, and the reps for sale are all deficient in one way or another. Reading about Stilty's beautiful franken made me realize that I'd have to work a bit to get the watch I wanted. Gen parts were not in the picture, partly because I wanted to see how cheaply I could do this, but mostly because I'm cheap. Here's how my list of ingredients looked last week, when most of them arrived in the mail. In the background is my old 1016, purchased from Hont. Not a great rep, but it's a dependable beater that I use while swimming. (It also stood ready to donate any parts I might need.) I laid out what I considered to be the essential elements in making a convincing 1016. In order of personal importance, these are as follows: 1. Dial: After looking over the 1016 rep offerings available (esp. Trusty, Trevor, MBK), I found the one that got the most things right was an Explorer sold by Narikaa. Markings are properly sized and spaced, numerals are well shaped, and the text is clearly printed. The only negative is the yellowed minute indices, which -as far I know- are only found on Explorers old enough to also have yellowed text. However, it's not noticeable under most lighting. One added bonus of ordering Narikaa's Explorer was the 21600bph movement. But don't mistake it for a slow movement--it gains 2.5-3s a minute! 2. Lugholes: A 1016 without lugholes is a rep that can be called out from a distance. The Trevor and Trusty examples are drilled, but in the wrong place--too far from the points of the lugs. The MBK has the holes in the right place, but these are expensive and difficult to obtain. I don't have the skills or the equipment to drill the holes myself, so I found a Rolex repair specialist to drill the Narikaa 1016 for me. Note that the 2mm springbars were ordered from Fasci in Australia. I ordered another pair from Yukiwatch, but these had very thin pivots. 3. Crystal: Is there a simpler way of 'selling' a Rolex rep than sticking a thick, thick crystal on it? I assumed the Narikxplorer had a 16200-type Datejust case, so I ordered the Clark equivalent of a Tropic 22. From what I read in pitimany's thread, the crystal would fit a gen 16200 with the bezel needing just a tiny bit of machining. I still don't know what type of rep case I have, but I do know a Clark-22 fits it VERY loosely and was ultimately unusable for this project. Never assume! 4. Bracelet: Given the slightly yellowed markings, I felt a riveted bracelet would be age-appropriate. A good vintage-looking bracelet would also serve as a useful bit of 'layering' (as money launderers call it) to distract from flaws of the case and crystal. I'd heard horrible things about the ones being sold by the usual suspects, so I was very pleased to read freddy333's qualified experience with the Yuki expander. I figured my driller-for-hire could sort out the problems freddy had with the endlinks, and I was right. I'm not sure how my guy did it, but I now have a couple of 2mm springbars jammed in there good, and I don't think they're ever coming out. The final product—for now. And here's the 'Stilty Signature' view of the Explorer. Unfortunately, it's also one of the least flattering shots. Part of that is due to my poor photo setup, and an improperly placed sheet of paper that makes every hole look burnt and uneven. (The lugholes are indeed round.) Second is the absence of the Tropic 22 and its imposing profile. But the most depressing element is the endlinks, which 1) arrived in poor shape from Yukiwatch and 2) suffered from my amateur skills with a needlenose. I'll try to get them tucked behind the lugs; any bending tips would be appreciated! Superfast movement aside, I'm generally happy with how things turned out, especially at a total cost that's cheaper than the Trusty 1016 (let alone the rare and exotic MBK Explorer). I can live with the low crystal and crazy endlinks for now, but I welcome any suggestions on how I might fix these down the road. Edited October 23, 2009 by LHOOQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 LHOOQ, great budget buildup, it looks very nice to my untrained eye!! I officially welcome you into the exclusive "Cheap Ba$tard Society"!! Hopefully your creation will inspire more cheap ba$tards, err, I mean frugal members to dive in to see what they can accomplish "on the cheap". Out to the shop to work on my next cheap "fantasy" which will be a blue dialed SS Sub with gold hands and blue/gold bezel insert... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Very nice. I especially like the job your specialist did on the lugholes. But I don't know about cheap bastard, jmb, by the time you buy the Yuki bracelet, drill the lugs and pay for the watch, you're easily over $200. But it's well worth the expense- there's just no easy way to get a cheap 1016 that looks worth a hoot. next step would be to have a watchmaker regulate the movement- maybe get it a little closer- a $15-20 expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Great work, especially for your 1st time (I assume since this is your 1st post, it is also your 1st franken project). The springbars can be jammed into the end links of Yuki's bracelet, but that is not the proper way to do it. You also risk damaging the end links &/or 1st links in the bracelet since the metal that forms the 'hoop' in the end links is the same metal that connects the end link to the 1st link. But if it works......... Your fast-running movement may just be magnetized (it may also have a crimped hairspring, but that will likely require the services of a watchmaker to diagnose & sort out). Alot of jewelry stores that have watchmakers on the premises will demagnetize a watch while you wait for just a pittance (since it does not require any disassembly of the watch & takes less than 1 minute to perform the work). You might also gently shake the watch to see if you can hear anything loose banging around inside the case. Frequently, 1 of the movement locking screws will come loose & lodge itself in the hairspring, which is a very bad thing (it does cause the watch to run (fast) as you have described). But if you can remove the caseback & locate the balance wheel (the round wheel with the concentric spring below it), you should be able to see the screw if that is the problem. Either way, make sure there are at least 2 screws with small rectangular metal tabs below them that are securing the movement edges to the inside of the case. If not, you may have a ticking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Wow, that's an absolutely fantastic watch, kudos indeed on such a fine build Gorgeous photography as well Welcome to the party Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star69 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 fantastic ! enjoy cheers, Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Alligoat, high-roller, eh? Well, maybe he can be an associate member, I'll let TeeJay make that determination... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 NICE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Alligoat, high-roller, eh? Well, maybe he can be an associate member, I'll let TeeJay make that determination... No need for me to determine, the man is well and truly in the club, with such a fine example Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 OK, but if da goat is correct, well, I can buy 4 Subs for that much!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Heck guys, let's face it, we're all cheap bastards, or we wouldn't be here in the first place! But LHOOQ did a fine job nevertheless and sometimes you have to spend a little more money to get the right look. It's just ironic that the bracelet costs almost as much as the watch itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Verrrrrrrrrrry nice! Both Yuki bracelets I received had damaged endlinks. He has kindly offered to take them back, but I've managed to fix one. I'll send the other back. I was able to bend my Yuki endlinks to fit the VERY thin case on my 6536. It wasn't easy. I used a clear glass table and a lot of thumb pressure. I very carefully examined how the stock links fit into my lugs, and looked the lugs over very carefully to set their profile in my mind's eye. Then looking down through the glass, I pressed the lugs up against the backside of the glass toward me, to create the proper curve/profile as I pushed upward with my thumb. I watched them give a little with a springy action, then pressed just a little harder, adjusting the angle I was pushing with, until I felt them "let go" a little and take a new set. I did NOT press just at the tips of the links, I did not want to "dog ear" them. I was pressing closer in toward the middle. Then I'd fit the links into my lugs and look it over again very carefully. I went through those steps many times for each of the four "points" and I'm very happy with the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 OK, I can't argue that it looks fantastic, he's in on unanimous vote! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 If you measured the lip over which the new crystal will fit, you can use this GS reference to figure out what might, or might not work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcoast68 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 Fantastic job, and fantastic first post!! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 It's just ironic that the bracelet costs almost as much as the watch itself. Yes, but, even with its very minor warts, considering how truly accurate that bracelet is (hell, it even stretches like the gen ) it is 1 of the best buys in aftermarket Rolex parts that I have seen in my 2.5 decades of collecting. And it looks like it came with LHOOQ's watch. What a deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 LHOOQ that build is excellent! Well done and congratulations. That is a fantastic first post! The 1016 looks so classic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselpower Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Great stuff. Thanks for the very informative post. Well may you wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Thanks, everyone, for the kind words and the information. Just to clarify, I'm a more frequent (but still relatively new) poster on the other rep forums, but I thought that RWG was the way to go for vintage Rolex knowledge. Looks like I was right. Cheap is relative, of course, but my total cost is a bargain compared to whatever Stilty paid for his franken (which was well worth it, in my opinion). Without shipping, I spent $111 (GBP 68) on the Narikaa Explorer, $108 on the bracelet, $10 on the springbars (I definitely overpaid), $5.25 for the unused Clark crystal, and $10 for the drilling. (One of the nice benefits of living in southeast Asia is the very low cost of labor!) All in all, a few bucks less than the Trusty 1016's list price for a much closer rep. To be honest, I was tempted to order from Trusty earlier this year, until they insisted I pay $65 for shipping by FedEx. At that point, I started to calculate the minimum cost for a weekend trip to Bangkok to see MBK. I gave that up once I factored in entertainment costs! As for the fast movement, I took it to my watchsmith this morning and he found the balance wheel sticking to something. (See how mechanically challenged I am.) A quick cleaning sorted things out and the 1016's time has matched the clock on my cell phone for the last few hours. More intensive regulation to follow. My watchsmith also said he'd try to fix the endlinks next week as he's a bit swamped with work right now. I made another attempt on one endlink for an hour with taped-up pliers and (now-sore) thumbs. All I got were a few new scratches, unfortunately, so I'll just enjoy a week of having endlinks "with character". Nanuq: Thanks for the tips and the chart. Unfortunately, I don't have any calipers to do a proper measurement, but the crystal feels like it's out by almost a millimeter. freddy333: As ugly as the endlinks look from some angles, they seem to be functioning properly and pivot without any resistance. I wanted to ask you, though, how the links on your gen 7860 feel. The Yuki is a bit stiff, as you can see in the side photo I took! Should I give it a Threepio-style oil bath? I forgot to include a wristshot in my original post. Here it is in the late afternoon sunlight: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted October 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Er... "gen 7860" should read "gen 7206". Can't blame that on my fingers slipping, so I guess I started thinking of a 7836, then mentally switched the '0' and the '6'. Happens all the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Thanks for the breakdown on pricing. If you plan on building a few more of these ofrei.com has the correct spring bars for $24/dozen. Where did you get the crystal from, and I'm almost afraid to ask (don't want to appear rude) how much the band set you back? Again, you've created a nice looking vintage piece that should be extremely comfortable to wear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxlawbr Posted October 24, 2009 Report Share Posted October 24, 2009 Hi LHOOQ, I'm a big fan of explorer I, I have 3, one from Hont, one bought here locally, and one from Timesshop. I`d like to make a vintage one, and I'm planning to use your project as a start. Very nince post, and very nice watch. Congrats. Max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted October 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Thanks for the breakdown on pricing. If you plan on building a few more of these ofrei.com has the correct spring bars for $24/dozen. Where did you get the crystal from, and I'm almost afraid to ask (don't want to appear rude) how much the band set you back? The crystal came from Clark Watch Parts, which goes by the ID of "nostalgia-2000" on eBay. I think I mentioned the cost of the bracelet, which was $108 (or just a few bucks less than the actual watch!) from Yukiwatch. If you're talking about the NATO, that's from RLT Watches. I'm a big fan of explorer I, I have 3, one from Hont, one bought here locally, and one from Timesshop. I'd never seen the one from Timesshop before. On the website, the dial looks like it might be better than Trusty's, but it's hard to tell from the smallish pictures. Would you happen to have any closeups? I'm glad to hear my post was able to help you out. If you want to build on it, you could always go the "vintagizing" route and age the watch a bit, as several people have suggested to me. Personally, I'm OK with a "Back from the RSC" look, as I'll be wearing this at the office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 Aack! I must have had a mental block when I saw the band price the first time! Your band cost more than all of my complete watches except two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted October 25, 2009 Report Share Posted October 25, 2009 This all makes sense but I'm still having vapor lock over the crystal. It's Clarks' equivalent of a tropic-22 but it fits loosely by what feels like a millimeter? How did you ultimately get it to work, and with what parts? Man, I think I need to build one of these! The 1016 is one of my all-time favorites. Nicely done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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