MBW Modification: A Bare Essential'ed 1665

[Pre V]

Alright, I must admit this is my 1st time taking on modification of a Rolex rep myself - in the comfort of my own home. The rest of the modding times, I would hang out at the watchmaker's, with tools a plenty, life does seem so much easier.

So it was 6:45am and I was just going through my boxes, and there laid an old-skool MBW 1665 Double Red Sea-Dweller that has been laid there for quite sometime now, alongside a MBW 1680.

Both are in almost original condition with only mods to inserts, tropic, period.

So I was going through this website (url: http://www.bjsonline.com/watches/articles/0012_2.shtml) reading up on Sea-Dwellers, and I dredged out the MBW 1665 from the box, and started making visual comparisons.

So I was looking at this particular SD (pictured above)which is a "Double Red" Sea-Dweller Model ref 1665 ( Patent Pending-MK1 on General Sale ). Upon careful inspection, I was noticing that the crownguards (CG) on this piece caught my eye. Very Sharp, Very pointed, almost like a Pointed Crown Guard (PCG).

Question Mark at my Cranium: "Should I mod the CGs right here right now?"

MBW 1665 pictured with MBW 1680 with unmodded CG

y

So without further ado, I was on improvisation-mode. Don't recall having any tools except for a Polishing Cloth that came with a Greg Stevens strap. Better than nothing? Surely, I am not going to embark polishing a chunk of 316 stainless steel? You know what, I was determined today and started polishing the CGs.

Like an idiot, I was polishing numerous times until an hour later, my fingers were sore --- and you guessed it, Zero, Minimal, anything close to my desired CGs were remotely nowhere to be seen.

Ok, so I head to RWG and started reading articles, and this has to be done with Shaving off the CGs, with tools --- yes proper tools with Numbers on Sandpaper, Polishing Belts....the list goes on.

Now, I am really determined to make this work without leaving the house. So I was in search of some tool which can eat into a chunk of metal, and shape it. There it was, 2 piece of nail filers......you must be thinking, "Hell, you are going to feel so so damn sore later."

It was approximately 7:45am when I started filing down the CGs and at 12:30pm, I finally achieved my desired shape - Sharp, Pointy but less than a typical PCG. However, my resultant CG is still not perfect.

I do need your advice if I have shaven off too much --- from the pictures.

I have filed down the sides of the case till there was no way or tools that I can polish it to the original Mirror finish. The polishing cloth ain't going to cut, still ain't no mirror finish --- Fact.

That aside, at 3:30pm, having seen Ubi did an experiment on an MBW Insert with a mix of spirits, that faded bezel was what I wanted.

Ok, so I did my cocktail, 50% Bleach, 50% Water with a teaspoon of salt, placed the insert in....and mistake : I poured Boiling water into the mix, and there is goes......now I got an ugly Chrome looking insert.....Goodness.....haven't this morning been a toll with the filing and the backcase job? Now this....

To add onto the disaster list, I killed 3 more inserts, all of which turn flat white....

What an experience with Bare Essentials....but I sure do enjoy the process. You Live, You Learn.

Next time, I better be well prepared.

To the pics....

[Star69]

you must shave them on the inside AND outside

this is only possible if you have a dremel-tool to polish the case up afterwards.

and don't take off material at the backside/inside of the CGs - they should have a V-shape ...

all you need are different grade of metal-sand papers and a dremel.

good luck

cheers,

Frank

[freddy333]

Dremels, in my opinion, do too much too fast & it is easy to go too far too quickly without even knowing it. So I would not use a Dremel to shape CGs. Better to use a set of small hobby files (mostly the round file) & do the rough shaping by hand.

I like what you have done with your CGs except that I do not think I have ever seen a 1665 with pointed CGs. 1680, yes, but not a double red.

As for your bleached-out insert, it looks ok to me. That is, if you like that look. Here is a (naturally bleached - by age & use) gen bezel insert for comparison

[Pre V]

Thanks guys, it must have been the different angles of the genuine pics that I have been exposed to, that led me to think.

Freddy, I was using one of your modded CG pics as a reference this morning. I guess the more I shape, the more pointed it got, the more I like..lol!

Oh well, the CG still looks like it needs work. I will bring it back to historical correctness....

BTW, I figured I could do something with the already destroyed inserts with a mix of paint...it's coming out nicely...

Will post it once it's done.....

[Guest avitt]

I like what you have done with your CGs except that I do not think I have ever seen a 1665 with pointed CGs. 1680, yes, but not a double red.

Here are a couple:

[freddy333]

I know that watch & I would not call those CGs 'pointed'. I think they were polished (worn down) that way - to nearly points.

The (front/rear) sides of Delgado's CGs look rounded, while 'pointed' CGs (coming from the factory), when viewed from the side, tend to have nearly angular sides. I could be wrong about this, but I have never seen a pic of a 1665 in a Rolex catalog or service manual/bulletin that had pointed CGs from the factory. Only those that have been polished that way.

Some factory pointed CGs

My beater & its inspiration

[Guest avitt]

Ahhh...I won't argue with that. These were definitely polished down...And looking again at Pre V's pics, they do look quite different from his angular points.

This was the worn look that I was after on my DRSD (I should probably post up a few more pics of that one...It's probably been a couple of years now...)

[freddy333]

.........my DRSD (I should probably post up a few more pics of that one...It's probably been a couple of years now...)

[lanikai]

I know that watch & I would not call those CGs 'pointed'. I think they were polished (worn down) that way - to nearly points.

The (front/rear) sides of Delgado's CGs look rounded, while 'pointed' CGs (coming from the factory), when viewed from the side, tend to have nearly angular sides. I could be wrong about this, but I have never seen a pic of a 1665 in a Rolex catalog or service manual/bulletin that had pointed CGs from the factory. Only those that have been polished that way.

Some factory pointed CGs

Love those pointed CG's..

DL had it done by Ziggy.. looks great !! someday maybe another project with a gilt dial...*sigh*.. the elusive correct gilt dial..

[Tribal]

As Frank stated you have to work the Cg's inside and out.

Outside a dremel will work fine with a rounded sanpaper tool in it.

Inside I prefer some small file to get the right sharp shape.

Reinstall the case tube to work inside,than you have more control

of what you do

[Guest avitt]

Here they are,with an extra focus on the crown guards, to keep things germane to this thread...