Cheapo 1016 v2.0

[lhooq]

A while back, I tried to put together a decent 1016 Explorer out of easily available reps and assorted parts. The results of that project can be found in this thread.

Since then, my obsession with the 1016 has continued to grow. The more I learn about the old Explorers, the more I realize that I will never be satisfied with 1016s based on rep Datejusts. Short of buying a gen, I figured my next 1016 project would involve an MBK (like Lanikai's and Crockey's), a genuine 16200 case (as on Stilty's legendary franken), or even one of Yuki's pricey 1016 cases.

This is not that project!

Rather, this one began with me jumping on the chance to buy Lani's jettisoned MBK dial so I could spruce up my old Hont 1016 beater. It's not a great rep, but it's got a terrific ETA movement that's rock-solid, and perhaps even heart-touching. For the past year, I've taken it swimming at least twice a week, and it always keeps good time. Unfortunately, the dial sucks. It may not be immediately obvious in the picture below, but the text is not a high-contrast white, but more a dull, light grey. Fonts and text sizes are all over the place, and I haven't even said anything about the huge numerals and indices yet.

I followed most of the same steps I took with my original Cheapo 1016: Drill lugholes, replace crystal, but add a dial swap. I didn't go with the riveted bracelet this time for several reasons: I thought the MBK dial looked more modern than Narikaa's, the Yuki 7205 is $40 more expensive now, and I didn't want to go through the headache of ill-fitting endlinks again--especially since I'd be wearing this on a NATO strap 90% of the time! Strange, though, how heavy and bulky the solid-link bracelet now feels to me:

Instead of the smooth-domed Clark "Vintage Tropic 19" I have on the V1, I decided to try a crystal with an edge, and might better resemble a Tropic 22. (As explained in my original thread, a Tropic 22 -either gen or aftermarket- will not fit these reps.) I went with a GS PA462-66 from Ofrei. I thought it would be lower than the Clark crystal, but obviously not! It sits much higher than the crystal on a gen 1016 but the circumferential edge is good to have. The Clark dome is nice to look at, but it gives you all sorts of funny distortions at acute angles that you'll never see on the real 1016. Note that this GS T19 had to have its inner diameter trimmed to fit.

FYI: The outer/inner diameters of the rep crystal are 30.5/28.9 mm. I measured a Clark T22 at 31.1/29.4 mm.

The lugholes are conservatively small, but smooth around the edges. Unfortunately, they were off-target on the upper lugs. This is why I should learn how to drill these myself, or keep a closer eye on the guy doing it! Thankfully, they're not noticeable unless the watch is laid flat, like so:

So was the MBK dial worth the trouble? It won't knock your socks off like a Yuki dial, and it can be sloppy in places (look at the lume edges on the numerals), but it gets all the elements right and holds up better under close-up scrutiny than the Narikaa dial. As an added bonus, the MBK dial has half-decent lume, as opposed to the Narikaa's. Nevertheless, it's a real shame that Narikaa no longer carries Explorers with this dial, as it was peerless in its ~$100 price range.

Now that I've got two 1016 reps, which do I wear? Despite the nicer dial and better-fitting endlinks, I think I still prefer my V1. Maybe it's the curvy dome, or the smooth looks and lightness of the 7206 bracelet, but I find it has a greater presence overall. However, I will continue to wear the V2 around the house, and in the pool (after I make sure it doesn't leak through the crystal!). At least now I won't hesitate to show the time to the swimmer in the next lane, and I'll have a dial that's easier to read at odd angles.

But I'm not ready to drop my 1016 obsession just yet. When I went to my watchmaker to get the V2 this afternoon, he happened to have a 1967 Explorer on his desk that was being repaired. Finally, I had the chance to compare my rep directly to the gen! It didn't take long for me to wish I hadn't, since everywhere I looked I saw nothing but mismatches and imperfections. The expression "Eat your heart out!" had never seemed more appropriate.

[ubiquitous]

Who would have thought that such a simple watch would be so difficult to duplicate!

Indeed, the 1016 is just one of those watches that has such an odd charm and appeal to it. It's as basic in design as you can get, yet the character it holds is quite captivating.

I have to say, your V1 definitely looks much improved after the dial swap! well done

[alligoat]

You know M, it's too bad the Narikaa dial says 'Swiss Made'.

I do think some judious aging on both of the dials would help, esp. Lani's MBW dial. Maybe it would tone down some of the grey dial print.

I do like that gilt yuki dial

I hate having to cut dial feet to put it in a rep.... But I'm not going to spend $2K building a Yuki franken when you can buy a gen 1016 for $3K (thought I saw one for $2750 on VRF this week).

You're drilled lugholes look goood to me!

[lhooq]

Thanks for the compliments, ubi and alligoat, but I think I need to make a clarification: Lani's MBK dial (SWISS MADE) is paired with the solid-link bracelet, and topped with the GS Tropic 19. This is the watch I refer to as V2. V1 is the Narikaa watch (SWISS T<25), with Yuki 7206 and Clark "Vintage Tropic 19". That's the project in my original thread.

I recently saw a completely serviced and refinished 1016 in Singapore, looking as new as it did in '85. Price was SGD 10,000, or about USD 7,000! I think I need to start reading VRF more often, as I'm beginning to really consider the gen. Less than $3000 will be a steal in a few years, I think.

[Gorilladame]

Nice watch!! clean and classic....