Franken UPO

[red]

The project took about a year to complete. It started off as a Swiss UPO from Trusty.

First Mod - Pearl was a little too bulbous, so I pried it off and sanded it down a bit. Looks pretty good in my opinion, so didn't look into the gen bezel.

Dial and Hands - Got the dial and hands from Ofrei and off it went to my watchsmith

Watch didn't look right even with the gen parts. So the search for a Chief crystal was in the works. Nothing turned up, and could not get in contact with Chief so....gen crystal.

Opted for gen crown and tube with the crystal order.

My 2 Cents on the Project:

Go for it. From start to finish the project was just under 1k. I have a gen PO (42.5) and the difference between the two are negligible. The 42.5 AR is much stronger than the 45, but I think that has to do with the crystal size.

The things you must do is the AR. This comes before the dial. The UPO dial isn't that bad when you have a nice crystal that allows you to see it. Crown and tube is also a must. While mine didn't strip in my possession it was enough for my watchsmith to bring it to my attention.

[maxman]

Absolutley fantastic thanks for sharing this beautiful PO. Mike

[gran]

FrankenBeautyUPO indeed

Happy Timekeeping

Gran

[stolikat]

Wonderful!! Enjoy!!

[red]

Thanks guys.

I was on the hunt for a 196 project and it seemed that getting the watch to 99% was near impossible. I went to the UPO thanks to Lani's pics, and Ubi's advice. The parts are readily available, and the transformation is relatively painless. There isn't a recessed datewheel to deal with, and you get a great watch at half the price.

[Eton]

Beautiful! Congrats

[OSRep]

Thanks guys.

I went to the UPO thanks to Lani's pics, and Ubi's advice.

Yup you can always count on Lani and Ubi to head you in the right direction. Youve landed up with a FANTASTIC watch there.....Cant wait to get going on a franken UPO

Enjoy it in good health!

[dluddy]

Congrats. Looks great. Only way to go with the PO other than Gen

[red]

Thanks Eton, your PO turned out nicely as well. I am considering that bezel and dial combo as another project.

Thanks dluddy!

[BrianSW510]

Very nice. I'm doing the same build as you, but with a 45mm PO. w/ orange bezel, still missing a few parts though.

[red]

BrainSW - Nice project. I have that combo in a gen 42.5, or I would have done it too.

[krpster]

Very nice! UPO franken project is on my list after I clear off a few lingering projects. Wear it well.