theblueprince Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) So i've just got my BK WM9 TT. Nice. Well worth the wait. I've got a gen crown, crystal and insert on it so it looks swish. The biggest problem i can see is the bezel. I assume it must be plated gold, whereas the bracelet midlinks are wrapped. This has resulted in the bezel not looking as good colour or quality as the bracelet and gen crown. Unless anyone can tell me otherwise i will assume that sourcing a gen 18k bezel is a no go. Wholesaleoutlet and watchbandman on Ebay both have solid 18k bezels for sale for about $300. They claim they will fit a gen sub perfectly. So I guess that as the V3 WM9 has gen like construction they will also fit my watch. Has anyone tried a bezel for a Sub or similar (GMT/SD) from these guys and can comfirm or otherwise that they do fit correctly? Edited January 12, 2011 by TheBluePrince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d-rock Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 (edited) A gen or gen size bezel will NOT fit the WM9 retaining ring. You will need to start there for the swap. If the bezel assembly you're speaking of comes with a retaining ring, you're all set. Speaking from experience (actually by mistake) a utility knive razor blade will not only fit in between the case and the retaining ring, it will pop the ring out of the case. Of course, the way BK presses the cystals in, it's not going to come out of the ring easily. At least not without the proper tools or the knowledge on "how to"...both of which I lack. Edited January 12, 2011 by d-rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 As near as Freddy and I can figure out, watchbandman50 and wholesaleoutlet990 are the same seller. Likewise jewelryoutlet550! ewatchparts also. As for the bezel fitting your WM9, all you can do is try. Like d-rock says, you may have to swap out the crystal retention ring. I don't even know if the bezel would fit a gen Rolex- they say it will but they really don't know squat. Certainly you can't tell them it's a WM9- they'd say tough shite. If you told them it didn't fit your gen Rolex, you could probably get your money back less shipping costs, but it's always a challenge dealing with these jerks. When I'm purchasing from these guys, I always try to keep it in the $20-30 range so I can just go on down the road and forget it. But I do like their 24-7030 case tubes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted January 12, 2011 Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 From experience, I'd say it's just not worth trying to do business with Mr.Slimeball. He has been dubbed that for good reason... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 From experience, I'd say it's just not worth trying to do business with Mr.Slimeball. He has been dubbed that for good reason... +1 I never order from him unless nobody else has what I need. You can confirm your orders etc etc, and 4 out of 5 times, you will still receive the wrong items. its amazing that he doesnt have more negative feedback. dizz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highoeyazmuhudee Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 in short dont do it. trust me. i wont bore you or really even want to type out again my experience with his bezel and retaining rings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefcook Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I already tried using wholesaleoutlets (WSO) bezel assembly on a WM9 V1 sub. I purchased a whole kit from WSO including 18k bezel, crystal retainting ring, washer, click spring and bezel insert. In addition I had a genuine bezel insert. To make it short it was very problematic to get these things working. First try: Complete WSO bezel assembly on V1 case. Worked, but the WSO crystal retainer had only a very loose fit on the V1 case. One could pull it off with bare hands and the case was not watertight anymore. Second try: WSO bezel and V1 crystal retainer on V1 case. With both V1 and WSO washers the bezel was not rotatable, without the washer it was spinning freely and the click spring did not work. Third and final try: WSO bezel, WSO washer (slightly thinner) and turned down V1 crystal retainer on V1 case. This worked after taking some material from the crystal retainer to make more room for the WSO bezel. After making the WSO bezel rotatable on the V1 case I wanted to use my genuine bezel insert which was too small for the WSO bezel and had to be glued in place. To summarize it: Leave WSOs complete Kits behind, only get the bezel ring. The rest is crap. Search for someone with a lathe who can make the V1 crystal retainer work with the WSO bezel. Funnily the V1 crystal retainer is a direct swap for the genuine crystal retainer regarding its fit on the case (NOT the bezel ring!), so I assume that WSO's retaining ring is nothing near being 1:1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJo35 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Been there, done that... The easiest thing to do is to find a gen 18k bezel. Below is a picture of my WM9 TT. The gen bezel snapped right on. Interference that prevents turning is caused by the insert rubbing against the top of the retainer ring. Because I did not wish to trim my gen insert, I trimmed the retainer ring until the bezel turned. Eventually I found a gen retainer ring and fixed it properly. It's got a gen dial, gen crystal, gen crown/tube, Swiss ETA 2836-2, BK datewheel, gen retainer ring, gen 18k bezel, and a gen insert. All in all it's not bad for a fake watch, and makes a nice beater. Good luck with your project, JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1watching2 Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Been there, done that... The easiest thing to do is to find a gen 18k bezel. Below is a picture of my WM9 TT. The gen bezel snapped right on. Interference that prevents turning is caused by the insert rubbing against the top of the retainer ring. Because I did not wish to trim my gen insert, I trimmed the retainer ring until the bezel turned. Eventually I found a gen retainer ring and fixed it properly. It's got a gen dial, gen crystal, gen crown/tube, Swiss ETA 2836-2, BK datewheel, gen retainer ring, gen 18k bezel, and a gen insert. All in all it's not bad for a fake watch, and makes a nice beater. Good luck with your project, JJ JJ, looks fantastic! All the gen parts truly are beautiful additions to a great watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theblueprince Posted January 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Thanks all, great stuff. JJ's has the look i want, that solid 18k bezel looks so much better than the plated rep one's. I will source a gen retainer first and go from there.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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