relaxman Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I have not asked for too much help over the years but I could sure use it now.. Planing to build a 16800 and currently only have the gen. 3035 movement from a 1984 Datejust that I have had for many many years. It does have the gold date wheel so I will need a new white date wheel as well. Im "assuming" the hardest part to this project is sourcing a good rep case with the appropriate lug holes to accommodate the 3035. I have seen several nice dials on e-bay from NDtrading and one other seller ranging in price from 220-400 I think I like this one My link If any memebers could chime in it would be greatly appreciated. Does the project seem doable?? Oh yea and some one in Atlanta to put it together for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I've got one of these planned as well, and this is the method I'm planning on using: Budget 16610 Sub as the base, which will get the lugs drilled, CGs thinned, and then fitted with a bracelet I currently own. I'm going to decase the movement and remove the hands and dial. Then, I'll remove the existing dial markers, and replace them with custom stickers I have already drawn up. I'll then lume on the stickers, give the dial a spray of matte varnish to even things out, and re-lume the hands. Next, will be removing the bezel pearl, and replacing it with a Yuki pearl, which will have the same lume as the dial and hands, then finally, I'll re-assemble it all, and hopefully, I'll have a 16800, with the only flaw being the text at the base of the dial will say SWISS MADE rather than SWISS T<25. At least, that the plan Best of luck with your project [Edit to add]I might also pick up a budget 5513 to use the domed back as a transplant to the 16610 case (assuming it fits and seals water-tight) just to keep it in the early 16800 transition, rather than the later version with the flat back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relaxman Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Wow Tee-Jay thats some dial project. My shaky hands could never accomplish such a feat.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praetor Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 well, I thought that a 16800 is similar to a 16610, and the only difference is the type of steel used for the case. So you need to start looking for a 16610 case since a 16800 case is difficult, if not impossible to find. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a 5513 case is 39.5mm whereas a 16610 case is 40mm in diameter. So you might have a problem of fitting it a crystal etc etc, if you use a 5513 case as a base. Might as well buy a TW best case from BK, drill the holes, change the insert. However, I would ask BK if gen movement would fit or if not you can send it to JMB to mill it. hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Oh i have one of those And i have a gen insert and pearl sat on the shelf that i bought but it wont fit the noob bezel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relaxman Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 @ Andy looks awesome mate!! @ Praetor I believe you are correct in finding a 16610 case prolly the best route. Hopefully I can find one reasonable to house the 3035. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grifter Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 I looooove those transitional sport watches! the best of both the vintage and the modern! Good luck on your build and please post your progress as I'd love to do a 16800 build one of these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relaxman Posted March 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Grifter, Im with you.. I actually owned one a long time ago when I was @ 21 and sold it cause I needed some money. Still kicking myself!! I hope this little project all comes together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Knowing what i do now i would start with a WM9 v2 case and have the lugs drilled (if you can find someone to attempt that on a case like that, that way the gen insert i have should fit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 Wow Tee-Jay thats some dial project. My shaky hands could never accomplish such a feat.. Thanks, I'm hoping it'll be pretty straight forward, I think the make or break will be how well I can cut out the circular stickers and how accurately I can line them up on the dial As long as that phase is successful, luming them should be relatively simple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 6, 2011 Report Share Posted March 6, 2011 well, I thought that a 16800 is similar to a 16610, and the only difference is the type of steel used for the case. So you need to start looking for a 16610 case since a 16800 case is difficult, if not impossible to find. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a 5513 case is 39.5mm whereas a 16610 case is 40mm in diameter. So you might have a problem of fitting it a crystal etc etc, if you use a 5513 case as a base. Might as well buy a TW best case from BK, drill the holes, change the insert. However, I would ask BK if gen movement would fit or if not you can send it to JMB to mill it. hope that helps. I believe that the steel content of the case changed mid-run, when the dials started using the 16610-style markers, as opposed to the 1680-style, but I may be wrong there... I was only thinking of using the case back from the 5513' but you're quite right, it might not fit. From what I've seen, the earliest 16800s had domed backs, and the next variation was the flat case back, then the different dial, before going the whole hog and becoming the 16610 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creation88 Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Rolex changed the steel from 316 to 904 with the 168000 which ran for about a year in the late 80s. The matte dial was on the 16800 for only a couple of years in the early 80s and then they introduced the gloss dial with white gold hour markers in about 1982. One big "tell" with the rep dials (Yuki etc) is the shape of the coronet. The matte dials on the transitional models (16800 sub and 16750 GMT) had really strangely stretched coronets and the 16800 actually had a silver, not white, date wheel. The caseback is the same as on the 16610. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 Actually the silver datewheels only occurred on the early 16800's- around 6 million SN. After that they were white as on my 7.2 million on the left. I do agree that the coronets on the Yuki and NDT dials aren't as tall as the gens. But finding gen matte dials without paying too much is tough these days. The watch on the right is my 16800 franken with a Ziggy relumed gen dial, open 6's and 9's datewheel, noob case with drilled lugholes and a gen 93150 w/ 593 end pieces. You should be able to fit a 3035 movement in any sub case that takes an eta 2836-2. A noob case is good in that the rehaut is shallower than that of the WM9 V2. The 16800 gen case has a shallower rehaut than the 16610. The drawback to the noob case is the bezel construction- it's nowhere near the gen construction that you see on the WM9 V2 case. Bezel construction on the gen 16800 and 16610 are the same and use the same identical parts- from the crystal to the whole bezel assembly including the insert. Bezel inserts have changed though with tritum inserts going out around 1999 and SL coming in after a brief run of luminova around 2000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 7, 2011 Report Share Posted March 7, 2011 I still have this case sitting around... should fit the bill for you if interested. case is made for the 2836-2, so a 3035 should drop in with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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