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A Long Time Coming - New AP Franken


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It is with great pride that I reveal my latest AP franken. Some of the older members may remember the frankens I built a number of years ago. They were based off those original MBW frankens and used seconds at nine cases which required using the rep inner tachy ring.

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Anyone remember the original MBW offering from George?: ;)

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At some point along the way there was some other piece I had to have and so I let it go. And that was more than 3 years ago. Over the next three years I bought parts, lost parts, built one or two more and let those go too. I could never get over not being able to use that darn inner tachy bezel. :bangin:

Fast forward to today and at last I have fulfilled one of my grails a second and better time. This one is a keeper for me.

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(Ignore the white hands, I forgot to tell the watch smith the hands had to be changed so the poor guy had to take it apart and repaint.)

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And what better way to finish than with the obligatory lume shot. :D

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Finally, if you have read this far can someone please remind me which strapmaker's straps work with these cases. This one deserves a better strap. :bangin:

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Guest jsuperman17

Wow meister! I've been wanting to build because it cost effective in terms of getting a 15-18k gen.. But the blue is amazing.. Care to share the specs?

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Thanks for the kind thoughts. In terms of the specs - Cartel seconds at 12, genuine parts - dial, inner tachy ring, crown & tube and subdial hands. The hour and minute hands are reps but have a lot of modifications to allow for proper fitment and shaving down the exterior of the hand tube to make the hour and minute hands in proper proportion at the main pinion. The movement is a stock LWO 283 (2892 with DD module). There are a number of older watches that use this movement so it is readily available. In terms of the "body work" the crown is relocated, outer bezel and case back shaved and of course the entire inner case is reworked to fit gen tachy ring into the bezel and to allow for a new movement ring to properly position the movement in to the mid case.

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Thanks for the kind thoughts. In terms of the specs - Cartel seconds at 12, genuine parts - dial, inner tachy ring, crown & tube and subdial hands. The hour and minute hands are reps but have a lot of modifications to allow for proper fitment and shaving down the exterior of the hand tube to make the hour and minute hands in proper proportion at the main pinion. The movement is a stock LWO 283 (2892 with DD module). There are a number of older watches that use this movement so it is radily available. In terms of the "body work" the crown is relocated, outer bezel and case back shaved and of course the entire inner case is reworked to fit gen tachy ring into the bezel and to allow for a new movement ring to properly position the movement in to the mid case.

Amazing work...Congrats for this beauty...:thumbsupsmileyanim:

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I have a watch with a 2892 movement and DD module, but the subdial layout is 3, 6, 9, with seconds at 3, how can that work with this different subdial layout, is there a different DD module? :)

Cheers! B)

Yes there is a different one. Yours does not allow for date/cyclops either.

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Very nice build man!

I love the way you have "shaved" the hour hand. I should give it a try myslef :thumbsupsmileyanim:

A watch this nice only deserves a gen strap. A nice black croc or a black calf would finish it!

Wear it in good health!

Thanks for your nice compliments. Agreed on the gen strap. Does a gen strap fit on the links of seconds at 12 case?

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Thanks for your nice compliments. Agreed on the gen strap. Does a gen strap fit on the links of seconds at 12 case?

Sometimes it's an easy fit and sometimes the strap needs a little modding.

For instance my own brand new navy hornback fitted without any moddification while a brand new gen black hornback from a customer needed some modding.

I have the same experiance with the regular croc and calf straps. I guess 60% need modding and 40% not

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The AP band straps are very good as well. I have both the black hornback and the black alligator. Both work fine with the AP band and rep link adapters.

What about the caseback? Any modifications? I'm considering shaving mine because it's a big tell.

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