Help With Big Crown Build

[VesperMatt]

I have been searching the forum the past few days for information regarding a Big Crown Submariner build, and I have found a lot of questions but no real answers, so I was wondering if maybe some of the people who have completed the build could chime in on their experience and guide me a little. I'm sorry if this was answered in another thread and I didn't see it.

I've been collecting watches for a couple years now but what originally got me into them was Sean Connery and his big crown sub. I have no experience with replica watches, although my everyday watch is Orient's interpretation of the submariner. I found out about the MK II Kingston way too late, and the price on the second hand market seems astronomical to me for a brand that is relatively unknown outside of watch circles. I also think that we'll see the prices drop drastically when all 300 are on the market and trading hands.

I am looking for the best interpretation of a 6538 or 5510 big crown sub. I would like something that looks genuine. I've seen cases from Yuki, ND Trading, and another place and (think) I've settled on Yuki's case for price vs quality... but I do see some people who have had problems with the case. Aside from the couple of 'success stories' on their website, is there anyone here who has completed a trouble free build using his pieces?

Originally I wanted to build the watch using a genuine 1030 Rolex movement. It felt to me that the watch would seem less like a replica if I stuck to as many genuine parts as I could. I have access to a genuine 1030 movement from one of my watch guys for a price of $1350, which includes a complete overhaul of the movement. The downside of this would be repairs down the line if it ever breaks, but I feel like it would be worth more money down the line should I ever decide to resell it.

My main watch guy, who I usually bring my watches for service, was originally on board and described it as something 'awesome and would love to do it' when I asked about him assembling the parts. Now, after sending him a link to the Yuki site, he has pretty much crapped on the idea and told me its a waste of my money and that he doesn't think I'd ever be able to get any money back out of it and that he explicitly does not deal with replicas. He said he would still put it together for me, 'albeit reluctantly', but would never sell it in his own store (not that I would ask him to anyways). He also though, is very out of touch with Rolex it seems and had no idea that even big crowns without original parts ie service or aftermarket parts are going for $20k+ I know my vintage guy, selling me the 1030 movement, had a big crown, with service dial and not original hands, that he wants $26k for!

Does anyone have completed pictures of a Yuki or other brand build? Is it worth going for the original Rolex movement or would I be better off just popping in an ETA with the adapter ring, since the watch will be 'worthless' anyways? I am not particularly interested in trying to age the watch or make anyone think it is a genuine Rolex from the 50s (I actually plan to have the serial # engraved '007'), but I would like something that is as true as possible to the original and not something someone would think looks cheap.

And I plan on doing some more searching on this, but seeing as how my watch guy has really crapped on the whole idea of this, how difficult do you think it would be to learn on this watch to build it? I understand I would need a tool to take the case back on and off and I believe a tool to put the hands on. I've googled instructions on servicing a Rolex. Is this something I could do pretty easily, considering I wouldn't be getting into the movement itself?

Thanks, I really appreciate any advice considering I'm new to this,

Matt

[FxrAndy]

Welcome to RWG Mat

good first post! If you fight with the search engine you will find some pretty good examples build by the members here

[JoJo35]

IMO it all boils down to how much you want to spend; trust me, I've been there and done that. PM if you'd like some further insight.

Cheers,

JJ

[VesperMatt]

Thanks for the warm welcome, I just stayed way too late after work combing through the forum's search results.

@JoJo, PM sent! I look forward to gathering some insight. Almost all the 6538 posts have 'ooohs and ahhs' for your watch but unfortunately it seems any post by you is now missing the actual photos of the watch.

Some of the work shown on this website for reps is astonishing. I don't have a huge collection by any means, but it makes me look at my watches and wonder whats really original on them.

[freddy333]

Until I located a gen case, I originally had no problems fitting a 1030 into 1 of Yuki's 6536/1 cases

[VesperMatt]

Until I located a gen case, I originally had no problems fitting a 1030 into 1 of Yuki's 6536/1 cases

Do you have pics of the original case and the Yuki case side-by-side by any chance, Freddy?

Here is what I'm thinking just from what I have gleamed from the boards so far.

- ETA 2824/2 Movement $140.00

- ETA Adapter Ring from Yuki $78.00

- Yuki Case $800 OR NDTrading Case $1050

- NDTrading Gilt Dial $350

- Clark Gilt Hands for the ETA $15

- Repro Riveted Bracelet $150

This brings me at under $1,800 for the ETA movement or I could go with the gen 1030 and be in at about $3k.

I am leaning towards the ETA movement because what I've seen online, most people seem to agree that its not worth it to put in a gen movement. I like to think that the gen movement would help me resell this if I ever decide to fork over the money, but is there any other benefit to it? The fact that parts are difficult to obtain for the 1030 is off putting as well.

Am I forgetting something? Anyone else have suggestions on better components I should be shooting for?

[freddy333]

Do you have pics of the original case and the Yuki case side-by-side by any chance, Freddy?

No side-by-side pics, but here is a pic of the movement being test-fit in the Yuki case

[mir36]

Your search should have brought up Aeromatic's 6538. I keep coming back to this:

Forrestal also has a nice 6538 build.

[perry563]

From everything I have heard from everyone the Yuki case is not the way to go because the rehaut is absolutely horrible...way too woky. You can see it from across the room its so bad. MBW 6538 is just all wrong all the way around and the crown position is too low. I have heard good things about the NDT case sets and from pictures the rehaut looks good. HOWEVER I heard from one of the modders that he has had huge issues fitting a eta movement inside the NDT case. One other point to consider is that all these cases are wrong as compared to the gen since they all lack curved lugs. Personally I went ahead and bought an Andrew big crown sub and sent it to a modder who added a Yuki big crown and tube, aged the dial, recessed the insert, added a Ofrie pearl which he aged, shaved down the crystal which was too high, drilled the lug holes and added 2 mm spring bars and finally lightly softened the case. Result is very nice...case is still wrong but so are all the rest, rehaut is not wokky and I spent a total of 500 bucks. I put the watch on a BOND NATO and all I get are rave reviews.

[Dizzy]

The Yuki 5510 I think it is, has a better rehaut. The 6538 looks really wokky in the pics.