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My new 5512 Explorer Dial from PBDad


EMM

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About 4 months ago, I was looking at the “too rich for my blood” auction sites, and came across this: one of only two 5512s known to exist with an explorer dial, four lines of gilt text, pointy CGs, and, best of all - “floating” minute ticks (no chapter ring):

http://www.bonhams.com/eur/auction/17865/lot/434/

When I saw it, I had to have one, but 78,000 British pounds was slightly out of my price range. So I contacted PBdad, and we put together the following recipe:

Yuki 5513 pointy CG case with 5512 CB

NDT explorer dial (closest we could find) with gilt lettering

ETA 2846

Gen crown and tube

PB sourced hands

Yuki non-stretch rivet bracelet.

Plexi from PB

This wasn’t PB’s easiest project. The aging/assembling of the piece was pretty standard, but the dial needed lots of work - it had a chapter ring, really dark yellow explorer numbers, and thin black surface paint. But PB managed to pull it off. I just got it about 30 minutes ago. I’m more than a little giddy about it. Sorry for my usual bad iPhone pics, but even they will be able to do most of the talking here:

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Still have the plastic on the crystal - TRL looks top notch.

The color of the dial is closer in the first pic below, but the second pic is more accurate otherwise:

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I actually was so excited, I took the wristie before I remembered to take the plastic off the plexi:

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All I can say is wow, just wow. Very impressed with PB’s work, communication, and creativity. There were points where I didn’t think this would be possible, but each time PB figured out a way to make it work.

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The watch head is a work of art :good: , but I think you may need a better bracelet.

Scratch the comment about the bracelet. I thought it was 1 of those cheesy cheap rivets. I missed the Yuki bracelet ingredient.

Well done.

Please don't judge the bracelet by its photographer's skills. ;)

It really is a fantastic piece. I was worried that the small dial = tiny watch, but it's just about perfect size.

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is that the empty pearl that yuki sells on the insert?

No, it's a bad picture of an aged pearl. It's about the same color as the dial numbers, and about a shade lighter than the lume on the hands.

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I get the idea. It's not as pronounced as my pics make it look, but the rehaut is slightly slanted. No way you'd notice it unless you were specifically looking for it, though. The refraction from the plexi edge basically makes it hard to tell what is rehaut and what is plexi.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The wokkiness issue reminds me of MBWs... they made a great case that accepted gen parts with ease, then they tried to cheap out with a new manufacturer and made modding a whole lot harder. So we have a great product turned into a mediocre one in the name of profit... if these guys want more profit, just increase the price... don't cut the quality.

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The wokkiness issue may well be the doomed crystal effect. I cannot remember how good/ bad was the yuki case-set. I recalled the first gen of DW 5513 case set had a thick rehault.

Gilt dialed with NDT case.. next to my gen. Both Bezel Rings are gen.

The flat plexi-glass will make the rehault look much thinner.

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What hands/ crown you use? I would try to find better hands and crown.

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