lhooq Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 I never understood the obsession with Submariners. Intellectually, I could appreciate the significance of the design, both to the Rolex brand and to the evolution of dive watches. But love? A Seamaster 300 or a Fifty Fathoms would grab my attention, but Subs just left me cold. (One exception: Blue Tudor Snowflakes.) The only similar watch in my collection was a cheapo Trevor DRSD that I never wore and wasn't very good. It was a glaring omission, and one that I was determined to fix--even if there wasn't a whole lot of passion to drive me. The project began in February, when I spotted ChiMan's sales listing for an MBW 5512. It was a mostly unmodified watch that, I later learned, used to belong to miquel. That's real Canadian pedigree! I sent C a PM and even before the deal was confirmed, I started researching the 5512. That was the first time I got excited over a Sub. On Valentine's Day, to boot. (Ugh... I'm a hack.) miquel's 5512, circa 2010: 5512s were in production for the better part of two decades, so there was no shortage of examples on which I could base a project. I kept returning to a Serpico y Laino with a caramel dial and a bluish-grey insert. Beautiful! Unfortunately, tropical dials are still the Holy Grail of modders, so I settled on another SyL: Gilt dial, 5 lines, pointed crown guards. This would be the model and ideal outcome for my project. Later that day, ChiMan responded, saying that the 5512 was mine. That was a relief. I bombarded him with questions about where I could take the project, and where I should source the parts. And, oh, could you work on those CGs and vintagize the dial for me? I really liked the work that C had done on his Cornino, and the dial treatment on his 7922. He said yes and also mentioned that -coincidentally- he'd been thinking about a Serpico dial for the 5512. Game on! The search for the right dial was a real headache, especially for someone who was just getting to know the Submariner. Forgetting about the Serpico branding for the moment, I wanted a gilt dial but couldn't find one without serious flaws. Yuki's was the best available at the time, and even it had mistakes i.e. all four lines of text were in gold. At one point, I was ready to ditch the early-5512 idea and go with a genuine matte dial. Fast-forward a couple of days and I was throwing up my hands in frustration, and thinking that maybe I could live with the stock MBW matte dial, after all. ChiMan was starting to wonder whether my heart was really in it, or if my attentions were diverted by my ongoing V72 Daytona project. I reviewed all my options and realized that only a gilt 5512 would do. That's when C suggested commissioning a dial. If you've seen the new Serpico y Laino 5-line dial on Yukiwatch and wondered how it came about, well... it started here. It was supposed to be a "one-off" dial, but it seems the exclusivity ran out after a couple of months! Yuki finished the dial by mid-April, and it reached C by the end of that month. Very glossy, the text was bolder than I'd like, and there was no flat-topped A, but sheeeit... It's a Serpico! I told C to go ahead with aging the dial. And that's when disaster struck: We were both bummed out by the result, to put it mildly. ChiMan offered to end the project and cancel the sale, if I wanted. I appreciated the offer, but refused to walk away in defeat. A quick search brought some good news: Sometime in March or April, NDT had produced its own 4-line 5512 dial. It was gorgeous, and seeing it was a huge relief. The project was back on! Two weeks later, C successfully vintagized the NDT dial and wrapped up the build by mid-May. So why am I only posting about it now, at the end of July? Simple: Postal strike! Eventually, the 5512 was smuggled out of the rogue state of Canada, spending some time in Texas before making its way to me. Here it is with the NDT 4-liner, following Dr. Chi's special dial treatment: It's a stunning watch, beautifully put together and modded with a keen eye for detail. I'll let let the pictures do the talking, but I want to draw attention to a few features. As mentioned, this started out as a classic MBW 5512. After all these years, the old girl's still got it: You can already see it in the previous picture, but ChiMan’s PCG work was outstanding. As for the crown, I have a 7mm Twinlock earmarked for this project, but the right tube is late to the party. Until then, a genuine 703 will do the heavy lifting. It's the only gen piece in this entire build, so I guess that makes this build a "super-hyper-ultra-franken" in the accepted idiom... The crystal was originally a Superdome T39. I asked C to swap it out for a more modest Sternkreuz T19. This Sears Roebuck-branded 2451 cost me USD 18. I'm obviously pretty pleased about that! (And, no, I didn't order it from their catalog.) My watchsmith had a minor issue in lining up the stem with the tube, but was eventually able to secure the movement with a couple of hand-made clamps. Easy access to skilled labor is... rather nice. The 5512's a versatile wearer, and looks good on either Tropic rubber or a riveted Oyster bracelet. (Both options are historically correct.) The Tropic 20mm with curved ends cost me $40 last year. It's now selling at 4-8x that price, which is faintly ridiculous. The bracelet is a Yuki 7206, taken from my first 1016 build. ChiMan relumed the hands and did a spectacular job of it. I love the hairline cracks in the lume, even if C claims they weren't intentional. As for the insert, it's an old MBW. Blue-gray would have been nice, but I'm more than happy with the charcoal color on this one. I thought about getting a gen, but the prices on VRM make me swoon. Finally, I understand: "O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother the Submariner." Big thanks go to Chi for putting this together for me, and to alligoat for making sure things went where they should go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asf Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Lovely write up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 A real beauty there. Came out excellent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiesn089 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Amazing watch, beautiful dial! I honestly thought it was gen until you posted this write-up. Stunner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cats Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Nice story and a great result. Wear it in good health. Carpe Diem Cats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormTooper4 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Top quality post and a great watch . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Time to turn my cartel watch into something else as it certainly cannot hold a candle to this. Great execution, as usual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Absolutely gorgeous watch. I suspect it is only a matter of time before you buy a gen. Once these vintage no date babies start growing on you ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 M, your attention to detail and persistence are amazing. To say nothing of the level of quality you achieve in building these franken reps. This watch is truly a work of art. Congrats on a job well done. I did notice one thing. The gilt hands are gone, replaced by silver. Did this happen in the conversion over to the 2451? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Wow, that really is a beautiful build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted July 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Thanks for the compliments, all! Don't you love seeing familiar names in strange places? Nothing says Swiss quality like Sears! I did notice one thing. The gilt hands are gone, replaced by silver. Did this happen in the conversion over to the 2451? M, it's a trick of the light, I think. All three hands are unchanged, but they look silver at certain lighting angles. The neat thing is that this effect seems to correspond with the picture of the gen, tropical 5512 in my post. This is Chi's build more than anything, so all credit goes to him. I just happen to be the lucky owner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Original Scope Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Wow, that turned out amazing! Great story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Time to turn my cartel watch into something else as it certainly cannot hold a candle to this. Great execution, as usual! yeah, no kidding! Just when I was really liking my 5512.... M..seriously, that is one heck of a sub you have my friend! It's even better than I thought it would be. You have always gone over the top with your watches and this one proves it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 M, it's a trick of the light, I think. All three hands are unchanged, but they look silver at certain lighting angles. The neat thing is that this effect seems to correspond with the picture of the gen, tropical 5512 in my post. This is Chi's build more than anything, so all credit goes to him. I just happen to be the lucky owner! The gen three line S&L dial on the left has gilt hands now that I look closely. I'd love to know how Chi got a nice pearl into the MBW insert, it looks great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atowatchgeek Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Great write-up and pictures, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Great pics and write-up as usual M! Though not a big fan of straps on subs but that Tropic strap looks really good! I'd love to know how Chi got a nice pearl into the MBW insert, it looks great. M...I have cutting broaches and carefully work on the insert until it fits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sly Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Wow, Very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20Babies Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 great watch! just awesome! Will plan to this after my 1016 and 1655 project.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Don't you love seeing familiar names in strange places? Nothing says Swiss quality like Sears! Yes. The watch (& story) is great, but I almost fell out of my chair when I saw that Sears signature in there. Like having Marilyn Monroe lift her skirt (in that famous NYC street scene over the) to reveal a big Sears logo on her panties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Another convert to vintage no-date Subs. Once you get hold of a good one, there's just something about them that brings you over to the dark side. Nicely done! Verrrrry nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrboombasteke Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 As always, a work of art! Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eton Posted July 12, 2011 Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Looks fantastic, always a pleasure to read, M!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted July 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2011 Thanks, guys! I've been wearing it on consecutive days, which doesn't happen too often lately. Once you get hold of a good one, there's just something about them that brings you over to the dark side. This is exactly right, and why I wanted an MBW, at the very least. I hold my $90 DRSD in my hand and... nothing. But when I grab the patinated 4-liner... Whoa, babe! I fear what Watchmeister said about the inevitability of getting a gen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 Thats very cool. Dial and CG;s are well done! Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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