cougaree Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Guys, As you know, I just recently acquired a Navitimer Serie Special watch from another fellow member. The watch already has a gen dial on it and it looks pretty nice, but it has bad movement in it. I'm planning on installing a gen ETA 7750 movement with gen Breitling dw and a set of new hands. However, I would like to do a little more to it than just that. I'm wondering if you can please help me out on these questions. 1. I understand the gen case is brush finished. Is it the whole watch brush finished including the caseback and bezel? Has anyone done this to the rep before? 2. I measured the rep crown to be 6.8mm in diameter. I'm thinking about getting a gen crown. Is it also 6.8mm or smaller? The gen dial installed in the watch looks like to be a vintage dial. I know I can never make this watch more closer to gen because of the bezel edges and number placement and size on the bezel and the caseback, but it still seems to me to be a fun project (I don't mind the sub dial hands to be silver). Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhitesox Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) Mate grab a skyland rep that someone is selling cheaply and either use the 7750 from that or just buy it for the date wheel as this Navi needs a proper date wheel in it. The original case of this model is polished just like it is now it was only the serie special that was brushed (Brushed would have been correct had the dial not been changed out). Also I think the Navitimer old which this dial came from has black hands and a different chrono hand...I don't think it had the B on it but do a google for images. Also do some searches on here as I did one of these ages ago and there should be some info from then.. Good Luck.. Edited August 10, 2011 by bwhitesox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) Actually the hands you have aren't bad. The subdial hands should be black however. Some of the earlier Navi IIs (around 1994) had a straight chrono hand, but that appears to have been changed in 95 or 96. As suggested above, I'd find a Skyland and transplant the movement with datewheel. As for the caseback, see if you can find one from a rep tricompax. It will have the wrong model number, but it will be far more accurate to that model. The only other issue I see with your watch is that the sliderule markings on the dial are gold. The gen dial that you have would have been from a full gold or two-tone model, thus uthey should be silver in your stainless steel case. Not sure if you have AR on it, but that should be something you do as well. Here's a straight handed version. However, notice how the numbering on the 12:00 subdial differs from yours. Edited August 10, 2011 by andreww Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 i'll add a couple of thoughts/comments to the ones above... 1) Importr and PolexPete are great references for modding this piece... 2) Importr brushed his rep Fighter and also owns the gen Fighter... 3) I wouldn't make it into a Fighter (due to the dial) and agree with Andrew that you should consider making it a "regular" Navi - keeping it polished... 4) Mike has access to some gen Breitling crowns - suggest you pm him for details and specs...obviously requires tube change, too... questions - is this a v1 Navi case?...is the old movement high or low beat?...if low beat - you may have problems with mounting the hands on a high beat skyland movement...the v1 Navi has a sliderule that lines up nicely (not perfect) but close...the v2 doesn't...so just wondering if this rep slide rule comes close to aligning with the gen dial markers... either way - nice piece...will be fun to watch the transformation... R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 so just wondering if this rep slide rule comes close to aligning with the gen dial markers... Might be a moot question Rob. If you look at the pics you'll notice that the gen dial has been shaven down to the point where the sliderule markings are undetectable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Might be a moot question Rob. If you look at the pics you'll notice that the gen dial has been shaven down to the point where the sliderule markings are undetectable. damn Droid phone...couldn't see that...thanks, A... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougaree Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Thank you guys for the input! I stock couple gen Breitling dw and a Lello dw, so I'm good there (great to keep spares). I will keep the watch polished then. The current hands are somewhat damaged, especially the running second hand. They will have to go. I'm going to order some rep hands very soon. Unfortunately, no gen hands available. Tricompax caseback is an interesting idea. I will try to source one. I will check with Mike and see what he recommends on the crown. Now I just need to get a gen ETA movt on the cheap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cougaree Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 I need new tube? The watch currently doesn't have screw down crown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 (edited) Yes but I assume that the crown has some sort of gasket that matches with the case tube to keep it air tight. Odds are the Gen crown and rep tube would not be 100% compatible. I'd skip the crown mod anyway, it actually not bad, and anybody who could spot the crown as rep is going to spot a half dozen other flaws first. Do; -Movement -Datewheel -AR -Paint subdial hands black -Replace caseback with one from tricompax BTW, if you polish the caseback you likely wouldn't have a problem trading it for the one you need. From what I've heard, the current Fighters models are no longer shipping with the Fighters caseback, they are now putting the tricompax one on. Thats really all that you need to do. Edited August 10, 2011 by andreww Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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