melswatch Posted September 10, 2011 Report Posted September 10, 2011 I saw the pics and then immediately passed out...what happened?!?
watcher Posted September 10, 2011 Report Posted September 10, 2011 Not much to add other than amazing work. That is by far the best 1665 I've seen whether gen or franken! Enjoy buddy!!
stac Posted September 10, 2011 Report Posted September 10, 2011 The perfect watch...the perfect build by a master craftsman I finished the exact same project last year...damn you got some good prices! I'm sure Ubi feels the same way I do when it comes to "perfect-builds" The cost becomes irrelivent when you stay true to your focus...and the feeling when you put your creation on for the first time is priceless... Wear it good health! (Ubi...I'd post picks but my granite isn't as nice as yours!)
ebzen02 Posted September 10, 2011 Report Posted September 10, 2011 Can you hear me.........of course not, because I am speechless!
ubiquitous Posted September 14, 2011 Author Report Posted September 14, 2011 Thanks for the very kind words, gang The 1665 has been a fun piece and wears well; took it on vacation to Disney with me and had a nice comment from someone while waiting in line for one of the rides. Definitely a fun piece to have in the collection and also goes well with the 5514! 1
vlydog Posted September 14, 2011 Report Posted September 14, 2011 Hey R! truly looks fantastic. Thanks for the detailed commentary and beautiful photos of this build. Did you use an entire gen bezel assembly for this project?
asf Posted September 15, 2011 Report Posted September 15, 2011 The date wheel is amazing in person! It was so silvery even in low light!
ubiquitous Posted September 16, 2011 Author Report Posted September 16, 2011 Heh... It's kind of funny- I used to obsess about the silver datewheel. And these days, I'm just kinda meh about them
HauteHippie Posted September 17, 2011 Report Posted September 17, 2011 Heh... It's kind of funny- I used to obsess about the silver datewheel. And these days, I'm just kinda meh about them Well you can stop obsessing because you've obtained perfection, R!!! That's a gorgeous shot of the brushed silver DW which itself is to die for!! I also like how I can see the beginning of the 17 in the DW. THAT is vintage through and through!
ubiquitous Posted September 18, 2011 Author Report Posted September 18, 2011 Thanks, chief! I do appreciate it! Well, today I brought the watch in for a pressure test and it passed with flying colors. Not that I do anything more than rinsing, showering and at the most swimming with any of my watches, it's nice to know that they'll all hold up to some submersion time if need be
bwhitesox Posted September 18, 2011 Report Posted September 18, 2011 That is beautiful Ubi and has been one of my grails for a while now although the price is now up around 10k for a prime vintage example which is not cheap. If you were to buy the gen would you settle for any Luminova replaced parts on it?
ubiquitous Posted September 18, 2011 Author Report Posted September 18, 2011 Thanks, D. Hmmm... Interesting question you've raised. For a gen 1665 fitted with lumi parts (i.e. assuming that the dial, hands and insert were lumi service replacement), I'd have no problems buying at $7k - $8k. I've seen tritium dials selling in the $900 - $1200 range for the small and long FT dials; $1800 - $2k seems about right for the rail dials. Tritium hands seem to run around $250 - $300 and a tritium thick font can be had for around $200 - $400 depending on overall condition, fade/tone and pearl color. Once exchanged, the lumi parts can be sold to offset the cost of the tritium parts. If one were savvy (and patient) enough, there could even be a small profit involved; that's after considering the possibility of having paid luminova pricing for a tritium 1665 Timing is everything...
ubiquitous Posted September 19, 2011 Author Report Posted September 19, 2011 Took the watch apart today in between conf calls and did a quick 10 minute CG job.
ubiquitous Posted September 19, 2011 Author Report Posted September 19, 2011 It's in the 'fine tuning' stages of the build
praetor Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 quick question: how do you polish back to a mirror finish? because I find it hard to polish out the scratches from the needle files I used. sorry if this hijacks your thread.
ubiquitous Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Posted September 20, 2011 I use a series of fine grade sandpapers; typically start at 800 and work up to 1500 grit wet. Finish with cape cod for a polished surface. 1
Ephry73 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 Geezus! Ubi, you are definitely very good. From your experience, what CG shape is more appropriate for an early 1665 and a 5514 Prcomex? E
its_urabus Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 I keep coming back to look at the end results of this build. Blows me away every time! Must not covet thy neighbors watch,Must not covet thy neighbors watch,Must not covet thy neighbors watch,Must not covet thy neighbors watch.... Aww forget it, it's no use! You da man R!
woof* Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 Yeah....that coveting will really weigh heavy on ya.... ubi....I just can't believe how cool this watch keeps getting, and I mean that in a non-coveting way..
ubiquitous Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Posted September 20, 2011 Thanks, guys I think the fine tuning part of the build is maybe the most tedious, as I'll adjust something, wear the watch for a few days to see if there's any details that need to be adjusted further or cleaned up and repeat the process. I'll have the watch apart several times in the next few months as I note the areas that need to be addressed. This is where the OCD kicks in Ephry- When it comes to CGs, there were many different types and shapes of guards during the plexi era, compounded by the fact that polishing and wear can change the overall shape as well. In other words, there are many, many variations to choose from. What I typically do is find an example of what I like (aesthetically) and do my best to emulate. e.g.- Here's what I based mine on... And my results... Guards can be a tricky thing to do, as it's very easy to take them too far; there's no going back so it's a job best suited for a quiet moment with lots of mental prep time
Ephry73 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Posted September 20, 2011 Simple enough. Thanks for sharing man. E
bwhitesox Posted September 21, 2011 Report Posted September 21, 2011 R you are an inspiration to us all here and your knowledge of Rolex is amazing.
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