(Not?) the DarthAlex Sub-C build. Custom 116610

[sneed12]

DarthAlex recently posted on RWI a Sub-C build thread about swapping into a better case (as well as doing a dial marker swap, relume and all sorts of other crazy awesomeness). I got so excited by the thread that I (literally) bought a couple of Sub-C's from Timesshops that night.

They got in a few days ago, and I wanted to try and get this out of the way so that I can concentrate on a build for another member once I get his parts in.

I don't know if the cases I got are the same as the ones that DarthAlex got, and I didn't do exactly the same build. But I'm really, really happy with the results.

OK, so to begin: I got two of these in the mail from China.

Green ceramic bezel with black dial, 21j, pretty cheap. I don't care about that stuff since I'm after the case anyway. I've already popped the spring bar on the top in these pics. SEL fit is good for a rep but nothing exceptional.

Decent crown position, other than that fairly unexceptional. You can see that the caseback doesn't quite fit flush, which is wrong for this model (more on that later). The one thing these cases to have is FANTASTIC rehaut engraving. I mean the best I have ever seen. I'm going to call this the TS case, as opposed to the Noob case.

Font is correct, alignment is correct, size is correct. If it were a little deeper it'd be gen.

So I pop the caseback to find a standard 21j movement:

Nice to find a metal spacer ring, I was expecting plastic.

Now put all that aside. The "donor" watch is this one, my black BK Sub-C w/ skinny hour hand (lumed by RSH, installed by me)

BK's Sub-C is built on the Noob Sub-C as a base watch, with typical BK extras.

I start stripping the watch down, and discover something awesome. Note that neither watch had exceptionally good SEL fit--they were both good but neither was great. However, the Noobmariner bracelet is just a hair wider than the TS bracelet, so it is a TIGHT fit into the TS lugs. Now the SEL fit is excellent. Here's the Noob bracelet on the TS case:

At this point I strip both cases down completely to see what else is going on. Noob bezels are notorious for being impossible to remove, but the TS bezel has enough room that I think you can get at the paper clip retaining wire and remove the bezel itself without bending it (TS is the one with bracelet attached in all pics).

Someone with a more sensitive eye than me is going to have to comment on the CG shape, I don't know which one is more correct, but the TS looks fatter to me.

Lugs are also a hair chunkier, although it's hard to say for certain.

OK, at this point some students came to my office (I'm a college professor) so I had to take a break, and I somehow managed to screw up a bunch of pics in the middle (too out of focus to see anything). So we jump to the finished product here. In fact, the only pictures that came out were of my blue Sub-C (I ordered two cases so I could do both blue and black). The ceramic bezel inserts swapped without any problem at all, they were EXACTLY the same size.

Here's the finished product:

SEL fit was the same way with this bracelet, so with any luck that means the Noob->TS swap will always give good SEL fit

Here's something interesting. Remember how I mentioned before that the caseback doesn't sit flush in the back on the TS case? Well, it turns out that the Noob Sub-C caseback fits the TS case, and it DOES sit flush:

And the rehaut engraving:

Another interesting fact--the noob crystal will interchange with the TS crystal. So I have the TS crystals on their way to Chieftang, and I'll try to do an AR'ed cyclops mod. That and pearls are the only thing these watches are missing, as far as I can see. Maybe I can convince DarthAlex to sell me some of his custom ones.

[sneed12]

I should really clean those watches up and take better pics I'll try to do so next week after the family visit is over.

Also, if anyone needs a new-in-plastic Sub-C bracelet or a green ceramic bezel insert let me know. I have the two bracelets and 1 insert (broke one removing it ) from the TS subs.

[Ylfig]

Looks great.

I guess you'll have to have strict office hours from now on

[sneed12]

Looks great.

I guess you'll have to have strict office hours from now on

I gotta say, man, it's pretty hard to say no to hot 19 year old girls who want to chat/flirt with you... yeah, they're probably just hoping for a better grade, but it's still pretty ego-stroking!

[Ylfig]

Well, if you put it that way then I guess office hours are like 7-11....open all the time

Edited September 30, 2011 by Ylfig

[asf]

Nice write up!

[jcagara08]

cough cough the cough Lugs! cough =)