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16660 Franken project but some problems.


deokhoon jun

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Jmb could be a good option. I'm trying to get you some more info. I have a gen crystal but it has a little chip on the edge that fits to the gasket. It may not form a waterproof seal.

You gave me so helpful advice!!! Thank you so much!!

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just a thought, but what about trying to source your parts from BK or George? Weren't they on a mission to release the 1:1 SD a while back? I know I still have a couple deposits tied up somewhere.

Perhaps they may have some prototype parts you could try and use.

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Gen SD has the darnedest design on the crystal is fitted to the case. The rehaut is indeed a independent, removable ring. Using wm9's pics to illustrate this:

Note the independent rehaut ring

GENUINE-ROLEX-SEA-DWELLER-16600--1.jpg

The rehaut ring placed in the case without the crystal

GENUINE-ROLEX-SEA-DWELLER-16600-PAR.jpg

The crystal is fitted in a reversed way compared to the sub, like this

SD_crystal_rehaut_construction.jpg

i.e. the locking down of the crystal is by means of applying the rehaut ring from under it, instead of applying the crystal retaining ring from the top as in the case of the sub. The SD's bezel clips on the SD's equivalent of the sub's "crystal retaining ring" except the SD's "crystal retaining ring" isn't a independent piece from the case. This baby is hard and requires a custom press to assemble as you can imagine. wm9/George once told me I was on my own when it came to assembling the wm9 SD. But then I never see the wm9 SD comes to a reality

bk

Edited by bklm1234
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It will be really interesting to have an SD with similar configuration, specially to use gen crystals and gaskets.

I bet that will never happen E, like Bert said the factories couldn't or wouldn't get the WM9 SD case right because it was so "complicated" so they took the easy way (read cheaper way) and just made it like a sub.

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My thing is say, someone like Phong who sells "high" end stuff. Manufacturing the individual parts based on Gen items should not be too hard. if built separately, to gen specs, then its just a matter of fitting/miking and trimming to achieve that perfect/water tight fit.

Maybe one factory can be better at main case and case back, while another one can produce a better bezel assembly, etc.. I know this opens up a huge ordeal with correct tolerances, etc... but

Just saying ;)

E

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Gen SD has the darnedest design on the crystal is fitted to the case. The rehaut is indeed a independent, removable ring. Using wm9's pics to illustrate this:

Note the independent rehaut ring

GENUINE-ROLEX-SEA-DWELLER-16600--1.jpg

The rehaut ring placed in the case without the crystal

The crystal is fitted in a reversed way compared to the sub, like this

i.e. the locking down of the crystal is by means of applying the rehaut ring from under it, instead of applying the crystal retaining ring from the top as in the case of the sub. The SD's bezel clips on the SD's equivalent of the sub's "crystal retaining ring" except the SD's "crystal retaining ring" isn't a independent piece from the case. This baby is hard and requires a custom press to assemble as you can imagine. wm9/George once told me I was on my own when it came to assembling the wm9 SD. But then I never see the wm9 SD comes to a reality

bk

WOW. never knew it was 2 parts

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I doubt seriously if you could convince event the folks who are making "Replacement cases such as "phong, and the others to make a complicated case like this one. too much hassle, too little demand. Also we aren't talking about a vintage iconic watch like the 1665, which is scarce and very expensive, we are talking about a modern Seadweller that's just out of production. They were available up until the Deep Sea was introduced in 2008. So while they are very nice watches, there are lots of them around and the prices probably aren't going anywhere much for quite a while.

Using an ETA movement will save you a lot but that is still going to be a problem. Even if you fit the movement in so that the stem and crown line up perfecctly, what about the datewheel alignment? I don't think the ETA datewheel is going to line up correctly with the SD's date window. Fonts are going to be different, etc. Personally, I would never undertake this operation, but if yoyu choose to do it, I would do plenty of research before you spend a ton of money.All these projects are fraught with problems, dead end streets and compromises.As long as you know all this going in, it's then up to you to make the ultimate decision.

I'm still pretty skeptical about building one of these using mostly genuine parts. One, you are still going to have a "parts" watch which in and itself will make it less valuable than one that has all the paperwork, boxes, etc.and secondly and probably more important in the long run, you aree going to end up spending more to build one than you would if you went out and bought a good pre-owned.

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