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GMT IIC Ceramic bezel/insert swap? More photos!


panerai153

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I have a several year old GMT IIC originally from king. I have had the dial/ hands relumed, gen crystal with AR, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with swapping out the rep bezel/insert for a gen bezel/insert? 

 

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These reps are 1:1 super awesome exacto copies so it should fit easily and simple. :p to be honest I have ever swaped one of those bezels.

 

Good, Because you are going to get to do your first one :) . the gen bezel/insert, spring, the whole works are on the way to me right now!!

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Good, Because you are going to get to do your first one :) . the gen bezel/insert, spring, the whole works are on the way to me right now!!

 

That case will not take a gen bezel assembly. It's not gen-style construction, it has the paper-clip wire style bezel that clips into the rehaut. It may take the gen insert.

 

If it doesn't work, I have a case that has gen style construction that will take those parts.

 

Mind if I ask how much you paid?

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Back about a year and a half ago, I popped my crystal out of my GMT IIC while trying to get the cyclops off!! I wqas putting some heat on it, just as  I was advised, Not only did the crystal pop out, but it turned the numbers on the insert sort of a pinkish color in the area that got a little hot (Surprised the watch survived my assault). It was at this point that I decided that modding was not my forte. I sent the watch to FxAndy, as he offered to see if he could fix it, and install an AR'ed cyclop from Uwe. In the meantime docblackrock told me that he had a case with bezel/insert for sale. Not knowing if my insert was salvagable, I bought the case from him and he sent it to FxAndy. Andy told me that the bezel inserts on the two watches were not compatible, so I believe he used my old case and bezel and cleaned the insert up. Yesterday, I was curious about the other case, so I dug it out, took the insert off (It was barely glued on) and saw that the bezel construction was exactly as Steed12 described, spring wire clip holding the bezel in place. So now my question is how many different bezel setups have there been on the GMTIIC? Another question, looking at the gen like construction of sneed12's case, there are no indentions around the edge of the case opening, so how does the click spring work with that case, as the gen bezel definitely has a click spring like my rep.IS the bezel just a bidirectional friction fit like the old subs and SD, or is there somethingI'm missing ?

Here are  a couple of photos of the  case set with the bezel off.

 

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 So now my question is how many different bezel setups have there been on the GMTIIC?

 

I personally have seen at least 3. Can't answer for sure how many but I'd be surprised if it was a lot more than that.

 

Another question, looking at the gen like construction of sneed12's case, there are no indentions around the edge of the case opening, so how does the click spring work with that case

 

The indentations are on the outside of the crystal retaining ring, I'll snap a pic when I get home I have it apart right now anyway.

 

EDITED TO ADD PICS

 

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thanks for the additional photos. Too bad all those rep builders that tout their 1:1, Just like a genuine watch, copied directly from a genuine watch ,etc,etc. really are just spouting sales pitches for the most part.

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thanks for the additional photos. Too bad all those rep builders that tout their 1:1, Just like a genuine watch, copied directly from a genuine watch ,etc,etc. really are just spouting sales pitches for the most part.

 

Yeah, the first thing I discovered about this case is that the ID of the crystal retaining ring is larger than a gen--the gen gasket and crystal don't work with the rep bezel assembly (but would with a gen assembly)

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I think Chiman once installed a gen insert on one of these puppies. I could be wrong but I was very tempted when I saw it up for sale.

He definitely did, and I think Concepta did as well. But it was definitely just the insert only, not the entire bezel assembly.

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Actually i think chiman did install it on one of the old CHS gmt2Cs. That GMT2c was reviewed by Dtan if memory serves me right. And chi did it on the GMT2c of the same batch...



Anyway i'm intending to do the same as i have said case and a gen bezel assembly/insert...I'll keep u guys posted but i'm weeks/months away from getting this done

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Actually i think chiman did install it on one of the old CHS gmt2Cs. That GMT2c was reviewed by Dtan if memory serves me right. And chi did it on the GMT2c of the same batch...

Anyway i'm intending to do the same as i have said case and a gen bezel assembly/insert...I'll keep u guys posted but i'm weeks/months away from getting this done

Keep us posted please. this is a pretty popular model, and while genuine bezel inserts are few ansd far between (And expensive!!) there are folks here who really like the watch and would like to make it as gen like as possible. Who knows, a couple of years ago, i looked for months for a gen crystal, they were just not obtainable, now you see then every now and then.

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  • 3 months later...

No, I'm not sure if anyone else has done the genuine bezel/insert deal, but I'm sure there are several members here who are looking for a gen bezel/insert to do the mod. AFA my watch, the only thing that I could possibly do to make it better would be a better dial (It has been mentioned in another thread that the white gold surrounds on my dial are too thick, the gen is thinner). Another mod would be to replace the movement with a CHS movement. I might try to do the dial, movement exchange at some point down the road, but right now, I have a couple of projects In the works, and I'm pretty tapped out fund wise. Summer is the time that my attention turns to house and yard projects, so the watches have to go on the back burner for now. 

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No, I'm not sure if anyone else has done the genuine bezel/insert deal, but I'm sure there are several members here who are looking for a gen bezel/insert to do the mod. AFA my watch, the only thing that I could possibly do to make it better would be a better dial (It has been mentioned in another thread that the white gold surrounds on my dial are too thick, the gen is thinner). Another mod would be to replace the movement with a CHS movement. I might try to do the dial, movement exchange at some point down the road, but right now, I have a couple of projects In the works, and I'm pretty tapped out fund wise. Summer is the time that my attention turns to house and yard projects, so the watches have to go on the back burner for now.

But as I understand you do have a gen bezel and insert installed on your BP GMT IIc case correct? I think I saw it in a thread Sneed started about this build? I could be wrong.

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