jerkstore Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 I just finished building this 1675: Ingredients: Silix old-style 16750(ish) case, reworked Clark's aftermarket 25-116 crystal, shaved to gen spec height and installed with UV lamp/glue Cartel 1675 "1:1" dial, lightly aged Hands aged and re-lumed with vintage patina Base bezel insert, faded _____________________ Even though it has a wire-type bezel construction, I chose to mod this Silix case because it's got the right thinness compared to my gen 1675. Plus it's a little cheaper than the Josh 1655 and the Cartel "1:1" As my first real vintagizing attempt of a full watch, I thought it would be better to start with something I wouldn't be too [censored] about completely screwing up. The donor watch comes with a really annoying dial. The 1675 did not carry a movement with quickset date function--although the later model 16750 did. To set the date, you had to do it the old-fashioned way: winding the hands around and around and around. So, the 1675 dial simply read "Oyster Perpetual". Even when Rolex intoduced the quickset date feature to the 16750's, along with the "Oyster Perpetual Date" label, they did it on a glossy dial with metal markers. So, a matte dial that reads "Date" kind of doesn't fit anywhere--certainly not in a 1675. Even though it is also flawed, for that reason I chose to put a Cartel dial in the Silix case. The original dial is the standard 29mm width, but the 28mm cartel fits OK. A gen spec 26.5mm dial would fall right through the rehaut opening. As for the cartel dial, for some reason the makers chose to stop the minute markers short, before the edge of the dial. If they had just continued them... Oh well, it's still a rep, right? In any case, I have a gen 1675 (that's badly in need of a service). I used it as a model for the case reshaping and as inspiration, along with all the detailed posts that Rolex Addict has made on the subject. Using lots of sandpaper and my new dremel, I spent probably too much time slimming down the lugs, reshaping the crownguards, and adding a beveled edge to the outside edges of the case. I couldn't get the crownguards perfect because (1) they're too stubby, (2) too thin, and (3) they slope down at the top quite abruptly, unlike the gen. Also, (4) I'm new to this. The crown on the gen is also noticeably smaller than my 6mm rep crown. My goal was to vintagize the dial and hands as close to my gen as possible: aged, but not like they were found around the wrist of a dinosaur skeleton. I aged the dial markers using my patented worcestershire sauce/oven treatment. I also had a couple glasses of a nice Rioja to keep me company. To reduce the sheen of the dial, I mixed some cocoa powder with water and dabbed it on the dial face. The bezel construction on the SIlix case is a very reppy wire framework. However, you can fit the 25-116 cyclops with some heavy sanding. I tried to get it as close as possible to gen height. One tip: bezel fading goes faster than you think it will. In my case, less than one minute sitting in bleach got me to a nice shade of powder blue. I was not happy at first, but it grew on me. After looking at gen pics of pepsi 1675's, I'm actually really pleased with it. After spending all that time putting this thing together, I'm going to give it away as a gift! I have a jubilee bracelet soaking in oil right now, and it will be friends with my build real soon. But for now I just have a NATO strap... Here are some parting shots of my latest creation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmj Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Great work. Looks great and enjoy wearing her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denimhead Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Very nicely done indeed, great attention to the detail. And that's a nice tip on aging the lume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Considering how well the case turned out , I think you need a better dial & gen xtal (with proper 2.5x mag ). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerkstore Posted June 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 Considering how well the case turned out , I think you need a better dial & gen xtal (with proper 2.5x mag ). I would love a better dial & crystal... But where to find a 29mm non-"Date" dial? I think PolexPete had one custom repainted by Michael Young, so that might be an option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted June 20, 2013 Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 What movement did you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerkstore Posted June 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2013 It's a DG 3804B that came with the donor watch. Fortunately, the hand stack is correct for the 1675. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
By-Tor Posted June 23, 2013 Report Share Posted June 23, 2013 Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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