My First Build, 1675 Cornino

[ceejay]

Well I am happy with my first build. All my own work and a steep learning curve with many frustrations along the way. Much experience gained with this!

 

As you will notice, not much lume left on the dial through carelesness. This will be relumed in the near future.

A little too much meat taken off the crown guards.

 

I managed to drop the DG3804 movement at one stage resulting in the centre second pivot snapping.

This meant I had to strip the movement and luckily I had a DG2813 movement that has the same seconds wheel.

Reassembling that was time consuming due to having to get 5 pivots lined up in their jewels when the top bridge went back on.

Perserverance payed off

 

I am not perticularly happy with the WSO bezel, I think the indent teeth are poor considering the high price you pay for this bezel assembly.

I will get my little file out and get to work on them.

 

I think the 5.3mm crown looks ok on this when I compare it with the gen. The gen has a little daylight between the crown and guards like this.

I went a little deep into the crown tube area so the crown sits flush with the guards rather than poking out a little.

Nit picking but looks ok on the wrist.

 

Spec:

 

Cartel 1655 case re shape. by me.

Raffletime 5.3mm Crown & tube glued in using BondLoc Titanium Epoxy.

Raffletime hands including that expensive small GMT hand. Hands given a little dried salt water treatment

Ingod dial

WSO bezel assembly

PolexPete DWO

Drilled lug holes with gen spec spring bars. A little more work to do on 1 lug hole as the spring bar doesn't push right through. Also polish end of spring bars.

DG3804 movement.

Raffletime millsub caseback

Clarks plexi crystal slightly aged.

Timefactors Nato Band.

 

Not brilliant pictures, but you get the idea

 

 

[freddy333]

Your hard work shows, especially on the case work. But a few issues stick out -

1. The bezel is too large for the case. It partially covers the crown/CGs, which looks wrong.
2. I get the effect you are going for with the missing hour markers, but I am not generally a fan of the way you went about it. If you really want that look, I think you should remove all the lume or leave it all on. The effect here looks 'manufactured', if you know what I mean.
3. It may be the pics (you need a camera with a macro function), but the datewheel looks silver, which, to the best of my knowledge, was never used in a GMT.

[ceejay]

Yeah, I removed to much metal from the case, that's why the bezel looks too big and the missing lume was me being careless when putting it together.

I will get it re-lumed in the future and may do another case.

 

Regarding the silver date wheel, I just found this https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=190119

 

and this

 

http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/149110-rolex-gmt-master-history-and-reference-pictoral-part-1/

 

Looks like they had white and silver....phew, I got something right

 

Thanks for your comments freddy.

Edited November 21, 2013 by ceejay

[freddy333]

A silver date wheel in a 1675 is still news to me.

[Nanuq]

All gen (except the small arrow) and brushed silver.

[Nanuq]

Couple more:

[freddy333]

1st time I have seen this, but I stand corrected.

[JoeyB]

I used a sliver date wheel as well, read it somewhere, but can't remember where. ceejay, I built my 1675 much the same way as you, using the cartel 1655 and RolexAddict's tutorial, along with my eye. RA said the 5.3mm crown is too small, but I used one as you did, and I think it looks OK. 

 

 

[ceejay]

*Updated*

 

I have not been happy with this and with my experience growing thought it was time for a update.

The DG3804B became unreliable and had poor timekeeping so I stripped it completely and done a full service on it including proper disassembly, cleaning and lubrication of the shock jewels.

While I was at it I removed the hacking lever as per gen. It is running much better now (~ -1min per day). I will regulate it next week when I am in class and pressure test it.

 

Next a bezel and insert came up for sale on the forum that I liked better than the WSO one with a lower profile and the outer diameter was less so it doesn't (to me?) look too big for the case now a little grease and it is perfect!

 

I got the end links from the Cartel 1655 that I started with and opened them up to accept the 2mm spring bars. I also have used the bracelet off this until I source something better

 

I guess a re-lume is long overdue, whether I outsource this or have a crack myself...we shall see

 

Over all I think it's an improvement over the Mk1

 

Before:

 

After:

 

 

 

 

[panerai153]

looks a lot better, but I would definitely do the relume.

[ogladio]

looks a lot better, but I would definitely do the relume.

+1, send it off to Akira who's also in the EU