MacTavish Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Hi mates, I'm going to start a new build and I'd like to proceed with a 16610 Old-style case, with lug holes! What is the best and most accurate solution to choose? The ST case? I already have a v5 TC but I compared it today with a gen 16610 with lugholes and the proportions are completely off!! Thanks =) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 The ST case comes way to fat if you ask me. It needs to be filed down considerably to look accurate. I believe a Sean case with drilled lugs would look perfect. Even though a Tc may not look spot on to the original no holes case you still shouldn't rule it out completely as it's a great case set to work with and will be friendly to your wallet. Keep in mind when people are in the wild they have no idea if the shape of the case is within thousands off or not. Good luck on your build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 Nice thing about the ST is it's made to gen spec AFA the interior of the case, and the dial opening. Pretty easy to install gen parts. Matt isn't crazy about the ST case, but he used one to build my 16613. Gen dial, crystal, aftermarket 18k Bezel, gen insert, gen crown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 There's no doubt the ST lugs are too tall (and fat to boot), but like panerai says, the insides and bezel assembly work pretty well. Since you already have a TC V5, getting PBdad to drill the lugholes sure would be easy. I recently picked up a gen R serial 16610- the earliest 16610 from 1988 and I was amazed at how the lugs are very short height-wise. I compared it to my Euromariner (MBW) 16610 with lugholes and there's a big difference. There's no rep cases out there that can match those early 16610 cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 Most older 'lug hole' replica cases used crystals pressed into a gasket like a quartz dress watch along with a spring wire bezel and many of the bezels were 60 click instead of 120. So...if you want something that will take genuine parts, the ST is not that bad a choice. I thought about putting one together using an older replica lug hole case, Yuki dial with luminous dots (no settings), an Eta etc and found: Lug holes drilled too close to the edge to be drilled out. Crystals with 10mm offset date magnifiers instead of 9mm like genuine...this is not too hard to fix though. Shallow and/or conical aka 'wokky' reflector rings (rehaut). Odd ball case tube mounting surfaces machined in the case...flat, drilled similar to oem etc but none were exact. Crown guards that look like they were finished by Jose Goober. Etc, etc... So (again)... If you want a more or less oem spec case...look before you leap. Study up on what is out there. If you want to use a genuine movement and oem spec dial...the ST case is easier to work with compared with a random replica. Tip... It is very hard to drill lug holes in a no hole case...my numerous screw-ups were all the proof I needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbane883 Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 I've worked with a couple of ST cases. I like them. Yes. Drilling holes in a modern sub case is not easy. But its doable. I went through 8 bits drilling a rep sub c case for my homage project: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher62 Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 My old MBK case isn't bad with lug holes. All TC stuff except for the case and the gen 703 crown and tube. JMB will drill them and have it back to you pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacTavish Posted February 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2014 That MBK case set looks really good!! Where did you sourced it? Just a question: I have a dear friend with several gens, included two 16610 -both lugholes and sel version. He will let me disassemble one of them, took the case apart and try to make a copy of it, but I absolutely don't know where and how to get it done. Does anybody knows what kind of machinery I need and has the know-how to make a copy starting from a gen? Only of the middle case, for the caseback/tube/crown/bezel set/insert/dial/hands/movement etc. I will refer to TC/ST and the other suppliers we already know. I'd like to set a small project like HH' 5514 Comex Case set! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quaresma7 Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 That MBK case set looks really good!! Where did you sourced it? Just a question: I have a dear friend with several gens, included two 16610 -both lugholes and sel version. He will let me disassemble one of them, took the case apart and try to make a copy of it, but I absolutely don't know where and how to get it done. Does anybody knows what kind of machinery I need and has the know-how to make a copy starting from a gen? Only of the middle case, for the caseback/tube/crown/bezel set/insert/dial/hands/movement etc. I will refer to TC/ST and the other suppliers we already know. I'd like to set a small project like HH' 5514 Comex Case set! Would be perfect if you could make that project!! i'm in the middle of 16610 proyect with lugholes but still don't know which case I'll use. I have TC without lugs and ST, and I think I'll go for make lugholes in Tc case..I don't like the crown guard of ST Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
preacher62 Posted February 10, 2014 Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 That MBK case set looks really good!! Where did you sourced it? Just a question: I have a dear friend with several gens, included two 16610 -both lugholes and sel version. He will let me disassemble one of them, took the case apart and try to make a copy of it, but I absolutely don't know where and how to get it done. Does anybody knows what kind of machinery I need and has the know-how to make a copy starting from a gen? Only of the middle case, for the caseback/tube/crown/bezel set/insert/dial/hands/movement etc. I will refer to TC/ST and the other suppliers we already know. I'd like to set a small project like HH' 5514 Comex Case set! I purchased the case from Chris, at Eurotimez, when he was still in business. He was a TD, several years ago, but just disappeared off the grid. My 16610 has gone through a metamorphosis, of sorts. I originally bought a Noobmariner, like so many others. Then I bought the MBK case and put all the Noob guts in it. (The Noob dial and hands were considered some of the best around 4 - 5 years ago.) Then I had the lugs drilled and put the gen crown and tube in. Last I purchased the bracelet combo and dial and hands combo from TC to upgrade it a little more. I think it's done. I don't wear it very much. I like the vintage pieces better. Got way too much in it. But that's the hobby..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rillz Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 For a mimic of a 2000-2002 submariner with SEL and lug holes, would a TC with drilled lugs be correct? Thinking rehaut depth etc. Love the combo of SEL and lug holes. Modern and vintage at the same time.. nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 @ rillesnille- the TC case is really the only case at this point that's still available. ST, Sean, etc are all gone and the only way to pick one up is thru M2M sales. My 16610 with lugholes is kind of like preacher62s- came from Eurotimez also, but had lugholes which had to be drilled to spec size, put a swiss eta in there, finally got a WM9 dial and hands with the good lume, rebuilt the bezel assembly with a gen crystal retention ring and aftermarket bezel, WM pearl and a 93150 with the 501B end pieces. Watch is WR but don't know if I'll go diving with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigelow Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 There are definitely flaws with my ST case, as was mentioned. Crown guards and mugs are off. But I may have those fixed down the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 IMHO...Sean older first batch case with drilled lug holes by the king of lug holes himself...JMB! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 That early Sean case looks like a gen Rolex. I got an R serial last year and I was amazed at how thin the case was- similar to the 16800 cases My Eurotimez/MBW case is much thicker. But when TC is the only good case around, you've got to go with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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