Story of a Watchaholic

[Aero_Dave]

Just one story in the life of a Watchaholic (GEEK)

 

OK, the anticipation is killing me. But the wait is almost over! After getting all of the parts together and then waiting for the build to be completed, my new baby is finally done and in-route to me now

Hopefully if everything lines-up with the stars & the moon and the mailman, tomorrow afternoon we will finally meet for the 1^st time.   I feel like a kid again, who’s waiting to meet his 1^st date. I expect this to be the beginning of a very long relationship together. (Man, are we a strange group or what?) Not how ‘most’ people talk about watches.   I gather over the last 10+ years or so, I’ve bought, sold and traded more than 100 gen & rep watches. During that time I still have some ‘Grails’ on my list that have just never really made it into my hands, for no real reason. One being a Gen Breitling Emergency, Wakmann Triple Date, a Gen Daytona (but I just got a nice rep 6265 finally), Gen SeaDweller 4000 and the basic Submariner 16610. Just about every other Gen Grail watch I wanted, I’ve acquired and ended up selling or trading for something else.

 

Finally I decided to go down the higher-priced Franken road for a change. So I started gathering the parts needed and shipped them off to my Favorite Modder   It strange how hours can feel like days, days can feel like weeks, and weeks can feel like months, etc…when you’re anticipating / waiting for that final day you two meet! I’m now in the 24 hours or less count-down and I pray Nothing holds-up the delivery of said watch.

 

So here are some of the teaser pictures of the process:

 

The Case –

 

The movement and the 1^st of many issues; bent seconds pinion on a brand new movement!

 

Well since is so dirty and I’m spending this must on the entire project, might as well have a Full Service on the movement.

 

 

Wow, look at those clean parts

 

 

Time to start the rebuild process. New Main Spring

 

 

Movement finished

 

Getting closer to the finish line:

 

 

TADA, its done!

 

 

Now I just need it on my wrist to complete the ‘circle-of-life.

 

I can’t thank my builder enough.   He ran into many issues along to way, but with patience, his outstanding skills & knowledge, everything was fixed and came together beautifully. I hope I didn’t bug him too many times with my emails & questions along the way. When I finally get the watch on my wrist, I will give another quick photo update and a list of all of the gen parts in this build. Total cost for this project is not really important, because I got exactly what “I wanted” and the end results are outstanding.

 

Dave…

 

[sgtguk]

Cracking job on that movement mate, came out looking great from the service 

[freddy333]

Nicely done. Wear it in good health.

[Ezio]

Looks good lets hope its a keeper for you this time if not call me haha

Wear it in good health

[ianmac]

Looks good. Enjoy it and screw the addiction!

[StormTooper4]

Very impressive

[krpster]

A beauty for sure. When you say a brand new movement was that new to you? In the pics it looks like it was a bit dirty (much better after the clean and service). Was it a NOS or something?

[Aero_Dave]

A beauty for sure. When you say a brand new movement was that new to you? In the pics it looks like it was a bit dirty (much better after the clean and service). Was it a NOS or something?

This was a Brand New movement. Yuki 3135 and as others have seen, its a crap-shoot on how good it will be on delivery.

So just plan on getting a full service by someone familiar with these and you'll be good-to-go!

Should be about another 75 minutes until the mail arrives

 

Dave...

[pam007]

awesome, can't wait to see it and all the parts that went into this beauty.