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Bamford Milsub (and Tempus Machina 809H) - Replica recipies?


hologramet

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https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-bamford-heritage-milsub-a-modern-sub-with-all-the-bits-of-the-original-without-the-six-figure-bill

Looks nice, wont be especially hard tog make a custom rep of.

Noob v6s ND.

Trade the coveted insert for a SD4000. one. 

Custom 29 mm dial though Helenarou

Add SM300-Milsub hands

The end?

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I was kind of okay with the lume not matching on my Black Bay rep, but for 20,000 I would expect better. The concept is quite cool and I agree it wouldn't be such a hard build. No way is the original worth the money when the beautiful Tempus Machina is only 5000 more.

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14 hours ago, hologramet said:

I totally agree, only an idiot would buy that rather than the "actually" modded TM 809H.

https://tempus-machina.com/products/tempus-machina-809h

that tempus is pretty damn sweet. thats the kind of stuff rolex should also be making instead of just having tudor carry the entire heritage line. might also return vintage prices back to earth

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16 hours ago, hologramet said:

I totally agree, only an idiot would buy that rather than the "actually" modded TM 809H.

https://tempus-machina.com/products/tempus-machina-809h

I love it! Infact more than their first "mod" but after someone pointed out to me that the 300-1000ft is lacking the m, I can't look at it the same way after noticing the flaw.

 

809H.product.main_1024x1024.jpg?v=146902

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13 hours ago, droptopman said:

Just no comparison. The Tempus Machina watches have no equal. Totally different league than anything else out there.

Come on...  Let's be honest. 

I know a modder that  can turn a 114060 into a Tempus Machina both 216A and this one... 

 

For about 1500 USD.  The trick is getting a special someone to make the dial. 

I for one think I've found a way around it. 

 

But it'll be a homage to the homage. 

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Come on...  Let's be honest. 

I know a modder that  can turn a 114060 into a Tempus Machina both 216A and this one... 

 

For about 1500 USD.  The trick is getting a special someone to make the dial. 

I for one think I've found a way around it. 

 

But it'll be a homage to the homage. 

I get what you are saying.

A really good modder could thin the case profile and lugs and/or add pcgs and bevels. If they have the right tools to do case work and bevels like that.

But don't forget a custom domed sapphire, custom hands modified bezels, inserts and on the 216A a genuine 8mm crown and tube. Then there is the real relief gilt dial. And yes someone special can make a dial like that but for a fairly significant amount of $$.

I am comparing to Bamford or project X who do not any significant mods like this.

Is there some margin built in there...of course, but I am still of the opinion the TM watches are much better than other similar offerings.

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Doing the dial properly is something I am very interested in. Printed gilt never looks right in my opinion. Rolex used exposed brass and a galvanising process. I know TM gold plate dials. I am guessing they use some kind of printing rather than galvanising, anyone know? If it is possible to get a dial printed to an high standard, then the gold plating, case mods and Yuki movement can be done. Meaning for a fraction of the original price we could have a watch all but indistinguishable from the real version.

Anyway I would really like an 809H dial in a 216A case.

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Doing the dial properly is something I am very interested in. Printed gilt never looks right in my opinion. Rolex used exposed brass and a galvanising process. I know TM gold plate dials. I am guessing they use some kind of printing rather than galvanising, anyone know? If it is possible to get a dial printed to an high standard, then the gold plating, case mods and Yuki movement can be done. Meaning for a fraction of the original price we could have a watch all but indistinguishable from the real version.

Anyway I would really like an 809H dial in a 216A case.

I believe the TM dials are negative relief gilt just like the originals used by Rolex. I believe genuine Rolex plates are used.

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3 hours ago, Sogeha said:

Doing the dial properly is something I am very interested in. Printed gilt never looks right in my opinion. Rolex used exposed brass and a galvanising process. I know TM gold plate dials. I am guessing they use some kind of printing rather than galvanising, anyone know? If it is possible to get a dial printed to an high standard, then the gold plating, case mods and Yuki movement can be done. Meaning for a fraction of the original price we could have a watch all but indistinguishable from the real version.

Anyway I would really like an 809H dial in a 216A case.

They use original plates,  either they expose existing brass which then through true negative relief appears,  or if they gold plated the dial and then... 

However that special someone could most likely make almost every thinkable dial Rolex dial EXCEPT for Tempus Machina DIALS. 

Let's just say some partnerships would end if there were black market versions made of a semi-grey market dial. I don't know 100% but maybe someone who knows better can say. 

The case mods and gold plating the hands etc... And getting a real BigCrown not that hard with one piece (or better yet save 750 USD and go with Athaya,  which wouldn't have been an option due to trademarks for Tempus Machina). 

 

 

 

Let's see now... 

Recipe for 809H

BASE:

1 pc 114060 5990€

or

1 Noob V6s/v7 400€

+ optional Yuki 3135 + components for extra stability aprox     1000€

(Or add a gen for aprox    1800€) 

 

+ why not an optional 700 Twinlock   crown from Athaya to make it more genuine the 5512     everything from 45€ to 140€ (to add gen crown and tube) 

Gold plate hands or  etter yet buy GMT hands in gold and relume. Honestly I don't know what is most cost-effective since I know nothing about the cost. 

Heck, gen GMT hands are max 100€ + relume max 50€ / cost is everything from     60€ to 150€

 

Dial...  This is the tricky one. The correct way would be to get the one who can't be made to do the dial that can't be done.  So from a perfectionist point of view it's about 1500£

Here is the twist...............

I think I've found a way to do 99% correct and pay only 200€. It involves Vietnam, if it works,  trust me I will open the flood gates and let everyone know. 

 

 

Last but not least case mods

Either have one person does everything e.g. "A certain modding company in Europe, not Bamford". I think we are talking MAX 700€ to have everything done.

OR

split it up in smaller jobs.

- Maybe dbane or Swiss machines (Zocker) does lugs and  (if rep is used rebrush etc) . 100-200 EUR

- Jmb drills lug holes. 50€

- Rolojack does remaining e.g. PCGs and final assembly. 150-200€

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That's about it... 

400 € (÷1000 € for franken 3135) (+ another 800 € on top for gen 3135)

Base watch: 400 to 2200 € OR 5990 €

Crown/tube: 45 to 140 €

Hands: 60 to 150€

Dial: 200 to aprox 2000 € (the latter asks for gen dial to use as base,  so a minimum would be a gen 16610 Dial,  about 200€?)

Case mods: 350 to 700€

SO

-------

Cheapest: 1000€

compromises in between.... 

Best : 8590€

------

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I think you underestimate the amount of time that goes into one of the 809H cases. Those pointed crown guards are no easy feat, especially considering the little amount of material they have to work with. I personally have never seen anyone attempt such a mod, and certainly not pull it off with such precision and excellence as TM has. Grinding off crown guards is one thing, but reshaping them with such detail is an entire other ballgame.

I have seen plenty of of 216A copies, and no offense to anyone here or elsewhere (quite a few on instagram) but they don't come anywhere close. I shudder to think what we'll see when it comes to repping the 809H.

Ask yourself this, if the work they do is so easy, how come they're the only ones doing it?

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I read on the TM site that they use genuine dials stripped and gold plated. That would account for the extra bling over regular gilt dials and would be well worth copying. I would be happy with high quality printing for the black if galvanising was not an option.

it is very interesting about the possible source of TM dials. I had speculated it as a possibility, then dismissed it as a conspiracy theory of my own manufacture.

 

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23 hours ago, lionsandtigers said:

I think you underestimate the amount of time that goes into one of the 809H cases. Those pointed crown guards are no easy feat, especially considering the little amount of material they have to work with. I personally have never seen anyone attempt such a mod, and certainly not pull it off with such precision and excellence as TM has. Grinding off crown guards is one thing, but reshaping them with such detail is an entire other ballgame.

I have seen plenty of of 216A copies, and no offense to anyone here or elsewhere (quite a few on instagram) but they don't come anywhere close. I shudder to think what we'll see when it comes to repping the 809H.

Ask yourself this, if the work they do is so easy, how come they're the only ones doing it?

Quite simple actually. 

They were smart and decided to use the best redialer in the business and found a way to turn his almost perfect work into a premium venture without p*ssing off the whole vintage Rolex community. 

The dials are the key. 

The remaining modding of the cases is beautiful. But it's way overpriced. 

Why is no-one else doing it? Well..  1) TM have exclusive rights to Mr Superdial 2) They were first to turn it into a modern vintage piece actually playing the part. 3) Their timing was right 4) They are very good at marketing/PR.

Aside from the dial... Where does the extra 25000 - 6000 - 2000 = 17000 USD come in? 

P. S. 

There is way more meat on the SubC than on a MBW 5512.

The latter wasn't that hard to turn into a correct PCG, by me an inexperienced modder with access to tools for about 40 USD. 

Yet again. With the correct tools,  and the correct modder we are talking max 1000€ for the case work. 

If I'm wrong, please correct me. 

 

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14 hours ago, Sogeha said:

I hope not. I really want to see this idea come to fruition.

Anyone interested in joining in? 

My final recipe will be:

1} Noob 7 114060 SA3135 

2} Yuki3135 with decorated bridge and franken upgrades // Serviced and modded by Rolex watch smith 

3} Custom Vietnam dial in the style above.

4} TC 11613 gold hands

Above parts lumed/relumed by Big Daz and/or Vietnam guys w/ gen Vintage Superluminova  

5} Athaya Twinlock 7mm crown and tube

6} Relumed pearl with Vintage Superluminova

7) Modding of midcase, bracelet etc. 

8} As for crystal... 

I think I found the one! 

http://m.ebay.com/itm/111949154458?_mwBanner=1

29mm crystal

Double-domed

Blue AR

30€

 

400 + 1000 + 200 + 25 + 120 + 45 + 400 = 2190 €,  and that includes a lot of overestimating. 

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Definatly interested. I would like to know more about the dials, maybe design drawings and pictures of previous custom work. As you said, the whole project revolves around getting the dial right. 

This is the 809h right? It would be cool to do a 216a as well. I may have a lead on a company to do the bezel.

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I love it! Infact more than their first "mod" but after someone pointed out to me that the 300-1000ft is lacking the m, I can't look at it the same way after noticing the flaw.

 

809H.product.main_1024x1024.jpg?v=1469022293

Quote from an article on the owners:

"They spent a year sweating over bevel shapes, a quarter of a millimeter, agonized over – Every – Single – Detail – of the dial. “It took us a year to make this; from inception to production. Everything on this watch is purposeful. Every last f*cking dot was done on purpose.”"

https://theoandharris.com/behind-the-license-plate-tempus-machina/

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7 hours ago, dreamalaska said:

 

 

Quote from an article on the owners:

 

"They spent a year sweating over bevel shapes, a quarter of a millimeter, agonized over – Every – Single – Detail – of the dial. “It took us a year to make this; from inception to production. Everything on this watch is purposeful. Every last f*cking dot was done on purpose.”"

https://theoandharris.com/behind-the-license-plate-tempus-machina/

That I understand. In my opinion it lacks a "m" for meters. It just looks incomplete from a aesthetics aspect of it whether it is correct to the handful of those gens that lack it as well. 

 

I mean there are gen version that have the m... 

image.jpg

 

I mean it is a homage to the classic right? If not then the bezel insert should be metal and the pearl should be acrylic as well. 

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