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The Noob and His Rolex Build.


JSebWC

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Update:

The build is currently done for now until more parts are sourced. Until this. I present to you my ultra rare beteeen references. Rolex 6575 GMT Master.



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WOW !!!
Beautifull watch Sir.
And wonderfull insert ... where di you got this one ?.
Some lume pics would be very much appreciated

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Another small update

I fixed the crooked crown issue.   When I swapped in the 1675 movement,  I used the crown and stem from the 1675 case/ movement.

When I got home today I compared the crown on the 1655 case and it is slightly larger than the 1675   so I opened it up..pulled the stem and tried the original crown that came on that case (the 1655) and it fit proper.   The 1655 explorer crown is larger as and the tube is also that what comes on the 1675.   The stem works on both as they are both ETA.

 

Installed the 1655 crown and stem into the movement. but then went to adjust the time and the crown was loose on the stem.  removed it once again to tighten up the crown on the stem...reinstalled and BUGGERED UP THE KEYLESS WORKS!!!  *headbang* FSA!!  BCP!!!  .......OR so I thought.

I fiddled with it a bit and tried installing it a few more times and somehow by the luck and power of the Horology gods  I got it installed and working again!!   Thank FRICKING GOD!!     :D    No idea how...so dont ask....but I was able to set the date and time and wind.....talk about dodging a bullet and fixing the grown issue.....  I am counting my lucky stars and am not gonna fuk with it until I have the dial and hands ready to install and even then I am going to buy a new movement for this watch so that I can replace this movement and dial back into my 1675..

 

anyway...time for a beer and some food!!  

 

 

 

 

 

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LOVE that lumed insert
So once again ... Could you tell where you git it ?

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It's from Ndt trading. Complete bezel assembly with insert.


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  • 4 weeks later...

Update

Still waiting on parts to finish this build. In the meantime. Picked up some leather scraps and gonna make some straps , watch rolls , and other various leather accessories. I really dig the distressed look of this hide. 9202bf3d74517e06b4aa25c8ae9a0104.jpg


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  • 1 month later...

Bit of an update:

 

I have the movement and hands and they have been sent of to a secret location along with the 1655 dial to have it expertly converted to a 6542 gmt master dial by a modder friend who was kind enough to take on my dial project....now its waiting game...PATIENCE!!  

 

when it arrives back to me I will drop it in the case and the 6542 project will be done!  I am looking forward to that day.!! 

 

Still wanting to build a 1019   I needed to find a case that would fit a 29mm dial.  I had an old ali expresss explorer 2 laying around that I gutted and found that it would fit a 29mm dial  so I started on that....shaved the cg  and started to sand the bezel  but lost steam cause the case is just wrong....lugs are not correct and need lugs drilled...crystal is wrong and would be a pain to find something that would look legit.

 

But!! \

This week came across a FS parts thread from  Modder SToneP and he was selling a 6541 case that he modded to fit a smooth bezel on   NCRich and I discussed the possibility of this a while ago as he had experience with the case but wasnt sure it could be done easily

 

Low and behold  I made a deal with SToneP on the case set the 41 milgauss dial and assorted other parts and this will be the case for my 1019 project!!  

 

It has lugs drilled, proper size 38mm proper xtal and smooth bezel.   a year ago I wanted to build a 41 with a smooth bezel but wasnt sure it could be done....SToneP also was on that vibe but he told me he has too much on his plate so he is passing it on.  I can go either way now with my 41 or 1019 build but I think I will do the 1019   but having that option there is cool!  

 

Just gonna polish up the bezel and pick up a movement .  The bevels on the lugs would be a nice touch as well but that will take some patience and practice.   but it will happen.  

 

the one last hurdle that I am fearing is getting rolex sized 1580 mvmt hands to fit an eta movement.  there will be some reaming and broaching needed and I just dunno if I am up for the task   could anyone recommend a modder that could do that for me?

 

Thats all for today folks  will update you when I have the parts together and am ready to assemble for some eye candy!! :D

 

 

Case set on the way.

 

 

6541 inspiration.

 

Race Car Driver Bobby Allison’s Flat Bezel Tropical Dial Rolex Milgauss Ref. 6541 Watch Hands-On

 

Image result for rolex 1019

 

[IMG]

damnit   image of case wont load and when saved it wont upload to page..grrrrrrrrr

Edited by JSebWC
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  • 4 weeks later...

A few updates on the builds.

First off. 6542. Sourced a Brevet 6mm crown from raffles but the profile isn't right. It's too squared. Anyone else have a suggestion on a rep crown with the proper profile ?

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These caseback decals arrived last week. They will be the icing on the cake.
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Waiting on the dial and this build will be done. Getting stoked


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Because this thread started off as a toss up between a Milgauss 1019 and the GMT. I might as well post an update on my 1019 build.

Found a suitable solution for the case. This is. Silix 6538 sub case that has been modified by JMB. HE did a bit of machining work to the case to have more of a gen bezel fit and then he machined a bezel to fit the domed 6538 crystal and fit flush to the case like gen. the bezel is slightly thicker than gen but that is to keep the proportion correct of the bezel to crystal which to my eye looks good. Good enough for fhd girls I go with anyway.

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It's a 38mm case with the proper thickness and crystal fit. This case willl for the 29mm dial and has the flat case sides and drilled lugs. The proportions are good in this case but it needs some beveled lugs. I plan on attempting this soon.

Yuki dial and hands are in transit . As well as a ETA movement. My next hurdle will be to fit the Rolex hands to the movement. There will be some broaching involved which I will need to watch some videos of tutorials on how to do. Anyone seen any how to vides on YouTube ?

So this is where we sit until parts arrive.

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I am really enjoying this as a hobby. I spend more time thinking about it than my business most days. Haha.

As always. Comments and suggestions are welcome.



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22 hours ago, JSebWC said:

First off. 6542. Sourced a Brevet 6mm crown from raffles but the profile isn't right. It's too squared. Anyone else have a suggestion on a rep crown with the proper profile ?

 

When I worked with Rafflestime to make the 6mm Brevet crown some communication was lost in translation. So I modified the crown and it works out well. 

https://rwg.cc/topic/140709-6mm-brevet-crown/#comment-1046260

 

 

 

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Inside I used fine emery cloth doubled-faced taped to a popsicle stick. All very high tech. I needed to use an old stem to secure it in the Dremel.

On the outside, be careful. It is very easy to take the bottom of the '+' off'. High tech first hand experience. Eventually I used a Dremel stone that comes with a hollowed out on the top and hand turned that. It worked better for me.  You can see the edge this stone made better in the 6542 pic.

 

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@JoeyB

 

Awesome thanks for the advice.  I will defiantly attempt the back...But when you used the dremel bit to do the front  did you spin the crown and hold the bit in hand or vise versa?  I just got a new dremel bit kit I will check to see if I have one similar?

 

Thanks for your help brother!

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On 6/27/2017 at 10:30 AM, JoeyB said:

I secured the crown and slowly turned the stone using  the 'cup' part of the stone to take the edge down. All by hand. 

 

cool I checked my kit and I have a similar stone.  I will give it a try   again I appreciate your wealth of knowledge and experience.   please post some more pics of your 42 for inspiration!! 

came across this video on broaching....I need to source these tools.

 

 

 

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 Parts arrived. The dial and hands fit nicely into the case. The aged lume looks the part. Very happy Just waiting on the movement and broach tool to arrive

 

Now I am looking for a Milgauss faraday cage that someone might have in their parts bin?

 

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 Parts arrived. The dial and hands fit nicely into the case. The aged lume looks the part. Very happy Just waiting on the movement and broach tool to arrive
 
Now I am looking for a Milgauss faraday cage that someone might have in their parts bin?
 
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Would you share a link to the broachtolls you bought ?

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Would you share a link to the broachtolls you bought ?

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I found them on eBay.cm. from Arizona

User Findingking. a7359b439a458d6b0d66886025e1fba2.jpg


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  • 1 month later...

A brief update.

The 6542 is very near completion. I am getting excited!

In other news. While I try and figure out the final steps of my 1019 build. I picked up a 2813 movement and hands to build. 6541 Bobby Allison in the meantime. Well I got it done on the weekend and it turned out good ... sorta.....until earlier this week. Then noticed the minute hand came loose. So I had to pull it apart and reinstall the hands. I'm doing so I broke the pinion on the movement for the seconds hand off in the seconds hands so now I need a new set of hands and a new movement. At least I got to take a few cool pics of it before destroying it. ☠️

*sigh*. Back to the drawing board.

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  • 1 month later...

Bump  the gmt is getting close to completion  was doing some final case work in prep for the final assembly.

had to order new hands and a longer pinion seconds hand as the hand set that I had was just wrong.

final assembly of the movement dial and hands in progress and hope to have it assembled  in the near future!!  

 

 

1019 Project.

 

After speaking with some other builders...it was brought to my attention that attempting to broach the rolex hands to fit an eta movement would be very difficult as there just may not be enough meat on the hands to go from 130- to -150

 

This lead me on a search for alternatives.   I could not find any hands that resemble the Milgauss hands to fit an eta movement....so then I thought a little deeper....and look at movements.  obvously getting a gen movement would make this all quite easy..dial and hands would fit  perfectly, but to find a unmolested movement for under 2000 is a challenge...and if you do, it needs either parts or a service or both.

 

So I started the task of referencing other watch movements to see what else is out there, that has the similar or same pinon sizes as a rolex.   came across a cal 1336  ...searched ebay and found a NOS movement...which happens to be a Sandoz automatic.

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picked this up for the cost of your average DG and received it...runs well.   the hour hand sizes are similar and will require a minimal amount of hand broaching.    I had yet to find another brand that uses the same size hands as Rolex but this is as close as I got for $20.00

 

Ive read threads over the years about the Henry Sandoz watches and heard good things.   Ive been tempted to pick up his explorer 1 homages a few times but they tend to go for a fair bit these days.

 

Anyway.   onward and upward chaps...things are progressing and I am quite happy about it.

 

The name of this game is patience...

 

Cheers

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