SuperDanX Posted March 24, 2018 Report Share Posted March 24, 2018 Thanks, and I will, I’m just collecting parts now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted March 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2018 Just looking back at this post and I made a grave mistake. I credited the wrong builder and I am embarrassed by the mistake and for some reason can not edit it . Tripdog is the builder that helped me with my 1019 Milgauss build Sorry Trip No disrespect bro , just a bad case of brain farts when I was making the post lol Here is a few more pics of the beauty without his surgeon like precision this would have not happened... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted April 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 My friends....The GMT Master ref 6542 is finally complete and I am 1000% satisfied with how it turned out and I could not be happier! The one piece of the puzzle that wasn't quite right for me was the bezel insert...first it was too tall and I sanded and shaped it to be more gen like...and it looked the part but it still wasn't what I was after.....After seeing the pieces that @Tripdog has been building lately and his aging techniques on the Bezel inserts ..I knew that is what I wanted! I received it this week from the man and I could not be happier The colours and the level of aging and patina are exactly what I was after! The profile is slimmer than my NDT trading insert. Because I purchased just the insert and not a complete assembly I was concerned how it would fit in my NDT bezel. It was a tad loose. If I was to bump it , the insert could fall out. This was easily solved with the use of some dial dots. They hold the insert securely and are the perfect thickness. So I wanted to shout out @Bart Cordell for his masterful dial creation and watchmaking skills in servicing my ETA movement and timing it to +2.3 /day (cosc spec) and to @Tripdog for the bezel insert and his assistance with my Milgauss 1019. I can not thank you each enough for your help I am truly grateful. When I stumbled across the 6542 gmt I knew right then that I had to have that watch and because of this community I am fortunate to now have one in my possession. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 21, 2018 Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 Wow what great results, two of the rarest and most iconic vintage pieces, and they came out spectacularly well. Those are watches to be proud of!I was paging around this morning and this picture caught my eye... it just feels like a genuine piece sitting there. That's the hard part to achieve. Well done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted April 21, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2018 Thank you @Nanuq that is a great compliment. We all strive for the right look and feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Replica01 Posted April 22, 2018 Report Share Posted April 22, 2018 It looks fantastic mate!Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G960F met Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bart Cordell Posted April 25, 2018 Report Share Posted April 25, 2018 Looks fantastic with this insert my friend !It was a pleasure to work with you. Btw, nice roulette date wheel too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted April 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2018 5 hours ago, Bart Cordell said: Looks fantastic with this insert my friend ! It was a pleasure to work with you. Btw, nice roulette date wheel too Oh Yes !! how can I forget the roulette DW!! Thanks my friend!! This thing has not left my wrist My all time favorite and GRAIL! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted May 2, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2018 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capice Posted May 3, 2018 Report Share Posted May 3, 2018 all is already said about these 2 watches....craftmansship and dedication, art in 1 word😊 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted May 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2018 In the spirit of can't leave well enough alone..I attempt to bore you with even more ramblin about MY Milgauss 1019 BUILD and my never ending journey for happiness This chapter I am naming 'MIND THE GAP" So instead of starting a new thread I will just keep adding to this one as it is a continuation of my journey . Over the past week I have been obsessing over my 1019. there are a few small things about it that bother me that 99.99% would not even notice or care about...but for some reason I DO and IT'S DRIVING ME MAD!! So I am here to ask the opinions of the builders here to get their input to see if I can salvage this build or start over with a new case / bezel and modify. Either way its gonna involve some pretty precise work and I have a feeling I am going to give some people some headaches with my obsessiveness Seeing Gen Milgauss examples online has me feeling some Milgauss Envy. @Nanuq had tried to set me straight about the crystal situation earlier in this tread but I was to stubborn to listen after looking at countless posts and pictures on the net of the 1019 I have found that there is a plethora of changes made through the product line . Not to mention the introduction of service pieces....from what I can guesstimate. The dials. 2 colours black and silver. 2 variations early mk1 with a chapter ring and 1/5th second markers and mk2 1/2 second markers. I have a mk1 dial but it is lacking the - between the oyster and perpetual . I have seen only one other example on the rolex forums , presumably its a gen dial . The hands vary quite a bit from the years. The style of the hands also underwent some change. Earlier hands were polished with a central ridge whereas later versions were flat an unpolished. Likewise, the use of lume was not always mandatory. Early version, notably the ones associated with Cern did not have lume, though I remain to be convinced that it was not possible for some early versions to have lume. It is certainly the case that early brochures offer the 1019 “with or without luminous markers. This is just something to note. My issues dont lie with the dial or hands . For me its the case and crystal and bezel There is also some variation in the crystals. the earlier Mk1 models from what I can tell had a domed crystal the later pieces had a taller crystal with a beveled edge I believe that the service crystals also were of the taller , straighter sides with beveled edge variety. These taller crystals were all slightly domed but not as much as the originals .. From videos and images I find on the net the majority seem to have the later crystals ( service type ) as they are straight sides with slight bevel. These to me appear to be more similar to the ones found on GMT 's sans the mag. The proper crystal for the Milgauss is the Tropic 32 . the tropic 19 is very similar but the 32 is larger because of the larger dial size of the milgauss. one of these would not fit my case....well because its just not meant to and that would be too easy....besides the T32 are going for 450-1200 usd now for a gen piece. I originally was using the domed crystal swapped to the cousins flat crystal , that had the beveled edge that I liked but t feeling because I was after a beveled newer ( service ) crystal but then realize that the mk1 1019 has a more domed crystal so I have since swapped it back and I really like how I get the distortion of the dial from the 3/4 view. flat beveled crystal not tall enough and way to flat. domed 6538? crystal ? shown with my 1655 modified bezel .. a gen example for comparison and a later or service crystal for comparison As with most vintage rolex you will find variation in parts along the reference through its life...progression I have found a Gs crystal that is on its way to me that I think may be just what I am looking for...I am looking forward to trying it and seeing how this compares taller, slightly domed with a bevel..... I need to find a replacement as the domed one I have currently on the watch is showing signs of age and stress and had minor cracking ....new one should arrive next week My bezel is a whole different story and I will leave that for another time. I haven't even gotten to the part that I has been bugging me lately lol if you have read up to here...this is where it gets interesting thanks for sticking in there. This is my dilema.....THE GAP! Because my case is a silix 6538 case that has been modified to fit the crystal and smooth bezel there is a gap between the outside of the crystal and ( inside of the bezel ) and the rehault. see pics. Gen mine Above you will notice not only the gap between the inside crystal and rehault but also the gap between the rehault and the chapter ring on the dial ( this also bugs me.) Now am I tripping out and need to calm the fuk down and not take this so damn seriously or would these minor issues bother you guys as well?? I cant tell if I am going crazy here or not I need your help and opinion?!! If I am nuts for even worrying about these issues PLEASE TELL ME but before hanging out on these sites.. I was not this picky and detail oriented it is all of you guys that created this monster in me !! lol Now this is where I need to fix this problem because it bothers me. Do I try and reduce the thickness of the lip on the case ( if possible) to reduce the gap (shown in yellow text in image above) to try and get more gen like and source a smaller crystal and bezel to be closer to gen Then possibly machine the rehault out of the case and replace it with a slightly larger ring that will close the gap on the dial edge? ( I believe Tripdog had done this on another watch he worked on , I believe a gmt?) or do I just get a new case? like a 1675 or 1655 shave crown guards and then machine the dial seat area to fit the larger 29.2 milgauss dial? doing this will also fix the gap on the rehault and chapter ring ( shown in read text) and close up the gap between crystal , case and bezel? @jmb @tripdog What do you guys think? Both of you have machining experience and I would greatly value your input on this issue. Tripdog had helped me with the assembly of this piece JMB machined the case and made the bezel on for this watch and Trip had reduced its thickness There are other intricacies that come in to play here no doubt and having zero machining experience I am certainly not an authority but it looks like it may be possible to save this case and make it work but is the hours of work worth it ? would it be easier to start off with a different case ( maybe a milgauss 6541 case) AS always I would appreciate your constructive criticism , questions comments or even the odd insult if you must. I appreciate your interest in my project and for taking time to read about it. Have a good weekend !! cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capice Posted May 26, 2018 Report Share Posted May 26, 2018 I keep getting back to this thread....being a nonRolexguy for years, this made me flip....amazing care for details into Xtreme i might say. Hats off sir. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted May 27, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2018 16 hours ago, capice said: I keep getting back to this thread....being a nonRolexguy for years, this made me flip....amazing care for details into Xtreme i might say. Hats off sir. First off, thank you! The fact that this thread is interesting enough to keep coming back it is a compliment. My apologies for making you flip to Rolex.. The rabbit hole goes deep on this brand lol Enjoy ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capice Posted May 27, 2018 Report Share Posted May 27, 2018 Apologies not needed at all.....another brand to my favorites and on going to hunt for the vintage stuff 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sogeha Posted May 27, 2018 Report Share Posted May 27, 2018 8 hours ago, JSebWC said: First off, thank you! The fact that this thread is interesting enough to keep coming back it is a compliment. My apologies for making you flip to Rolex.. The rabbit hole goes deep on this brand lol Enjoy ! The thread has had nearly 4500 views, so I think we can all agree it is of interest. I’m certainly enjoying it, thank you for posting and keep going 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted May 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 (edited) Came across this picture today showing the height of the crystal on the 1019 . there seems to be a lot of variation when it comes to this model and the crystal for such a narrow seller compared to the 1016 or 1675 crystals...pretty static through the entire ref run. Top 1019 The 1019 just has classic style points that the 116400 misses. for me its the two shades of orange ..the lume compared to the hands....it is just not a hit for me. everything else is great and the white dial model may be the next 1019 in time....only time will tell.. Edited May 31, 2018 by JSebWC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted June 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2018 New crystals arrived. ordered 2...received 4 not sure where the other two came from was not on my order list. two domed crystals ( very similar to my original 6538 crystal) but these have a metal retaining ring on the inside edge. Did not fit the case with the ring installed, removed the ring and the crystal fit the case. slightly smaller on the outside diameter so bezel is not a snug fit. Added some dial dots for extra security and it seems good.....might replace the dial dots with clear silicone. other two crystals are just a bit too small on the ID to fit my case. too bad cause one of them had the beveled edge that was after but wasn't tall enough to my liking so it wouldn't fly. last crystal was a low dome. I am glad that the two that I ordered fit, nice to have a back up. Another thing that I forgot to mention a while back but forgot to mention here is that my seconds hand is like .25mm too long! The red tip reaches past the chapter ring printed on the dial. both dial and hands are from Yuki. so either the hands are wrong or the dial printing is...but its hardly noticeable ....however it does impact my ability to reduce the gab between the rehault and chapter ring as anything smaller will cause the seconds hand to rub on the case. A different case or rehault ring could correct this gap but for the .025 mm it hardly seems worth it!! My watch with yuki dial and hands. pic from yuki site showing their dial with dj hands and seconds hand for eta movement. note the seconds hand and its position on the chapter ring. the seconds hand is clearly different. The shape of the arrow is different. I would have gone with their case set had it still been available. I think I would be happy with that set up provided its actually 38mm Their crystal looks wrong tho...sign. Gen for comparison makes mine look like junk :/ Options. : 1:leave it alone. accept it for what it is and enjoy it! 2: find a new case and to fix those minor issues 3: order a new dial and/ or hands from Yuki and see if seconds hand issue is corrected. somehow I dont think this will fix the issue. its not like they make these hand sets , one at a time. They are probably not even aware of the issue. 4: throw it in the river and start over? nah would rather wear it. but tempting lol this hobby has given me OCD! In my google searches I came across this piece as well......its unlike any other I have seen. The font is different and the text is smaller than any others. compare to gen above? First year., ?? Bad rep dial? no idea. was being sold a Gen IIRC does look like an old watch tho.. Anyway Happy Friday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted June 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2018 A few new pics of the Milgauss with the new crystal. I have come to terms with the flaws and have embraced them as it is what makes the watch mine. I have been wearing it quite a bit lately and I am really digging it. The size has a great wrist presence. The larger dial and domed crystal rally make it look and feel bigger than it is at 38mm and makes the dial pop. the slight vertical brushing and colour of the dial changes in light and the distortion from the domed crystal just gives it such a unique appearance to both the watch itself and also to view the dial at different angles. I am gonna leave well enough alone until that time where something happens to the watch or the movement gives up ad at that time I will consider my options and revisit the build but until them I am happy!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted June 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2018 Sunset Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted June 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2018 (edited) Okay.....soo much for leaving well enough alone. The bezel needed tweaking. The one that JMB made for this case was too thick. This is what I looked like when I got it.\ I did not measure it but I am guessing it was probably close to 3mm thick. When I sent the watch to Tripdog. He shaved down the thickness a fair bit but to me it wasn't enough He felt that if I was to do any more it would not hold the crystal in place. so he stopped while he was ahead. for the last few weeks I have been using a 1655 bezel that I sanded smooth. I like the profile and height of the bezel but the diameter is just too big. The beze on the 1019 fits tight to the case sides and the 1655 bezel sat proud of the case ever soo slightly. Its ever so slight but because it was a little bit of a loose fit and catching the lip and losing the bezel was a possibility. As I do not have a milling machine I could not shave down this bezel so I was back to the JMB bezel . This morning I decided to sand down the thickness of the JMB bezel from 2.6 mm to 1.9mm and because it is flush with the case it is now the ideal fit for the case. It is a bit loose to the new crystal I am not as concerned that it will come loose but I added a few dial dots to secure it in place. Here are a few new pics of the final fit of the JMB bezel. it has a GEN fit and look now and that I am happy with!! Gen for comparison : Mine could be shaved down another 10th mm but for now Its good! And NOW!! I am considering this build 99% done. I do want to eventually swap out a crown but that I will worry about down the road. I will now consider this piece done and I will enjoy the hell out of it a 95% accurate Milgauss 1019 for a 30th of the price of a Gen model. How could I not love it!! Thanks for joining me on this journey. Whats my next build?? well you will have to tune in next time and follow along!! Edited June 14, 2018 by JSebWC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted September 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2018 My new crystals arrived. Ordered 3 Received 6. Tip top crystals always over delivers. Ordered back up domed crystal the GS ET. and was most excited to try out the GS PT PRISM TITE as they have the beveled edge that I was after. However as you see on the package. They do have a grid pattern and the inside is the crystal has a prism effect on the slight domed top. This I was not expecting The profile with the beveled edge looks good and is similar to a factory service crystal however the grid pattern does add a distortion to the face of the dial. Only really noticeable in certain light. Hard to capture in a pic I don’t hate it and it would be another unique quark is the Milgauss had they offered a unique crystal like this but it is definitely not gen in appearance. It gives the watch a unique look ans I will try it out for a bit. Now If I can find this same crystal without the prisma effect I think it would be perfect. The search continues Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earloflondon Posted September 18, 2018 Report Share Posted September 18, 2018 Mate it's just so crazy.... What you have done is soooo amazing. I can't find words to describe my admiration.Just wow. I'll use your thread as a guide for my classic builds...Sent from my Lenovo K53a48 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted September 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted September 18, 2018 Mate it's just so crazy.... What you have done is soooo amazing. I can't find words to describe my admiration.Just wow. I'll use your thread as a guide for my classic builds...Sent from my Lenovo K53a48 using TapatalkThanks for the kind words. I appreciate the feedback mate!Cheers Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earloflondon Posted September 18, 2018 Report Share Posted September 18, 2018 Seriously mate. I've loved all the impeccable works of all the maesters here but, given you're a noob like me, you're thousands of miles ahead of me. Flawless. Keep up the good work and inspire us. Sent from my Lenovo K53a48 using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSebWC Posted October 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2018 Brief update on the Silver Fish I won a Tudor Jumbo case on eBay this afternoon It’s urban lore that the Tudor Jumbo and Milgauss 1019 share the same mid case and bezel. Some think it’s possible others dismiss it as myth. I can not confirm or deny this but I think this case set will finally put me just that much closer to being 100% happy with this build. I will find out If the dial fits the case and if it does I’m in business !! Now the question is...... do I swap the white dial / movement into this case or do I build another one. ? A matte black dial perhaps?? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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