Modded Franken Genstein

[Cromag]

What’s the difference? Maybe this has been discussed before but it may be a fun revisit to try to agree on the vagaries. The reference is obviously to Victor Frankenstein‘s human replica creature which was made up of many different genuine human parts.

 

So, if you will, what classifies a watch as simply modded? When does it become a Franken? And what makes it a Genstein?

[Utheman]

Genstein is the first one....

 

[Cromag]

Herman Munster is a replica LOL

[kernow]

Modded/Franken is the same thing to me. Where as a Genstein is a gen watch that’s been changed from OEM spec, such as a dial, bezel or strap swap to another from the same manufacturer. IMHO of course. 

[Cromag]

@kernow thanks for joining in the conversation. There is a lot of variation to people’s understanding of the three terms here on RWG and across the fora. Your comment is yet one more unique view. This ambiguity makes some discussions and claims in sales threads vague or vulnerable to assumptions and can result in needless miscommunication and misunderstanding.

My hope is that this thread starts to align the terms within each forum and hopefully across the fora. Currently we are just collecting and sometimes clarifying comments to see what patterns might emerge.

[kernow]

I have a Seamaster/PO hybrid that uses some gen and some rep parts. If it was all gen parts I’d call it a genstein. 

 

 

[Legend]

@cromag please allow me to express my 2 cents:

1. Modded: modified (usually upgraded) over stock in terms of parts exchange or modification like painting, refinishing, machining etc. No gen parts are used.

2. Franken: some gen parts are used in the watch. But I do not regard gen straps as a qualifying part for a watch being franken. Primary gen parts used for franken watches are: dials, hands, crown, bezel/insert and movements.

3. Genstein: all parts used are gen but most of the time sourced separately. I’ve seen watches with non-gen or modified cases called gensteins and in some cases this is acceptable. Of course this is subjective but to me a genstein watch needs to be as good as gen visually and in substance be at least 95% gen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

@cromag please allow me to express my 2 cents:

1. Modded: modified (usually upgraded) over stock in terms of parts exchange or modification like painting, refinishing, machining etc. No gen parts are used.

2. Franken: some gen parts are used in the watch. But I do not regard gen straps as a qualifying part for a watch being franken. Primary gen parts used for franken watches are: dials, hands, crown, bezel/insert and movements.

3. Genstein: all parts used are gen but most of the time sourced separately. I’ve seen watches with non-gen or modified cases called gensteins and in some cases this is acceptable. Of course this is subjective but to me a genstein watch needs to be as good as gen visually and in substance be at least 95% gen.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Cromag]

@Legend ah yes, those seem to be a very reasonable qualifications for the three categories. Thanks for joining in.

The categories may reflect a hierarchy of sorts yet price may not be a consistent measure. For example, an MBK case, or BK, or TC rep may qualify only as modded but could command more than a simple Franken with a gen pearl or non-ceramic insert.

But then like you mention, a gen strap (that may cost over $300 and maybe more than the rep) should not be a Franken, but a simple $100 gen crystal or just a crown wheel mod would qualify as Franken. My intuition seems to disapprove of a single gen item for Franken qualification but maybe we shouldn’t think of the taxonomy as hierarchical, though it really is intuitive. Yet price seems to fit with intuition.

Then the matter of Genstein: it’s very reasonable to leave an estimated tolerance for non-gen parts so long as the non-gen parts are virtually gen-like, -usually a properly shaped case. Should it exclude gen movement hidden away in the case? Some believe Genstein should be reserved for 100% but I’m not aware of many if any such beast across the fora.