A/6538 Build - Crystal Question

[hanski]

Hello! I'm currently planning out my Burford dial, A/6538 build and I'm in the middle of my research and parts acquisition. From what I've read, there are many opinions on what case to use based on thickness, shape, dial size, and price. For me, I'm not going down the rabbit hole of a VN case build - I simply cannot afford $1050+ out of the gate on this build. So that said, I'm looking at building this around a Silix, HR, or Cartel case. Where I'm getting stuck is the size of the rehaute on these cases - I have no idea what aftermarket crystals can be installed in these various models. 

 

The build I'm currently thinking: 

- Silix, HR, or Cartel Case and Case Back

- Aftermarket Tropic 19 Crystal (Clarks, Ofrei, Sternkreuz, etc)

- WSO 1665 Bezel Assembly (planning to reshape to approximate the German silver bezels)

- Custom dial (another member of another forum)

- ETA2840

- Athaya 800 Crown and Tube (plus stem adapter)

- Aftermarket hand set (Ofrei, Raffles, etc)

- Ernst Westfall military insert (eBay seller)

- WSO 2mm spring bars (until I figure out how to fix the bars - maybe soldering?) 

- Reshaping, luming, and assembly by yours truly

- Case engraving...I still need to figure that one out...

 

First, let me establish and confirm - I should be looking to install a Tropic 19 to be reference correct. If that is the right assumption, let me move on to Tropic 19's - if not, please correct me! 

From what I understand, there are multiple variations of the Tropic 19: http://www.ofrei.com/page419.html with ID's of 30.45, 30.48, and 30.30 (and probably others from other sellers). 

I have read this watch is meant to be pretty beefy and the images on RPR appear to be tall and rounded - so I would suspect the 20A variation would be the right one. The 20A comes in with a 30.30mm ID. 

Are any of the Silix, HR, or Cartel cases going to provide me with a reasonable friction fit to any of the available Tropic 19 crystals? I prefer to assembly without heavy use of glue or spacers. It's one thing to add a thin bead of silicon glue as a safety measure, it's another to require that glue to hold things in place. 

 

Anyways, any insights on the project is much appreciated. In the meantime I'm going to get back to obsessively reading everything I can find. 

 

 

[manodeoro]

On 9/25/2018 at 7:55 PM, mzinski said:

Hello! I'm currently planning out my Burford dial, A/6538 build and I'm in the middle of my research and parts acquisition. From what I've read, there are many opinions on what case to use based on thickness, shape, dial size, and price. For me, I'm not going down the rabbit hole of a VN case build - I simply cannot afford $1050+ out of the gate on this build. So that said, I'm looking at building this around a Silix, HR, or Cartel case. Where I'm getting stuck is the size of the rehaute on these cases - I have no idea what aftermarket crystals can be installed in these various models. 

 

The build I'm currently thinking: 

- Silix, HR, or Cartel Case and Case Back

- Aftermarket Tropic 19 Crystal (Clarks, Ofrei, Sternkreuz, etc)

- WSO 1665 Bezel Assembly (planning to reshape to approximate the German silver bezels)

- Custom dial (another member of another forum)

- ETA2840

- Athaya 800 Crown and Tube (plus stem adapter)

- Aftermarket hand set (Ofrei, Raffles, etc)

- Ernst Westfall military insert (eBay seller)

- WSO 2mm spring bars (until I figure out how to fix the bars - maybe soldering?) 

- Reshaping, luming, and assembly by yours truly

- Case engraving...I still need to figure that one out...

 

First, let me establish and confirm - I should be looking to install a Tropic 19 to be reference correct. If that is the right assumption, let me move on to Tropic 19's - if not, please correct me! 

From what I understand, there are multiple variations of the Tropic 19: http://www.ofrei.com/page419.html with ID's of 30.45, 30.48, and 30.30 (and probably others from other sellers). 

I have read this watch is meant to be pretty beefy and the images on RPR appear to be tall and rounded - so I would suspect the 20A variation would be the right one. The 20A comes in with a 30.30mm ID. 

Are any of the Silix, HR, or Cartel cases going to provide me with a reasonable friction fit to any of the available Tropic 19 crystals? I prefer to assembly without heavy use of glue or spacers. It's one thing to add a thin bead of silicon glue as a safety measure, it's another to require that glue to hold things in place. 

 

Anyways, any insights on the project is much appreciated. In the meantime I'm going to get back to obsessively reading everything I can find. 

 

 

Hi buddy and welcome to the "A/6538 build Club"  and congratulations

Dlf was the first trying that build and only one to finish it (as far as I know),  mine should be finished within a few weeks (if everything goes well) and you'll be the third guy nutty enough to walk that path 

 

If you dont mind I will share some of my "experience" here.

 

About the crystal a T19 is, IMHO, definitely the right pick.

If you start with a Silix case you'll find that the rehaut and dial opening are NOT the right size, way too large.

On my own A/6538 topic here (I still have to re-upload the pics)

I explained how I have shaved the existing rehaut (in fact my good friend and fellow countryman mascob1 did that following my technical blueprints) then grafted a new rehaut (latheworked by mascob1) on the Silix case.

At the end of the way I had a "correct" case with a 36.2mm dial opening and a rehaut perfectly fitted to receive a T19 (dont remember which one I ordered but I designed the rehaut so that hte one I got fit perfectly ... almost )

To be honest the Silix case is a good and cheap way to start but almost everything has been reworked, rehaut, lugs, caseback (tried to "mimic" a gen one), etc ...

 

Bezel assembly ... I started with a WSO 5513, which is supposed to be a little thicker than the 1665 one (but I'm not certain it really is).

At the end I finished just keeping the upper part of the 5513 bezel (I shaved the bottom part) that I bronzed to mimic the "oxydated german silver" and clipped it on a custom bottom part so now I have a really thick bezel with a stainless steel lower part and a "german silver" upper part.

The retaining ring is custom too ... so that the custom lower part of the bezel clips well on it.

 

Custom dial ... DIY 

 

Springbars ... I ordered 44mm Panerai bars (1.8mm thick) and tubes and will "hammer" on the case (lugs drilled 1.7mm / case in oven / bars in freezer / hammer everything together) then cut the exceeding tips, sand everything flush and polish.

Working that way no solder is needed ... just brute force 

 

Almost evrything else is the same as in your list, except for the movement which will be a 21J

But I'll swap later if I really like the watch as it occurs that a friend recently gave me a non working auto swatch with an ETA2840 in it so I'll try to service it

 

About the stem adapters ... Athaya is crasy and sell those items far to high ($2.50 each) ... cousinsuk sells a pack of 5 for £0.85 plus shipping

 

Insert ... I'd really like to see your Ernst Westfall one

 

I think that's all ... keep us informed about that build

[manodeoro]

MY BAD !!!!

I'm sorry but I can't find how to edit my post.

So something IMPORTANT : dial opening on A/6538 is of course not 36.2mm but 26.2mm

If you use a 26mm dial you get that special and really tiny "gap" one can see on some vintage Rolex models, just between the rehaut and the dial.

On my own build I'm using a 26 mm so I have that specific gap.

If you wonder how I do, using an 11 lignes (26mm) movement and a 26mm dial, to get everything stay firmly together in case with a 26,2mm dial opening ... just don't ask me because it's a secret  

[Dlf]

Ugh oh!

 well I think there’s many different avenues to take on this build, I did as much as I could with the tools and parts available at a minimal cost, didn’t exactly end up cheap though as per usual.

 

The silix case is ok but has many drawbacks as manodeoro mentioned,

like the bigger than “gen” rehaut, and have to glue the plexi, weld, or some drastic machining.

A cartel case would solve that but then the case shape is off by a way!, even with fernaggling and shaping .

i’d pick what you’re happy with and try work around the obstacles that you’d find easier .

 

justin can do some nice engravings .

yes you can solder the fixed bars.

 

be patient took me over a year 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

[manodeoro]

6 hours ago, Dlf said:

Ugh oh!

 well I think there’s many different avenues to take on this build, I did as much as I could with the tools and parts available at a minimal cost, didn’t exactly end up cheap though as per usual.

 

The silix case is ok but has many drawbacks as manodeoro mentioned,

like the bigger than “gen” rehaut, and have to glue the plexi, weld, or some drastic machining.

A cartel case would solve that but then the case shape is off by a way!, even with fernaggling and shaping .

i’d pick what you’re happy with and try work around the obstacles that you’d find easier .

 

justin can do some nice engravings .

yes you can solder the fixed bars.

 

be patient took me over a year 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Rick my friend … your Millsubs are definitely awesome

I’ve been stopped on my build just because of  « silly » question ; engravements or not engravements ?

I know justin nice work but I’m EU based and I couldn’t find anybody here to do the job except for laser engravings which would be solo.

I’m trying a side road those days to do my DIY engravements but if I fall I’ll stop temporizing and finish my build.