Franken 1655 build

[altesporsche]

Hey fellas, 

 

been a while since, I posted any build stuff. Been letting the bank cool off and collecting more parts for more builds. This one I’m particularly excited about. 

 

Been wanting a 1655 for a long time and well where the prices have gone I doubt I’ll be paying $20g for gen watches anymore with children and a warden in the picture lol 

 

however it was an excuse to build a kick ass franken ! When I’m done it will be a North worth buying gen type of deal lol I’m nearly into $6000 for this build now with buying a phone build to scrap for a better life. 

 

Case set is a phong 1655 2.9mil serial. The dial is a custom Vietnam frog foot rail dial that I’m still waiting on, it’s not correct to the serial date of 72’ ish as the rail dial appeared in 74’. 

 

The heart beat will be a crispy fresh serviced genuine 1570 Rolex movement. 

 

Genuine unused mint tritium hand set

Genuine unused 25 - 116 plexi 

Genuine crown and tube (used) 

Genuine open 6 & 9 closed 26 silver date wheel minty fresh 

 

Really excited to get this out together, only missing the dial right now. Canada post is on strike so it’s taking forever to get here. 

 

Any criticism is greatly appreciated as these watches do have variance over the production years so minute details may be missed.    

[automatico]

Looks Good.

A lot of first class parts.

 

I started one of these projects a few years ago, 5 or 7?  I've mentioned it a few times.  I stopped buying parts at around $3000 and it would have been a LOT more but I got a good deal in a movement and Phong case from a member.  Looking back, I guess I did pretty good on the prices.  My two dials are not too hot but one or the other will have to do.  The hands look Ok but they are aftmkt of some sort (forgot the source).  Where I hit The Snag was finding GMT parts, a few were missing.  Far as I know I have them all now and hope to finish it this winter.

 

What makes me feel bad (and dumb) is back when these watches and parts were affordable...I was buying tutone QS DJs. 

You do not see many wearing a TTDJ now.  A TT quartz Seiko/Citizen maybe.

 

 

[altesporsche]

Lol I hear you ! Parts were a lot cheaper 5+ years ago, if I was where I am now but back then lol I’d have a lot of crazy builds 😂 the biggest cost these days now is the 1570 movement or even converting to gmt. The 1570 gmt (this is what I’m using) is $3-3500 these days and a set of genuine hands are $2k (I paid a lot less for my hands) 

its still a shit ton of fun to build, chasing parts etc. 

[automatico]

When I got my 'GMT' movement it came with one of these conversions along with most of the genuine GMT parts...

 

https://rwg.cc/topic/141303-cal-1570-gmt-tell-me-if-i-m-wrong/

 

Many Frankenstein 1655 and 1675 with rlx 1570/1575 movements probably have this quickie conversion and since no one can tell by looking at the watch, they pass until someone takes it apart.  Notice the 24 hour wheel in this example has a lot of slack in it between the 24 hour hand tube and the original 12 hour hand tube.  Mine did not have this much slack and it has a polished dome on the extended drive pinion on the minute wheel.  A conversion like this might work even if not 'correct' providing the GMT center wheel, CP, and hour wheel were used to give enough space between the hands. 

 

I have never tried one of the quickie conversions but it might work for a lower $$ project.  I have no idea where they come from and evidently some are better than others.