Four down, one to go...

[automatico]

I posted a while back that I was considering removing the genuine 15xx rlx movements from my 4 digit 'vintage Frankenstein' watches.  Well, I finally removed the rlx 15xx movements from all except one.

Q...How do I feel about it?

A... Much better.

Q...Why?

A...Because it removed the inherent problems of having a $1500+ NPFU movement in a $350 watch:

It cost too much!   

Don't drop it! 

Keep it dry! 

It's fragile! 

No Parts! 

 

I did stick a nos ETA 2879 in one Franko MBK '5512' and now it is a 'No Worries!' watch and can be worn without wondering if the last smack against the door frame knocked the finicky Breguet hairspring out of whack, broke a rotor jewel or something.

I have gone full circle from Genuine! rolex watches for 40+ years to Frankensteins for a few years and now down to Plain Jane Replicas from now on.  I still have a few genuine rlx watches to ignore so I am not lonely.  Ha!

Besides that, when someone asks the standard question "Is that a 'real' rolex?"  I can proudly say  "No, but it does have a gen-u-ine crown." 

 

Q...What is the one to go?

A...A DW cased '1680' with a 1570 and original Lemrich Mk 1 dial (whatever Mk 1 means, I read it on VRF).  The mvt/dial are in the DW case to protect them until I find a genuine 1680 case laying in the road.  I look every day, so far I have found one Fossil watch worth maybe $5. 

 

Q...What have I learned?

A1...A replica is a replica and should not be overly expensive. 

A2...ETA 24xx and 28xx are more rugged than rlx 15xx.

A3...Some replica cases are First Class.

A4...VN etc high grade cases with ETA movements can make First Class Replicas.

A5...Most clone movements are junk.

 

Q...Are there exceptions to the  'A replica is a replica...'  rule?

A...Yes.

Q...What?

A...A Rolojack for example and others that 'go genuine' after a few years of wear when the market allows it because of a shortage of 'originals'.  Imho that time has come.

 

 

[alligoat]

I've got only two watches- rep/frankens, with genuine Rolex movements- a 1803 like DD with the 1556 movement in SS.

This baby has a redone DD dial in white, and it's in a Phong modified 16000 DJ case. All SS so I call it the sportsman's model of the DD.

The movement is doing ok, but the watchmaker said I could use a few replacement parts- one was a plate and lord knows where you'd find a part like that these days.

It sees medium duty these days- the gym is as wild as it gets- a little sweat.

The second is a 5508 with the upgraded 1520 movement. This one's an old NDT watch that I built in 2008.

I need to put a chamfer on the lugs, but haven't gotten to it yet. It's got an aftermarket crystal on it, but I have a gen T-16 that I picked up for $75 that I need to install. Don't know if it would be WR after that or not- but I'm not sure it's worth finding out. The movement came out of an Air King- I guess I could put the AK back together, but AKs do nothing for me.

But for the money I don't think a franken with an eta 2836-2 movement can be beat- these two DJs have the swiss etas in them.

Back in the day I picked up these two cases and dials from a seller over in HK- rolling was his name. Or was it roling...

Put these two together for around $500 each. Those were the good old days! Both watches are WR to boot.

 

[mir36]

@automatico, when you switch from 15xx to ETA, did you clip the dial feet and use stickers?

[automatico]

"But for the money I don't think a franken with an eta 2836-2 movement can be beat..."

 

I agree 100% but it took me a long time to figure it out.

Nice DD and 5508!

 

I've had a rlx 1556 since 2014 but no dial, case etc.  It's full of diamond dust/Cheeto chips etc because the guy I got it from busted diamond melee out of gold rings over the drawer where the movement was stored.  I never c/o the mvt because I have not needed it but it looks good.  The pecker heads scrapped the case and bracelet!!  

 

With a good case, dial, bracelet and 28xx ETA...you can crank out a real nice DJ. 

So I gathered up the stuff to make a tutone DJ semi-stein but TT went out of style about that time.

 

 

"when you switch from 15xx to ETA, did you clip the dial feet and use stickers?"

 

On one '1016' with a 1570 in a genuine rlx 16220 case (put together in 1997), I used a genuine rlx 1016 dial so I packed the dial away after taking the watch apart.

Another '1016' from 2008 had an oem spec aftmkt dial so I cut the dial feet off and put the dial along with an ETA 2824/2846 'combo movement' in a JMB case.  I made a movement spacer tall enough so the dial could be cemented directly to the spacer.

 

On the MBK '5512', I used a Yuki oem spec dial and kept it as/is for now.  When I put an ETA in the MBK case, I used the dial that came in it with dial feet for an ETA 28xx.  I used a cleaned/oiled nos ETA 2879 movement with the MBK dial, ST hands/case tube, ST/Clark bez kit, GS crystal, and genuine crown.  The 2879 runs fine but does not keep time like a fresh 2824/36.  My guess is plus/minus 15 or 20 sec/day depending on type of activity.  The winding rotor is on a bushing, not a ball bearing but I doubt that matters very much.

The MBK '5513' Frankenstein' case is stored away and the 1520 rlx movement is apart for c/o.

The DW '1680' Frankenstein is still packed away in a box since March 2014.

 

There is also an MBK '1680' F-stein that I did not mention...it was put together and taken apart but never worn.  I cut the dial window out a hair to accommodate a 26.5mm oem spec dial and was going to leave the movement and dial from the DW '1680' in it but removed them after trying them for fit...the genuine dial/mvt worked fine in the MBK case.  Then I put the mvt/dial back in the DW case.

I also machined a genuine 'like new' 162xx case to accept an ETA 2836/2846/2879 etc in 1997 but never used it (I cut the dial seat about .4mm deeper in the case).  Looking back, I should have left it alone because 162xx cases are bringing good $$ now.  I still have the 'like new' 16220 case from the other '1016' and It would make a super nice '1016' if someone like R-jack detailed it into a '1016' and put a rlx 1570 and genuine dial in it.

 

162xx cases:

I bought a few 'like new' 162xx and 152xx cases at watch shows in the mid 1990s when buyers were picking up steel sapphire DJ/OPD for converting the movements to Day/Date and putting them in 18k cases.  They sold the steel cases and bracelets to get rid of them.

Times (and prices!) sure have changed.  

Maybe tutone will come back in style.