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Rubyswatch


btocamelo

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"I have a DW 1680 case set.  Looking for parts, gen-spec ... not Yuki."

 

If 'DW' = David Wong...

I have a few DW 1680 cases and the main thing that is close to gen-spec on them is the case back on most of them.  The case necks are a hair too small in diameter and the case sides are rounded like a DJ.  All of mine came with spring wire bezel sets, not snap on like oem and because of the undersized case neck, fitting crystals can be a problem.  Some DW cases also have undersize case back threads...oem is 30.9mm and most of my DW cases are 30.9 but some are 30.4mm.  All of mine came with the gasket groove cut in the case back like genuine.  The overall quality is good imho, other than spec accuracy.

 

Later Yuki 55xx and 1680 cases were very good imho.  I read somewhere they came from VN but do not know if it is true or not.

Afaik they have been discontinued for quite a while.

 

"Would it be better to go with MQ instead?"

 

If it was me, I would keep after Ruby for a while...to save $$.

 

 

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, automatico said:

"I have a DW 1680 case set.  Looking for parts, gen-spec ... not Yuki."

 

If 'DW' = David Wong...

I have a few DW 1680 cases and the main thing that is close to gen-spec on them is the case back on most of them.  The case necks are a hair too small in diameter and the case sides are rounded like a DJ.  All of mine came with spring wire bezel sets, not snap on like oem and because of the undersized case neck, fitting crystals can be a problem.  Some DW cases also have undersize case back threads...oem is 30.9mm and most of my DW cases are 30.9 but some are 30.4mm.  All of mine came with the gasket groove cut in the case back like genuine.  The overall quality is good imho, other than spec accuracy.

 

Later Yuki 55xx and 1680 cases were very good imho.  I read somewhere they came from VN but do not know if it is true or not.

Afaik they have been discontinued for quite a while.

 

"Would it be better to go with MQ instead?"

 

If it was me, I would keep after Ruby for a while...to save $$.

 

I pick that up that DW case set on Repgeek ... few months ago

 

I did pick up a Phong 1655 midcase many years age, his bezel was not equivalent to Genuine, so I found a Gen 1655 bezel with a ding... most the other Gen parts for the case I collected over the years, including 1570 GMT movement (posted over at the new HF)

 

I always remember Phong use to justify his expensive parts, and cases on using better stainless and specs compared to Yuki ... he would say "yuki ws garbage" .. LoL

 

I'm waiting for Ruby to reply ... because I want to see what they have for a complete 1680 bezel.   Otherwise a GEN 1680 bezel assembly with insert runs about $1000 ... then I have to send it to Necky for case machine and placement

 

As far as what I see ... all the new and "close to spec" vintage Rolex case sets are coming from Vietnam ...

 

I have GEN White 1680 dial MK5 ... just need to get a hand set

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Edited by btocamelo
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"I always remember Phong use to justify his expensive parts, and cases on using better stainless and specs compared to Yuki ... he would say "yuki was garbage" .. LoL"

 

Except for the Yuki cases that look better than his.  Ha! 

 

Most SS replica cases are 316L...it's cheap and relatively easy to machine.  SS in general is a pain though.  There is maybe 75 cents worth of 316L needed to make a watch case...current commodity price is $1.65 per pound.  Cheaper by the ton.

How duh, duh, duh, dumb do they think we are?  (no answers please)

 

"I did pick up a Phong 1655 midcase many years age, his bezel was not equivalent to Genuine, so I found a Gen 1655 bezel with a ding... most the other Gen parts for the case I collected over the years, including 1570 GMT movement." 

 

I have one of his 1655 cases from 7 or 9 years back that I got from an RWG member.  Have not finished it yet because by the time I rounded up all the GMT parts I needed, I lost interest.  I need to finish it. 

 

"As far as what I see ... all the new and "close to spec" vintage Rolex case sets are coming from Vietnam …"

 

That seems to be the case.  (pun!) 

Final finishing and serial/reference/case back letters and numbers are what would be hard.  Putting removal notches in case backs would also be hard to do on a small scale.

I wonder if they start by punching out case blanks from sheet or machining them from a bar etc?  CNC machining from scratch is probably cheaper than using a big punch press to make blanks then finish by CNC. 

They might even buy unfinished punch blanks from case makers in China.  Who knows?

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, automatico said:

I've put it off for so long ... but I mostly have it completed.   It will be a hybrid build .. I'm not going for the full on trying to make it look genuine.  The hand set does not match the year of the dial .. no matter, I like the straight minute hand compared to the usual 1655 secs hand.  Crown and tube, crystal... will be genuine Rolex parts.

 

I did realize back then that the 1655 bezel that Phong puts out is not GEN Spec, even though he swears by it.  I don't know, maybe today's bezel ... so I had to find a used genuine, which you can tell are thicker.  So it made me reluctant to by any future parts from him.

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Edited by btocamelo
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"I did realize back then that the 1655 bezel that Phong puts out is not GEN Spec, even though he swears by it.  I don't know, maybe today's bezel ... so I had to find a used genuine, which you can tell are thicker."

 

I dug my '1655' case out and looked at it.  The bezel appears to be almost as thick as your genuine bezel but it has a small flat edge machined around the center of the outer edge where the top slopes down making the bottom appear to be thinner than the originals where it meets the case.  I would give it a 7 out of 10.  I could remove the bezel and extend the angle on the bottom side but I might screw it up so I'll let it be. 

The numbers on top are Ok but not remarkable. 

It is hard to find good side view pictures of a 1655 on the 'net for comparison.

 

When I got the 1570/75 for the '1655' it had a quickie 24 hour conversion on it.  It was different from the common quickie conversions as it had a good fitting 24 hour wheel and the little gear that turns the 24 hour wheel that is mounted on the minute wheel was domed and polished on top where most of these conversions are roughly made and just plain junk.  I got an extra GMT CP, center wheel, and hour wheel set and I'll try the quickie conversion before I use my $$ GMT parts on this project...after all, it's a replica.  My guess is it will work fine but I will also need to space the calendar ring a hair somehow to keep from using a genuine GMT calendar ring.  The only reason the conversion did not work correctly to begin with is the hands were too close to the dial because of the regular 1575 date CP, hour wheel etc that are shorter than GMT parts.  It had four hands in a three hand space.

 

I have a couple '1655' that I got from Abay about 15 years ago but they used submariner cases so I would need to keep my left hand in a coat pocket when wearing one around rolex freaks.  They are not too bad overall and came with new swiss 2836 ETAs and good 24 hour conversions.  I changed a crystal on one and used a 1680 crystal and sanded the skirt down to make it a little bit shorter.  I planned to put a slower beat 2846 in one but never did.

 

Here is one of the ratty GMT 24 hour conversions.  You can see the slack in the 24 hour wheel where it fits over the 12 hour wheel:

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

 

 

 

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3 hours ago, automatico said:

I have several 2846 lying around here .. if you need.  The two 1575 GMT I have, were acquired when the prices were manageable ... I had a local Rolex service center overhaul that one I show in the photo.  The other one I'm keeping as a spare.   The 1655 build I have will mostly be hybrid.  I'm just OCDing right now about whether I should break open a GEN 116 blister packed crystal ... or ... should I just go with a Tropic T19 No-Cyclops on it ... to try something new on 1655.

The crown, tube, bezel and dial will all be GEN .... in my build, I'm more interested in what appeals to me ..than about trying to be as close to genuine.   The Priek crystal case back is a nice add on .. in my opinion.

Edited by btocamelo
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On 10 October 2019 at 3:45 AM, automatico said:

 

Most SS replica cases are 316L...it's cheap and relatively easy to machine.  SS in general is a pain though. 

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing this info!  I learn something new every day!   I personally have never machined SS so I would not know!   I was under the impression that 316lL was not really any easier to machine than say 304L or any of the 400 series!  Great info!

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