rag9fx Posted September 6, 2007 Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 (edited) I love the 5517 ... i would say that it is my grail watch aswell as the tigerstripe rolex prince. so ofcourse i own a rep of it ... and it has served me well as it is stock but a about a year ago i thought i would upgrade it a bit and i would source somthing for it muck about with it for a little bit and then forget about it ... then i would remember about it and source somemore stuff for it and then forget about all over again... well i have decided that would dedicate some time and money to finishing this puppy off hopefully b4 the end of 2008 ... anywho ... some pictures of it as it is now... Cheers, Ragsy Edited September 27, 2007 by rag9fx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted September 6, 2007 Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 Nice Ragsy, keep us updated on the progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 thanks, what is on there at the moment is : -an aftermarket retaining ring/ bezel set up -more accurate aftermarket hands -a CWP/M.Y. insert - and gen Tropic 19 superdome ( i believe) - a redailed 5513/2 singer ( which isn't on the watch but was intended for it) and i also brushed the case ( but that was when i first got the watch) nothing erks me more than seeing a shiny military watch yeah i really want to do a dial swap but i don't think that is going happen with this case... the diameter of the rehaut is too wide to fit a 5513 singer i may just see what i can do with the exsisting dial .... i also need to replace the bezel set up that i have at the moment since the bezel itself isn't clicking in to the spring or rotating ... what i really want to find is a vintage crown/ tube but that is where i have hit obsticals... ( if anyone knows a source or has one PM me ) .... i am still waiting for my Royal Marine grey NATO G10 ... i used to have this on a zulu... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted September 6, 2007 Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 The crowns are not too hard to find I see them on eBay pretty regularly, but the tubes are the tough part to find or the cheapest I've seen for them for is $150 from some retailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 6, 2007 yeah i have seen them on the bay regularly ... it would be nice to find the tube/ crown set tho... or is there an after market tube i could use ??? i am not familiar with vintage crown set parts numbers ... Speaking of which, what case are you using for your 5517 project ? (you can p.m. me if that is better for you ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
predfan2001 Posted September 7, 2007 Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 You just can't go wrong with a 5517 in my opinion. If you get a good strap, it feels like you don't even have a watch on. One of the most comfortable combinations I have ever worn. I wear mine every weekend (I wear my Omega GMT to work most of the time). I actaully just ordered a second one to do a few different mods on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2007 Yeah my 5517 used to be one my daily beaters... and to be honest i miss wearing it... i even went diving with it but the original crystal cracked on me so it wasn't too watertight afterwards ... that is when i decided to rip it apart and start doing stuff to it ... its times like these that i wish that the MBK folks made a 5517 just to have a better more affordable case ... but i remember when the CN 5517 came out and someone was hocking one on Ebay it got some New Turfers really wound up... ' look how accurate it is!' "That is why i never would buy of the Bay!" makes me chuckle ... seeing that it isn't that accurate out of the box ... still a great watch tho... imagine if they caught a whiff of an vintage MBW jaws would drop ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2007 for those who are interested , thought i would share some pictures of some of my slow progress on this watch. some gratuitous wrist shots ... brand spanking new G10 NATO strap ( i had a grey one on it orignally - per proper MOD spec- but i didn't do anything for me so i switched to a black G10) to be installed : a pic of the bezel set up ... i found that i needed to step up the retaining ring +/- 1mm just to get the bezel to rotate on this case... with the tension ring fitted it won't rotate at all so it spins a little too freely ... anybody have any tips or suggestions? thanks for looking! Ragsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomeo Posted September 27, 2007 Report Share Posted September 27, 2007 I've got a vintage genuine crown that I'm not going to use. If someone is interested, please, PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 (edited) Hi Nanuq , thanks for the encourging words ... it means a lot mate! it seems that when i put together the whole bezel constuction off the watch that the retianing ring sits recessed into the bezel... that being said when i initially pressed down the retaining ring flush to the case and then attempted to the put on the tension ring and the bezel it wouldn't budge ... the bezel itself was flush against the case and couldn't move ... so i 'stepped up' the retaining ring a nudge (about 1mm) to give the bezel clearence to rotate (no noticable gap between the bez and the case isn't noticable at all) ... clicked on the bezel sans tension ring and -voila- it could rotate freely - allbeit too freely... so i removed the bezel popped in the tension ring replaced the bezel and ... nadda ... it wouldn't nudge a bit... my poor thumbs are sore from trying . It might be worth mentioning that this is a 'CN" case and not an NDT or MBK/MBW etc... ... so its far far from Gen specs... the bezel, retaining ring etc are after market replacement parts.... (and far as i can see is pretty decent fit and finsh... i just don't know how incorporate the tension ring with out getting it all siezed up) i know that the finished artical ( if this ever gets finished) won't be close to the gen but hopefully when its done it will have the main characteristics or essence that i really like about about the [gen] 5517 ... i guess that is what really matters me ... i will certain post more pics when i get more head way with it. i have all the bits and pieces that i want except for a 'slow' beat movement... but i am still on the fence with weather or not i want to put one in... Cheers, Ragsy p.s.: i knew i forgot something - the vasaline ! Edited September 28, 2007 by rag9fx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
predfan2001 Posted September 28, 2007 Report Share Posted September 28, 2007 If reference to cn 5517s, I just received my second one. The first one (pictured above in my previous post) had the typical bezel that most vintage cn Subs have. The new one appears to have the same case, but a totally different bezel. It's bezel is like on some of the newer models that has the wider bezel insert. It just looks too big on the watch to me. I tried the one off of my old 5517 and it will not stay secure. Even if I swap the spring. I'm not sure what they changed??? Currently I'm thinking about trying to remove the "T" and installing a mercedes hand set. I have a cn 5513 style case with lugholes on the way, I may build a vintaged 5513 out of the 5517. Even if I have to paint over the "T" I can still age the dial where it's not evident. I like the 5513s but most of the reps have script that looks too yellow. This seems to be the only way to get a 5513 like I want without having to buy a MBW and a gen dial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 hey predfan, do you have any pictures of the new bezel construction on your newly acquired 5517? I would be interested to see what the factories are turning out now for the CN vintages ... is it still 'spring and groove' or have they changed it? i noticed that the spring and groove bezel that came on my 5517 didn't fit snuggly when i transplanted it on my CN 1680 the whole thing was pretty loose i needed to scour and adhere it on ultimately. i think with the yellow fonted dails for the cn 5513s are trying to replicate the early gilt dials ... i don't know how they look like in the flesh though. The first thing I would recomend with the 5512/3/7 is change the crystals with a gen tropic 19 it makes all the difference... anyway best of luck with your project ... and do post piccys Ragsy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klingsor Posted September 29, 2007 Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 for those who are interested , thought i would share some pictures of some of my slow progress on this watch. some gratuitous wrist shots ... brand spanking new G10 NATO strap ( i had a grey one on it orignally - per proper MOD spec- but i didn't do anything for me so i switched to a black G10) a pic of the bezel set up ... i found that i needed to step up the retaining ring +/- 1mm just to get the bezel to rotate on this case... with the tension ring fitted it won't rotate at all so it spins a little too freely ... anybody have any tips or suggestions? thanks for looking! Ragsy it's one of my preferred same problem some time ago with mine ... the solution was to review entirely the project... actually i have found a (very expensive) rebuilded case...but looking to the costs of this project and to all the gen spare parts that i have i decided to look for a gen 1520 cal. ... at the end ...another franken.... i found this case in exchange expo of watches.... i know that next to Dallas there is one important watch expo.... perhaps you can find some similar... before this my watchmaker was trying to mod the case to allow to a custom retaining ring to be assembled to let the bezel turn only with a vertical pressure (as the gen...) ...but it was an hard work.... so i stopped him... the only part i need now is a very good case back... the engraving must be better than the one i have.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rag9fx Posted September 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2007 @klingsor I personally think that the 5517 is the most hardcore sub there is. i love it! managed to get the whole bezel assembly to work the other night ... i found that rather than putting the tension ring on top of the retaining ring and then snapping in the bezel i placed the tension ring inside the bezel and then popped the bezel onto the retaining ring and rotated it a couple times to "free it up" ... i also i had to step the retaining ring up a nudge after i pressed it on inorder to permit clearance for the bezel to rotate freely. now it works and looks as it should. (i am pretty chuffed!) Best of luck with case back hunt ! I found that after a year and a bit of heavy wearing made the caseback on mine look better and a little more engraved than etched. does your caseback have the M.O.D. markings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klingsor Posted September 30, 2007 Report Share Posted September 30, 2007 @klingsor I personally think that the 5517 is the most hardcore sub there is. i love it! managed to get the whole bezel assembly to work the other night ... i found that rather than putting the tension ring on top of the retaining ring and then snapping in the bezel i placed the tension ring inside the bezel and then popped the bezel onto the retaining ring and rotated it a couple times to "free it up" ... i also i had to step the retaining ring up a nudge after i pressed it on inorder to permit clearance for the bezel to rotate freely. now it works and looks as it should. (i am pretty chuffed!) Best of luck with case back hunt ! I found that after a year and a bit of heavy wearing made the caseback on mine look better and a little more engraved than etched. does your caseback have the M.O.D. markings? i have no caseback yet for the new case i have... and i want to wait to find one gen.... yes one gen.... cause you must know that some time ago people arround the world didn't like 5517....everybody transformed their 5517 into 5512...or 5513... so it's possible to find some gen case back (with real numbers.... ) and some gen dials.... last time i found a gen case back the seller wanted 1500 euro.... so i passed....in USA one of my watch-friends has bought one for 500 $....... gen as the one i saw before.... for the 1520 cal. i've found it here... cheap... to fix... but it's not a problem... now i need only the caseback and some others little things.. i think that if i manage from the starting to spend so many i could think to buy one .....from a "modder" king of franken.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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