Found a short cut to a white 5513 Sub rep.

[predfan2001]

I figured this out today by accident. It's not perfect but it's pretty good. I was fooling around with one of my 5517s and one of the fixed bars was "not so" fixed. It came out. So I knocked the other one out. A set of gen spring bars fit though a little loose in the lugholes. But they are larger than the holes so no worries, they're not going anywhere.

What this means is you can get a 5517 military Sub. Take out the bars (with a twist from vise grips-comes out towards the knurled end) and install a Oyster band. Pull the movement and gently remove the "T" and install Sub hands. Then you have the "non-existant" 5513 with white fonts. Granted the lugholes are 1 size larger than correct but that's not that big of a deal to me, much cheaper than a MBW plus a gen dial. I'm not a fan of all of those 5513s with yellow script.

I wish I had known this about 3 reps ago, I'd have saved money!

Ok here's all I have so far. I pulled the bars out. Beveled and buffed the lugholes. Drilled the ends of a good solid link band and drilled the inner end link eyelets. Installed the Oyster with gen springbars and added a 5513 bezel insert in place of the 5517 (ever notice the difference. Look at the pic in my sig ):

Tomorrow the "T" comes off and Submariner hands go on. Here's the last 5517 dial that I removed the "T" off of. Just a few strokes of ultra fine sandpaper and a shot of Testors Dullcoat:

I really like these 5517s and I hope they keep making them awhile. It's the most versitile starting point for mod's at a low price that I know of. It has a gen sized dial. Accepts a Tropic and now I know that it will accept an Oyster band.

Edited January 13, 2008 by predfan2001

[ShawnBeever]

Very interesting thanks for the info.

Who supplies these 5517’s.

[predfan2001]

Very interesting thanks for the info.

Who supplies these 5517

[predfan2001]

Here's the final results. I didn't vintage the dial or hands any more than they already were. I did bleach and age the bezel insert.

Edited January 13, 2008 by predfan2001

[azgjav]

looks really really good! love how the insert turned out.

[yellomen]

Excellent dial work again Predfan!! I love your dial work