stilty Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Well, I ended up with a nice 1680 case. It was destined for friend, but we ended up making a deal for something else, so now I have it to play with. I quickly threw it together to get a feel for it. SO, please excuse the hands. They are all I have to work with at the moment. Replacements on order soon. I snapped a few pictures in hopes of getting some feedback from the resident experts. Please feel free to respond or PM me your thoughts on this case. First off, I love the machining and finish on this. Also the steel color is excellent. The crystal is a vintage stern 127. Bracelet is a vintage 93150 with 580 hoods. Keep in mind this is a work in progress, but I wanted some feedback on the case. Here we go: Full Frontal Side shot: And another: Side profile: Back: Another back shot: hood and bracelet fitted: nice beveled lugs: crown guards and beveled lugs: Crown unscrewed: And again: Nice vintage buckle: I'm somewhat of a rookie when it comes to vintage sport models. I mainly work with vintage and modern franken datejusts. soon to upgrade gen dial and hand set. But I think I'm off to a good start on this. Feedback is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polexpete Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Hi Stilty, nice case indeed. My only suggestion would be to slightly smooth the top edges of it too get rid of that brand new look. You can see the difference on my Tudor... It just needs a light going over with fine grit paper and a polish with a dremel and rouge. I like the dial, is it from Classicwatchparts ? And your datewheel is awesome, any news for us on production.. ? Cheers P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Dial is from Yuki. Date discs are on my mind daily as I have a lot invested, but no time to work on it. There are a few samples out there for testing. Unfortunately, it is looking like I won't be able to focus until May. Everything is in place expect my time. I was so close, but got held up. The case will definitely need some "wearing in", but I'll cross that bridge when I find a few more parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Great to see you have another project on the bench. You have a reall good case there. I'm with Pete on the smoothing of the lugs. I'm sure it will come out very well. Thanks for sharing, Stephane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star69 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 very very nice ! looks perfect 2 me cheers, Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnBeever Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 It's a very nice case and would obviosly look better with 30 years softning of the edges. The bit that sticks out for me is the shape and depth of the bezel teeth, they appear to go to close to the insert and the shape is all wrong. http://doubleredseadweller.com/rs1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry563 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I have a question for the vintage rolex experts....I had my MBW 1680 worked on to make it more like the gen. Looks good but the one thing that bothers me is that I cant see very well the ends of the springbars through the lug holes. I really like that look and my first impresion was that the wrong size spring bars were used but I was sworn that they were.......any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polexpete Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I have a question for the vintage rolex experts....I had my MBW 1680 worked on to make it more like the gen. Looks good but the one thing that bothers me is that I cant see very well the ends of the springbars through the lug holes. I really like that look and my first impresion was that the wrong size spring bars were used but I was sworn that they were.......any ideas? Could be a number of things. If the holes are not pefectly in line the springbar may not be fully extended or holes could be too small although most re-drilled holes i've seen are actually too big. Try cleaning the holes out and lubricating them and post a pic but better start a new thread for this.. P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Hi Stilty, nice case indeed. My only suggestion would be to slightly smooth the top edges of it too get rid of that brand new look. You can see the difference on my Tudor... It just needs a light going over with fine grit paper and a polish with a dremel and rouge. Cheers P. Ditto. Looking real nice Stilty. Please give us some more details on the case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 I have a question for the vintage rolex experts....I had my MBW 1680 worked on to make it more like the gen. Looks good but the one thing that bothers me is that I cant see very well the ends of the springbars through the lug holes. I really like that look and my first impresion was that the wrong size spring bars were used but I was sworn that they were.......any ideas? Perry563, If they are aftermarket springbars they often have shorter pins I've noticed, the same holds true if they're used gen bars -the springs loose tension over time so you'll suffer from the same issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJo35 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 The case looks nice rehaut diameter looks a bit on the small side, 5513 MBW case? I agree with others in that the "worn" look tends to be a bit more convincing. Beautiful watch; wear it well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heywood Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Looking good! As others have mentioned the case looks a bit too new, but otherwise pretty damn good. Hope you enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Looks like a great base to work from, but I concur with PP & others who felt that the case looks too new. Especially, around the CGs, I think there is too much definition in the edges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 Looks really good in my opinion Great work do you have done. My Respect for this. Which base is this case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Thanks for the comments everyone. I think it is a good base to start. Case is from Yuki. Out of the box. It ships with no crystal, tube, or crown. I installed a vintage Sternkreuz Cyclop 127. Made in the Federal Republic of Germany! Also installed an early model 703 Rolex tube. Yes, the case looks spankin' new. But I think I will leave it the way it is and let day to day wearing age it naturally. I've seen a few gen out there that still have the factory finish on the lugs before overpolishing. Only problems so far, is the bezel is too loose. I will have to replace the tension spring to stiffen it up. Also, the lug spacing is a hair too wide. There is a slight spacing on the end pieces. Some great bonus points. The gen tube fits perfectly. Screws in nice and tight and perfectly recessed. The caseback screws in nice and smooth. The crystal snapped on tight. Lugholes are perfectly aligned and the gen springbars fit perfect. Oh yes, the engravings are not too bad either. To me, they look a bit modern in the font, but definitely better than the usual rep laser engravings. Here is another dial shot from this morning. Date disc is a test print. Good news, is all the number fit and align with the date window! Next step is a 1570 with gen dial and hand set. I'm actively searching for a 1570, so if anyone out there has one they would like to part with, please let me know. I've given up my franken 16610 and it is available in the sales section. I think the 1680 is a project worth pursuing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 Only problems so far, is the bezel is too loose. I will have to replace the tension spring to stiffen it up. Some of these cases have a thin metal spacer below the bezel. You can tighten the bezel by arching the thin metal spacer. The spacer is designed to put a slight amount of upward pressure on the underside of the bezel, which keeps it in position (press down on the bezel to turn it). Of course, if your case is fitted with the spring that runs around the inner circumference of the bezel, this is not an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 it is a spacer and it is completely flat. I tried to bend it, but it has no affect. I will try to find a replacement and see if that helps. it now turns freely without pushing down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 When viewed from the side, the spacer should have a hump that rises nearly 3/8" in the center. If it is flat, the bezel will spin freely, which it should not do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Here's a nice shot of a gen that has not been polished. I hope to achieve this look one day. Lug bevels still intact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 That is the perfect state for a watch !!! Me too wish mine will look like that one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselpower Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Lovely starting point Stilty. Looks like another droolworthy 1680 is on the way. Good luck with the project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Nice project. The hands are a bit 'bright' for the dial. I have a similar issues on my 6536 project at the moment. Haven't had time to bake them. Keep up the good work. -Ronin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilty Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 hands are temporary. I just put it together to get a feel for it. I have a set of aged hands on the way as replacements. Also, have a new RSC dial, hand set, and insert on the way. Now she will look spankin' new as if she just came from the Rolex spa. LOL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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