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What AP Franken(s) do you have in the works?!

legend

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legend said it well. It wasn’t a decision made purely because the finishing was different. I would hardly notice it unless the inside diameter was different, and the parts that are unseen like the areas sand-blast finished inside the pusher area or the inner diameter .

It is your build J, and like I said, as long as you see and appreciate the difference, it is a good upgrade.
I was just sharing my opinion that I think personally that a gen movement, rotor and datewheel is more beneficial for an AP franken build than a gen case.
We all see what we see, and its what makes this hobby meaningful as we learn from one another.
 

W47chl0v3r

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rough mock-up. Need to shave the tachy I think for the gap to disappear or find a gen somehow.

 
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jptrosch

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15400 build I've been putting together for about 2 years now - started with a gen 3126 that I took the chrono module off of to turn into a 3120. Right now it's all gen except for the midcase and caseback, and it's with the same watchmaker that worked on my 5712 Franken to fit into a ZF instead of JF case. The next step is to swap out the dial and datewheel for either blue or grey and then I think I'm going to call it done.
 

legend

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15400 build I've been putting together for about 2 years now - started with a gen 3126 that I took the chrono module off of to turn into a 3120. Right now it's all gen except for the midcase and caseback, and it's with the same watchmaker that worked on my 5712 Franken to fit into a ZF instead of JF case. The next step is to swap out the dial and datewheel for either blue or grey and then I think I'm going to call it done.

Congrats on the completion of this project. It’s a proper beauty. To be honest I won’t be concerned about the midcase and caseback being rep. They aren’t factors at all in the build equation for me.
I’m happy to see you’re using the correct rotor. That matters. The “seeing more of the movement” reason just don’t sound right lol

Congrats once again and enjoy her!
 
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Markaplan

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15400 build I've been putting together for about 2 years now - started with a gen 3126 that I took the chrono module off of to turn into a 3120. Right now it's all gen except for the midcase and caseback, and it's with the same watchmaker that worked on my 5712 Franken to fit into a ZF instead of JF case. The next step is to swap out the dial and datewheel for either blue or grey and then I think I'm going to call it done.

WAW that’s one hell of a project. Congrats on the build and wear it in good health.


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jptrosch

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Congrats on the completion of this project. It’s a proper beauty. To be honest I won’t be concerned about the midcase and caseback being rep. They aren’t factors at all in the build equation for me.
I’m happy to see you’re using the correct rotor. That matters. The “seeing more of the movement” reason just don’t sound right lol

Congrats once again and enjoy her!

Lol "seeing more of the movement" was me not being able to find the right rotor, convincing myself I liked it better without it. Thanks man, I appreciate it. I actually managed to buy a gen caseback a year ago but it never made it to me. From what I can tell, the ZF caseback is close enough.
 
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legend

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Lol "seeing more of the movement" was me not being able to find the right rotor, convincing myself I liked it better without it. Thanks man, I appreciate it. I actually managed to buy a gen caseback a year ago but it never made it to me. From what I can tell, the ZF caseback is close enough.

The 22k rotor itself is pretty intricate and something which can be appreciated on its own, more so than the movement decoration IMHO.

I’m glad that you sorted it out. I’ve seen some
members try to justify their efforts in installing the wrong or second best parts by saying “but I prefer this look” and I’m glad you’ve decided to do right. You were building a 15400 and not some customized version of it so having the right parts is important if you’re attaching a proper identity to it.

The end result is worth whatever price and time you invested sir. All’s well that ends well.


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flying-tommy

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What a lucky Day.

For my next build I was able to source the correct Gen YG Hands really really rare to find and unfortunately extremely expensive. :(

All Gen Parts New and untouched.

YG Beast Franken:


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Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk
 
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MasterWatch

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What a lucky Day.

For my next build I was able to source the correct Gen YG Hands really really rare to find and unfortunately extremely expensive. :(

All Gen Parts New and untouched.

Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk

flying-tommy more like finding-ap :p
 

legend

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Not sure if it’s the angle but the crown looks too recessed toward the case and toward the caseback in this shot. Can you show another please? In my gens, the ceramic part of the crown always protrudes slightly beyond with the tips of the crown guards. In yours it seems overly recessed but like I said it could be just the angle.
 
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W47chl0v3r

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Not sure if it’s the angle but the crown looks too recessed toward the case and toward the caseback in this shot. Can you show another please? In my gens, the ceramic part of the crown always protrudes slightly beyond with the tips of the crown guards. In yours it seems overly recessed but like I said it could be just the angle.
 

legend

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J, thank you for the pics! The crown is definitely too recessed (toward the midcase), please make some adjustment if you can. The entire watch will look strange if this is not corrected, as the geometry of the entire watch will be compromised. When fully screwed down, the crown should fill the space between the crown guards almost entirely, with slight protrusion either at the ceramic line, or slightly beyond such that a bit of ceramic, and the metal end of the crown extends beyond the crown guard. This is important to maintain the visual correctness of the 44mm ROO. You do not want a crown which is too sunken between the crown guards...
The crown offset from the chrono pusher line seems to be good!
Are the crown guards on your watch gen or rep? I seem to remember you have a gen case but don't remember about the crown guards. Both your crown guards seem to be uneven on their own and vs each other. Anyway, happy to see the fruition of your project, it will be a nice fun watch to wear even if you take all the visual deviations into account. I understand this is a fun watch for you and you won't be representing it as gen, but there are definitely improvements which you can make which will lessen the visual gaps and since you have come this far, why not go just a little more?
 
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W47chl0v3r

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Hey Al, You are spot on about the crownguards which are uneven (came that way from the base watch) and extend at different lengths near the crown itself. The crown and crownguards/pushers are replica parts that were attached to the gen midcase I acquired from a parts dealer on chrono24. Either the tube position of the case I received was incorrect or the replica crownguards are not the right dimensions which result in the crown appearing recessed as you mentioned. However, for me the watch will be fun to wear and will never be close to genuine dimensions or weight (170g vs 260g as you mentioned before). I cannot thin the caseback myself, make it heavier, nor can I move the tube location. The case itself made this build possible because I could get by without modifying the rep case to fit a LWO283. Another downside in addition to the crown/crownguard location, weight and thickness, is the gap between the tachy and dial which arose because an overall thinner LWO283 movement was used and not the elusive thicker gen 3126. These however make the watch special to me, and within my budget, and I realize that fixing these would amount to more cost that I cannot justify. I would still do everything the same way had I done it all over again.

legend
 
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