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New Guy's intro and first 116610 Franken build thread

alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Hello fellow Repizens!

First off let me say - Mods if I put this in the wrong place or violated any rules please let me know and move this if needed, thanks in advance!

I have been lurking and learning on this site for a little while now and I thought it was time to introduce myself and I hope to win the new guy epic first post award LOL

I am Alfonzo. Like St. Alfonzo’s pancake breakfast, “where I stole the margarine”. If you get that reference then you have an idea of my age and what side of the pond I am on. LOL

I am recently married to the woman of my dreams and she has acquired a nice little Datejust collection over the years as well as a mechanical Rolex that was her grandfathers and she has renewed my interest in watches. I picked up a .005 Speedy this year and I just love it and that really got my interest up. My wife was joking around and she told me since I got the Speedy that she should get a Milgauss. So with that I set out to mess with her since she did not want me spending the money.

I got on a certain ecommerce site and found a $50 rep of the Milgauss. It actually showed up and I put it in a rep box with the whole nine yards and gave it to her. She was pissed! LOL “How could you spend that money without a discussion” she says. I let her stew for a few then told her the truth. It was very funny but that inspired me to start understanding all things Reps and that led me here.

I realized there was a whole subculture that very much appealed to my greater Nerd and I was off to the races. I found Ken and ordered a few kits and stuff from him. Bought some shitty tools and started building. I built some sterile watches and some reps. I realized I had shitty tools, bought better ones and learned how to use them. Then I learned of the super clone and then the Franken!!!!

That was it, the die was cast and I started to work on acquiring the parts needed. First mistake: Bought a base (what they said was 904l) Sub and thought it had the SA3135 in it and NOPE! It had the A2836-3135 in it. I did not take a good enough look at all the images and $300 down the drain, should have known. Let that be the first lesson from one beginner to another, PAY ATTENTION and you don’t know shit. That is my current mantra. I still have the watch but I don’t know what I am going to do with it, maybe give it to the father in-law for Christmas ;-). In that time frame I bought the SH3135 so I could become familiar with it because you people told me it was the one that you could mod with gen parts.

I bought a complete gen bezel assembly for when I have the watch. It was a new take off. Spendy!!! Will get a gen dial, hands etc. Bought the complete rotor assembly, winding bridge, crown tube and crown and I am still finding and buying the other parts. Can’t find a gen crystal for a reasonable price so the search continues. (At the time of this writing)-So does the search for the Noob V9. I will get one, I hope soon. I just refuse to use some of the payment methods to acquire one and not all the TD’s that I have tried have workarounds. I will find one if it kills me. (Found one today and it is on it’s way!


9.jpg


But while I wait I decided to delve into the SH3135 with vigor. I had read that that they are dirty and gross coming out of the factory and would need to be serviced. As I took it apart I saw that’s no bullshit! It had hair in it and chunks of who knows what. I took my time and took pictures of each step. Found a great “How To” on u-tube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW8WfnYc4D4
) about servicing the 3135 and watched that a few times. It came apart without issue. In reading about how to clean the parts I decided that the ultrasonic, jam jar and lighter fluid would be my best bet on the cheap (nothing is cheap lol). Picked up a $30 cleaner and the other stuff. Worked like a charm! I did not have any watchmakers paper and I had heard that it is similar to cigarette paper and that I had. I pulled all of the parts out of the fluid and let them dry on the paper.

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4.jpg

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Since this is my first time I knew I was going to have a challenge with the reassembly. I found a great PDF with every part, pic description and relationship to the screws LOL and started putting it back together. It is slow and focused work. I am taking my time and I am almost done. The reason I could not finish is that one of those damn little screws got away from me. I honestly thought it would be that little jewel that goes on the yoke for cam but nope it was the date wheel screw. So that put a little kink in the completion while I wait for the new screw to arrive. I ordered a few different extras as I am sure this will happen again, probably order the 3135-5000 so I have a complete extra kit. But it allowed me the time to start this thread.

1.jpg


I will be adding to this thread as I complete the build. I really want the beginners like me to understand that all of the info is available via search and dig methods and that it is more rewarding to learn first through autodidactic methods and then, once a rudimentary understanding is achieved and a vocabulary established, one can start to ask more informed questions.

Thanks for such a rich and knowledgeable forum and I look forward to being a solid contributing member here. I welcome any and all advice even if it is bad so I can judge what is good. If I can answer any questions with my limited understanding I will do my best.

More to follow as I just found a source for the V9 and it is on the way to my greedy little hands…


I was thinking I should have just bought a Gen but then where is the fun in that!


-Alfonzo
 
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alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Good reading thanks for the link.

So many watches...so little time
 

alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Thanks so much!

I just got my QC pictures of the Noob and looks good, rehaut looks good, dial pretty good can't get a great look at the SEL but appears from what I can see (still has plastic on it) to be pretty good. So yeah I am stoked and ready to go!!! Come on DHL!
 

alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Well wonders never cease. I got it back together without much pain. She is running! How well is TBD but hey I consider this a mighty win!

One Franken 3135 ready for install!

whew.jpg




done.jpg
 

mrrobot

You're Saying I Can Sell?
14/7/16
40
22
8
Wow, badass. Welcome! I'll be following this thread, excited to see it all finished one day.
 

alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Update:

I found what I think is all the rest of the parts to complete the build.

Gen Parts acquired:
New Bezel Assembly with insert
New take off Dial
New Hands
New Crystal
Used date disc
New Crown
New crown tube
New Rotor assembly
Used winding bridge
New 3135-645 date corrector wheel
New various movement screws

And the V9 will be here TODAY!!!!

I have a line on a ARF bracelet and and I will of course take some pics once all of the goodies have arrived. I still need to source the rest of the reliability parts for the movement but if I have forgotten anything please LMK. I am pretty excited at this point and will be insanely proud to wear this timepiece.
 

alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Alright! Got her! And she is a beaut! Looks like it came with the SH3135V2 woot! I was expecting the SA. Rest of the parts inbound so it is on! And I have my TD!


noob2.jpg


noob1.jpg


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alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Here are a few more of the movement and also the the Noob SEL's. I think they look pretty good at least on the 12' side the 6' side is not as good. Maybe a little massaging of the SEL's but I also have a n ARF bracelet coming so I will see how that looks but really thinking I am ok with the way things look.

Also have a gen 3135-600 seating plate for date disc on the way as the gen disc is not moving correctly. I have read some threads on a fix but the part seemed like the only way to go. Also scratched the date disc but oh well...bought another one as I just can't look at the imperfection.


3135_frank.jpg


3135-2.jpg


v9_top.jpg


v9_bottom.jpg


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perl_left.jpg




bottom_left.jpg


bottom_right.jpg
 
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jonas.87

Known Member
25/9/11
116
6
0
Welcome! Such a great read.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Thanks!

As you will have read I am recently married. I liquidated my properties and moved in with my wife as we are having a home built. Seems only right as it should be ours. She is an understanding wife and knows that I MUST tinker and build anything and everything. That is why the new house has the Garage-ma-hall and will be mine all mine. Until then her space is over flowing with our shit. So with space at a premium she shoved me into the corner of our little office and I thought I would show a image of the work space. It is just fine considering the work.

work_space.jpg


OK looks like the Dial, Hands & Crystal will be here tomorrow. The date plate and new date wheel ($100 ouchy) will be here Saturday so I figured it was time to disassemble.

apart.jpg


rehaut.jpg


I chased the crown tube with a tap as suggested in the threads of this site and with good reason! I trashed the Noob Tube taking it out, I think they used super glue by the looks of the crap the tap chased out. Then I put it in the old cleaner.

tap.jpg


gtg.jpg


Will see how it goes tomorrow when the expensive shit gets here...
 
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alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Well here we go! Shit is getting real in here! ;-P

The goods have arrived and the real nerves are setting in. It is one thing to F-Up a screw or a small inexpensive part but theses parts require more care and focus. I already made a mistake and put a small nick in the case. Call it the price of education and don't think I won't get another noob and do this all over again cuz I am going to!

thegoods.jpg


Here are a few shots of the dial. It is a little dusty but other than that it looks fantastic.

dial4.jpg


dial2.jpg


dial1.jpg


dial3.jpg



Still don't know which bracelet but the ARF's SEL's are definitely better.
 
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alfonzo

Active Member
25/7/19
426
182
43
Obligatory lume shot. Also to just check it out LOL


lume.jpg
 
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