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The Ultimate Daytona Buying Guide (Ref. 116520/116500)

uberkoen

You're Saying I Can Sell?
11/10/20
43
5
8
I've been looking at some of the TD's. Is it correct that the V4 is only for 116500 and not 116520? The noob 116520 that I see on the websites has horrible SEL's. The Arf v2 looks so much better but then the issue is the movement and the thickness
 

ChronoNoob

You're Saying I Can Sell?
26/6/20
43
21
8
I've been looking at some of the TD's. Is it correct that the V4 is only for 116500 and not 116520? The noob 116520 that I see on the websites has horrible SEL's. The Arf v2 looks so much better but then the issue is the movement and the thickness

The end links on my V3 are crap. Noob end links are generally crap according to a lot of this forum. ARF end links apparently won't fit without some shaving down. The Noob's bracelet and clasp is also pretty hit and miss although mind is really nice feeling after a baby oil bath. Seriously worth bathing all bracelets in baby oil.
 

uberkoen

You're Saying I Can Sell?
11/10/20
43
5
8
The end links on my V3 are crap. Noob end links are generally crap according to a lot of this forum. ARF end links apparently won't fit without some shaving down. The Noob's bracelet and clasp is also pretty hit and miss although mind is really nice feeling after a baby oil bath. Seriously worth bathing all bracelets in baby oil.

It looks better on the V4 116500 though. What's your opinion on the SEL's on that?
 

ChronoNoob

You're Saying I Can Sell?
26/6/20
43
21
8
It looks better on the V4 116500 though. What's your opinion on the SEL's on that?

No idea because I don't own a V4 and the QC pics almost never show the SELs anyway. You never get to see the SELs on the watch you buy in detail and it's super inconsistent based on some people receiving perfect ones from the exact same factory and version. I think they must ignore the small issues on purpose because all these little things are cheap and easy to fix but go a long way. It's just not worth it for the factories because they sell so well regardless. Are there any sources of repped 4130 outside of Noob? They can increase their prices and people will still buy because it's less than 1/30 the price of the gen in second hand market.
 

ssouthall6

Put Some Respect On My Name
10/10/13
3,539
1,562
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The idea was that the watchmaker makes all the purchases. I pay in advance and then once the watch is built ship it across to me.

Nobody as far as I know will do that, for many reasons...the main one being they are all busy, a job like this is very demanding and not worth the risk...what happens if they do all that and it gets confiscated by Dubai customs? That's why the question about sending it worldwide....I'm in UK and very rarely send my own watches to modders outside UK (although I have and never had a problem when I did, there's just too many things to go wrong)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

uberkoen

You're Saying I Can Sell?
11/10/20
43
5
8
Nobody as far as I know will do that, for many reasons...the main one being they are all busy, a job like this is very demanding and not worth the risk...what happens if they do all that and it gets confiscated by Dubai customs? That's why the question about sending it worldwide....I'm in UK and very rarely send my own watches to modders outside UK (although I have and never had a problem when I did, there's just too many things to go wrong)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not sure what the risk to the watchmaker would be if it gets confiscated by the customs in Dubai as I would've paid in advance for the watch and the work being done. The risk of it being confiscated would be on me and not the person working on the watch.
 

racingeagle

Known Member
9/4/16
126
32
0
Very difficult to obtain as a separate item. Most people buy the complete watch and take dial and clasp from ARF to improve a Noob 4130, then sell what's let to recoup some of the cost, as recommended in this post. It may be worth following M2M as they do occasionally come up.

Will ARF 904L clasp fit on a Noob V2 4130 bracelet? Thanks
 

daytona1994

Known Member
11/10/20
174
8
18
Hi guys... i have two questions:
talking about 116520 noob v3 and 116520 arf v2
-does arf bracelet fit on noob case? Or only clasp arf can be installed? (I have read people saying different things about that)
-arf dial has to be reduced and than pasted to work into a noob. Tha fact on being pasted can cause problem in future or when doing a revision (it is pasted to the a4130 which has to be unbuilt)?

thank you :D
 

popi2020

Banned member, the goat does not approve
Banned
12/10/20
415
78
0
Hi guys... i have two questions:
talking about 116520 noob v3 and 116520 arf v2
-does arf bracelet fit on noob case? Or only clasp arf can be installed? (I have read people saying different things about that)
-arf dial has to be reduced and than pasted to work into a noob. Tha fact on being pasted can cause problem in future or when doing a revision (it is pasted to the a4130 which has to be unbuilt)?

thank you :D


it depends on the "lower back" you have ... I only put the arf clasp, because otherwise in the loop area it remained too flush
 
Last edited:

Peeky_G

Horology Curious
15/8/20
5
1
3
thanks for a fantastic post.

I am finally thinking of making a start on a franken 116500 project. I have had a noob v3 which is fantastic out of the box however after owning it for a while I want to make a few changes to get it even more gen like.

Could anyone let me know if the Chromalight hands from a 116520 would fit a 116500?
 

rlaroya

Looking Around
10/11/20
1
0
0
Thank you for this great guide! What are your opinions on the V4 Noob though? I heard there are alot of improvements on it but the dial seem to have downgraded according to what I have read.
 

uberkoen

You're Saying I Can Sell?
11/10/20
43
5
8
Thank you for this great guide! What are your opinions on the V4 Noob though? I heard there are alot of improvements on it but the dial seem to have downgraded according to what I have read.

There's an entire thread on the noob v4. Over a 100 pages. Go check it out
 

ssouthall6

Put Some Respect On My Name
10/10/13
3,539
1,562
113
thanks for a fantastic post.

I am finally thinking of making a start on a franken 116500 project. I have had a noob v3 which is fantastic out of the box however after owning it for a while I want to make a few changes to get it even more gen like.

Could anyone let me know if the Chromalight hands from a 116520 would fit a 116500?

Whilst they do in principle, getting gen hands to fit is hit or miss, mainly on the subdials. Sometimes it needs a gen 820 or 840, purely down to the fine margins on stuff like pinions and the machining tolerance on Chinese parts.

I've got three with gen hands, one had no trouble, one needed gen parts, the other I had to accept just changing the main hands and sold the subdial hands


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Cheeps

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Whilst they do in principle, getting gen hands to fit is hit or miss, mainly on the subdials. Sometimes it needs a gen 820 or 840, purely down to the fine margins on stuff like pinions and the machining tolerance on Chinese parts.

I've got three with gen hands, one had no trouble, one needed gen parts, the other I had to accept just changing the main hands and sold the subdial hands


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

you can get the gen hands modded easily to fit the subdials though, it takes 5 min and Domi did it for all my gen hands so far. Works without problems
 

ssouthall6

Put Some Respect On My Name
10/10/13
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you can get the gen hands modded easily to fit the subdials though, it takes 5 min and Domi did it for all my gen hands so far. Works without problems

You're quite correct. Personal preference is to not pinch or widen the canon pinion on gen hands but you can do it and if someone like Domi is handling it you have no concerns


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