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Finally completed! 16800

bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
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I’ve been in love with this model since I was a kid since this was the sub that was out at the time. I’ve wanted this repped since I even knew about reps but never found one. The few I did see in M2M sections disappear as soon as they get posted.

Back then, there were no options in gen spec cases aside from TC, and WM and clone movements had all sorts of problems. weak stems, not accepting gen parts, no replacement parts available.. etc.

I left the forum for a while for many reasons and when I came back to check out what’s been happening in the rep world, I got right back in to my fav hobby. Yet, still no 16800.

Then, I found out that JF makes gen spec 16610s, and the clone movements have gotten a LOT better.... I knew it was time to build it.

Bought the base, had the movement serviced (you should always do this. Especially for clone movements). Started looking in to what was available and what wasn’t.

Started gathering parts but the servicing gave me a 6 month warranty so I took my time gathering parts and getting everything together.

Here we are now.


It took me a while but completed it VERY late last night.

Though, I might get better hands. These are just too flat imo. I even slapped my loupe on and gently sanded the edges using very high grit sandpaper (it feels like cloth). Rounded the angles..etc and they still look too flat to me. Plus, these got a bit scratched up. Idk. I’m 50/50 on that decision but that’s for another day.

Here’s the specs.

Base = JF 16610 without rehaut engravings.

SH3135 serviced with a better calendar yoke and spring installed so it doesn’t get stuck at midnight. Even got a 6 month warranty on the service.

Gen datewheel. It’s not period correct but try finding a gen 168000 datewheel in a decent condition at a decent price.

Lug holes drilled by JMB.

Richview’s newest dial printed on singer plates.
It’s not completely correct but best (I think) option below $400.

Softened the edges a little bit.
Chamfered the lugs. JMB didn’t leave much room on the edges since the end links don’t leave much room for lug holes on mine unfortunately.

I didn’t take many pics of the build process but this has been a slowly gathering parts over the last few months and I just got the dial yesterday and decided to just finish it while the wife and the kid was out of town for the weekend.

8cae2848a8c08da64f8a4f5ca466ff8b.jpg
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The dates sit slightly to the left of the window because gen spec dials apparently have the date window slightly to the left but I can live with it.

Overall, I love it. Sure, it could be better but making it better would make it a lot more expensive. I’m currently close to a grand on this build and didn’t really want to put more money in to it.

Any recommendations on a hand set aside from gen?
I’m thinking Yuki. I need to place and order with him for a explorer dial so I thought about trying that.

P.s. now i want to buy a gen 16800. They’re slowly going up in prices and they’re turning in to a very collectible reference, so I may end up getting it.


Now.. what to do with the JF dial... thinking of luming it yellow to look like tritium and putting some matte laquer on it and see how that looks. Could be a fun look.




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bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
4,079
454
83
Nice work! Here’s mine!

That’s a gen 3135 datewheel huh?
Mine sits slightly to the left too. Apparently the 16800 gen spec date window is slightly to the left. My best guess is it’s bc the date window is slightly larger bc font is much bigger with open 6s and 9s.

I should have just kept the VR datewheel in there. It’s slightly to the right. May end up installing that later. Now I’m trying to see if I can live with it. Lol. Damn the OCD


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bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
4,079
454
83
Who is the dial maker? Beautiful build.

Thanks!

It’s Richview’s dial.


https://www.mochacha.org

he makes good dials. ESP for the price. He does better with 1680s I think. The 16800 dials are new. I bugged the shit out of him about making them. Lol.
I’m hoping he gets the fonts’ spacing and thinner fonts next time. But for less than $200, you can’t beat it. Yuki’s is the closest around the price but his 16800 dials are crap.





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perfecto71

Active Member
25/7/19
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Yes it’s a gen date wheel on a SH3135. The datewheel is ventured though. Just doesn’t look like it in that photo. The dial is an old MQ16800 matte dial on gen Beyeler plate.
 

bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
4,079
454
83
Yes it’s a gen date wheel on a SH3135. The datewheel is ventured though. Just doesn’t look like it in that photo. The dial is an old MQ16800 matte dial on gen Beyeler plate.

Ah ok. Yea. Mines a gen 3135 datewheel but it’s sitting slightly to the right and the date window looks like it’s about .5mm larger than the JF dial so the larger font and date window is probably what is causing mine to sit slightly to the left and triggering my OCD. LOL.

Your build looks great though. Mine’s on a gen singer plate so it should be gen spec but the date window is driving me crazy, even though nobody else seems to notice it.




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bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
4,079
454
83
Now what sort of fun could we have with this dial...?

8e9e7d767d77bb1107b396ec1a77794b.jpg


I’m thinkin a dark yellow lume. Dirty it up a bit. Some matte coating to get rid of some of the gloss. I wish I had a way to swap the “SWISS MADE” to a “T
 

gunsmoke16610

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23/10/18
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Nice job on your build. The 16800 and early 16610s with O69 DWs are my favorites.

I prefer these older builds because you can't buy them OFTB. Therefore, each one is different and usually a labor of love and source of frustration Lol


Here is one of mine


C110-D8-EA-0-C92-4606-8127-53-AAD6-DACA04.jpg
 
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stufuse

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Get a star time hand set, yuki are not nice


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tribal

Renowned Member
27/3/06
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Nice one,
I have mostly the same project in the pipeline.
My case will be a WM9 case with reshaped Rehaut a bit shallower.
I bought some Gen Bracelet parts with 501B Endlinks.
Movement will be a VR3135.
You are right about the Datewheel, a descent 168000 Date disk is really hard to find.
Still waiting for the Case came back from Lugholedrilling.
The Richieview Dial is nice but has a crooked datewindow in my case. ;(
Still waiting for a better one.

Look here
77a4081e61bf4809ce39e58e71d35b54.jpg


Hope the other Dial will be better.

Anyway this is a nice Projekt.
Will Post it also when it's done.

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sfgerl

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25/10/18
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right.... thanks! Thought I was missing something LOL
 

bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
4,079
454
83
Nice job on your build. The 16800 and early 16610s with O69 DWs are my favorites.

I prefer these older builds because you can't buy them OFTB. Therefore, each one is different and usually a labor of love and source of frustration Lol


Here is one of mine


C110-D8-EA-0-C92-4606-8127-53-AAD6-DACA04.jpg


Those open 6/9 datewheels are almost impossible to find a gen of. Had to use the modern gen 3135 wheel. It doesn’t sit correctly as it would on a 3035 though. 3135 seems to be smaller in circumference so it sits slightly towards the left of the window.

May end up trying an overlay since that’s what most rep clone movements use on a blank date plate. I wish I could make the dates pad printed to get the height of the ink.

I know my bracelet isn’t period correct with the SELs but they fit so perfect and gives the watch a nice hefty feel to it.

The only thing I’m not happy about is 1 of the lug holes sit very close to the edge. I wish JMB could have fixed this but we all know that with rep cases, it’s a moving target. Sometimes, they are perfectly centered and sometimes, they’re just a bit crooked.
You gotta so some serious filing and sanding to get it about .5mm away from the edge and I didn’t want to thin my lugs too much so I just sanded it as much as I could without making the lugs look like 1016 lugs.

:(




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bc1221

Put Some Respect On My Name
30/4/14
4,079
454
83
Get a star time hand set, yuki are not nice


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Yep. Got a ST hand set on the way along with 2 sets of Tudor sub hands for another build I’m working on and maybe replace the hands on my 1680 red. I haven’t decided on that one yet.

I’m hoping to have all 16’s. 1680, 16800, 16610. The only one missing would be 168000 but that’s pretty much a 16800 with a 3135.

Then I may move on to the no date subs after my explorer build is done. I know I want a 5513 for sure. Lol too many watches that I NEEED!! Gotta collect them all!!

:)


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gunsmoke16610

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bc1221 I agree these DWs are difficult to locate, I've always have my eyes open for them.

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