It would involve too much work plus sourcing of parts or modifying parts you have. It really isn't worth it. I think you can still get BP 5-digit Subs for relatively cheap.
Truly appreciate the input! Agree, was going to get the 16610 LV with the 3135 and mod from there.
You can do it if you use an ETA dial mounted to the 3135 movement. Clip the feet and epoxy the dial to the 3135 date plate. Four narrow ribbons of glue in clear open spaces. It's easily sliced through and cleaned off if/when needed. All the BP ETA Subs have ETA/DG position datewheels, date window and cyclops so ofc you need to swap the crystal also.
The BP is a 16610lv with a 2824 movement. I’m assuming it has a dwo. So I’m asking if i can swap the 2824 for a 3135 and leave crystal the same?You can do it if you use an ETA dial mounted to the 3135 movement. Clip the feet and epoxy the dial to the 3135 date plate. Four narrow ribbons of glue in clear open spaces. It's easily sliced through and cleaned off if/when needed. All the BP ETA Subs have ETA/DG position datewheels, date window and cyclops so ofc you need to swap the crystal also.
The BP 2824 cases can take a 3135 natively. They do have too large a rehaut aperture to take a gen or gen-spec 3135 dial. So I got a Rolex date window ETA Serti dial from Raffles and mounted it on a VR3135 with a gen champagne datewheel and with some gen-spec hands and a Clark's crystal swap it all comes together.
Stock
Modded
All BP 1661x ETA Subs have a datewheel, dial date window, and cyclops in the ETA/DG native position. This was done IMO to specifically avoid the need for a DWO because fitting a DWO to a 2824 is a major PITA. There is extremely little vertical clearance for one both below it due to movement parts and above it due to dial underside proximity.
Wow! Thank you for the amazing instructional pictures and information. I guess it would benefit me to just sell this piece and start over with one that I can mod, that has a 3135 in it.All BP 1661x ETA Subs have a datewheel, dial date window, and cyclops in the ETA/DG native position. This was done IMO to specifically avoid the need for a DWO because fitting a DWO to a 2824 is a major PITA. There is extremely little vertical clearance for one both below it due to movement parts and above it due to dial underside proximity.
This is a TC movement that I epoxied a second 2824 DW to after grinding off the teeth. You can see the double thickness on the edge. A DWO has a smaller inside diameter, which will still conflict with that screw sticking up for the minute train bridge. So it will have to be replaced with one that has a shorter, flatter head or this one can be sanded down to about half that height.
Ive also added 2 layers of narrow strips of bracelet tape to the dial spacer, which for a TC is built in to the movement holder.
I've also very carefully sanded and polished the TC dial underside to remove a slight amount of material and eliminate the usual marker glue remnants and other roughness and aberrations. The DWO fit is that tight, it can require some or all of these mods. That's why BP isn't going to do it on a $300 rep.
Difference in date window positions - Rolex vs ETA
If you don't change the crystal, your cyclops will not align with the 3135 dial date window and DW.
BP Kermits
Stock 2824 - Note the correct hour hand, wrong maxi second hand, wrong datewheel position. CGs slightly shorter than 3135 version.
Stock SA3135 - Note the wrong maxi hour and second hands, CGs longer than 2824 version
Modded SA3135 - Hands corrected with BP SA3135 LN hands
I initially bought the same 2824 BP Kermit you have. After a while the ETA position DW/window/cyclops bugged me to the point of buying the BP SA3135 Kermit. Then it had two wrong maxi hands so those had to be replaced. Also the SA3135 is known to be an inferior movement - the one in my BP SA3135 16610 LN arrived with a DW issue and stem problems. So typically one can figure on replacing the SA3135 with a VR or VS sooner or later. The Kermit SA3135 is working OK even after a couple years now but I have a new VR3135 reserved for it when needed.
