If you get a chance to look at the case, you will see that there is a production year stamp at the dead center. III.57 is for the 3rd quarter of 57, but he only has II.57 which as far as I know no 6538 were made in that 2nd quarter. I'm more frustrated that he says he can make it and then tells me it isn't than the fact that it isn't the correct stamping. If it comes to it I'll do my own work on correcting that stamp.
Damn!! I've heard some of the Vietnamese dials are fragile and lume has been known to flake off. But the minute hand is damaged too?Most of the parts are now here. I am exceptionally clumsy and broke off the lume at 5 o'clock on Ruby's dial...
Phong's minute hand is crazy tight to fit and it is now toast in the process. His case is okay I guess.
@r6538 your suggestion on the Gen Crystal is awesome! It looks miles better than whatever came on the case.
Ruby's bracelet came, lighter than I expected but does fit decent.
Now waiting on 2nd movement clamp screw and spring bar.
Yeah, the slightest touch on the dial goes with the lume. I thought it was my fault tbh. The hand was undersized and I definitely damaged it beyond repair at this point. Just gonna wait for another.
I think I'll just get the whole dial redone. Color match is one thing but these dials came with non-lume stuff, so you are probably right, salt or sugar. This isn't a full real 6538, might as well have functional lume and I can use this opportunity to redo the hands as well. They are completely different colors. Maybe I also should take a trip to Ukraine and tap the Chernobyl nuclear fuel rod with a hammer for some radium(that's a joke, this watch is accurate enough without the radiation
)
indeed so. I'm contemplating on a full gold letter 2 line dial but haven't decided which way to go. out of curiosity where did you get the bezel? I have yet to find a silver one I like but this one looks goooooood!bummer that the lume flaked off and the hand got ruined. i wonder if the hands are sized to ETA - i forget if ETA pinions are bigger or smaller...
par for the course with an ambitious build like this i suppose, there are always setbacks, especially if doing the work yourself.
if you find a good person to relume, then reluming will be ok (obviously wait til you have a new minute hand and confirm it fits before reluming it all together).
if you dont find a good person to relume, then a new dial may be the way to go. a bad relume job will really detract.
here's a photo of my 6538 which i haven't posted yet
I don't see many builds with the old school wide minute hands. It look so much better than the newer really skinny and shiny hands like raffles time. Looks like a very nice, probably expensive, build. What hands did you use? What about the rest of it?bummer that the lume flaked off and the hand got ruined. i wonder if the hands are sized to ETA - i forget if ETA pinions are bigger or smaller...
par for the course with an ambitious build like this i suppose, there are always setbacks, especially if doing the work yourself.
if you find a good person to relume, then reluming will be ok (obviously wait til you have a new minute hand and confirm it fits before reluming it all together).
if you dont find a good person to relume, then a new dial may be the way to go. a bad relume job will really detract.
here's a photo of my 6538 which i haven't posted yet
appreciate the love for the watch, it’s my favorite in my collection. the dial and bezel are both from sources that appreciate some discretion so out of respect for them I will have to leave that info out.
