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6538 - Bond Sub Budget Build
- Thread starter djulink
- Start date
depends on the parts.... hr stamped builds go for 500-600usd easily... but thats with eta movements.... the ultimate bond subs lie near the 5k range... that belongs to the likes of gmg and phong....
budget builds can range between 300-500 usd... you get close enough
budget builds can range between 300-500 usd... you get close enough
Wouldn't mind trying to do a budget build.
Any of you guys fancy putting together a very detailed tutorial?
Any of you guys fancy putting together a very detailed tutorial?
Wouldn't mind trying to do a budget build.
Any of you guys fancy putting together a very detailed tutorial?
actually, the parts can be quickly sourced in most places, helenarou, yuki, silix and tiger sells the parts seperately. phong sits at the pinnacle for 1:1 gens...
putting them together isnt as hard as one might think... its a simple watch with no complications, so you wouldnt have to worry much about date wheels or chronos...
theres some great tutorials at rwi's tutorial thread, one of them is extremely detailed, created by bonessey if i remember correctly...
you know you want to dave :lmao: its one of the best understated watches which you could wear in all occasions!
Great info there Retina thanks.
I am really tempted to give it a go. Gonna go off in search of those tutorials now!
- 24/12/11
- 66,398
- 17,529
- 113
:lmao: i swear your whole collection is full of mesh bracelets.... you have unique taste sir!
- 24/12/11
- 66,398
- 17,529
- 113
- 24/12/11
- 66,398
- 17,529
- 113
Sooooo.....................if any of you experts can put together a list of links for parts budget style it would be cool.
need case, movt holder, crown, dial, handset, and cool plexi.
ive got both 2836 and 2813 so ill be good either way
need case, movt holder, crown, dial, handset, and cool plexi.
ive got both 2836 and 2813 so ill be good either way
I got the dial and hands from Yuki watch, so I changed it.
Yuki dial is too small to install in a case, so need glueing between dial and eta-adopter.
I also modded lug of case.
Yuki dial is too small to install in a case, so need glueing between dial and eta-adopter.
I also modded lug of case.
I've been putting off doing a budget build for ages, but here is what I'm looking at:
1) Complete Silix base watch (or Tiger).
2) New seconds hand from OnlinestoreHK - choose the white big ball, lollipop seconds hand.
3) Yuki Pearl (the Athaya pearl has a small nib leftover from improper cutting at the mfr so you have to trim and sand that one) or just remove the crappy stock one. Either way, the stock pearl MUST be removed. It is horrible.
4) Athaya 8mm brevet crown and tube + stem adapter.
5) Raffles movement holder if switching movements from one to the other. Not needed if staying with same movement.
6) Raffles replacement dial if I can't get the stock Silix to look decent - one of Ken's 6538 superlume versions. It looks very close to the Helenarou dial but less than half the cost. I won't feel guilty if I foul it up during aging.
7) Last time I spoke to Michelle at Silix they were not selling them with rivets anymore, so a new branded rivet from Riyi002 or I'll just use my Martu leather band.
8) New Sternkreuz crystal - better profile and clarity.
That's my working list so far. If I get the technique down on the dial aging part of it, then I'll upgrade to the Helenarou dial and age that one, but I'll practice on the stock Silix first and then work my way up the scale in price and quality. If I can get this one to look good, then the next project will be a 6200.
- 24/12/11
- 66,398
- 17,529
- 113
Thanks Mendota !
Which silix base watch are you referring to?
Im finding a hard time locating it
Hi Gents
@Raddave, you could start with the ROL234 or ROL246
@J.Kirk, I really like your new dial. that is a 28mm one ?
To give you a little more details about my building process (the prices I give are with shipping):
I order a JB5508 from Tiger-Concept to start with (110 € at the time).
Then I went with a simple "2 lines" dial from Ken @ Rafflestime (30 €). Raffles Sub dials are most often 29mm.
So it would work with a silix case but not a Tiger-Concept one (V3), as for this one dial must be 28mm: I had to sand the raffles dial from 29 to 28mm to make it fit the case.
Gen dial for 6538 is 27,7 mm - If I remember well.
Once, I was working to re-align the dial to the case, the stem broke within the 2813 movement, provided with the initial watch... So there I was, with just a case in my hands...
I had to repair it: I decided to keep the Tiger-Concept case and went for a Yuki "4 liner" dial (150€) - the only one 28mm they had, a 2836-2 movement (95€) and a Big Crown from Raffles (30 €).
It would be great to compare tiger-concept case and silix case to see the differences between the 2.
@Raddave, you could start with the ROL234 or ROL246
@J.Kirk, I really like your new dial. that is a 28mm one ?
To give you a little more details about my building process (the prices I give are with shipping):
I order a JB5508 from Tiger-Concept to start with (110 € at the time).
Then I went with a simple "2 lines" dial from Ken @ Rafflestime (30 €). Raffles Sub dials are most often 29mm.
So it would work with a silix case but not a Tiger-Concept one (V3), as for this one dial must be 28mm: I had to sand the raffles dial from 29 to 28mm to make it fit the case.
Gen dial for 6538 is 27,7 mm - If I remember well.
Once, I was working to re-align the dial to the case, the stem broke within the 2813 movement, provided with the initial watch... So there I was, with just a case in my hands...
I had to repair it: I decided to keep the Tiger-Concept case and went for a Yuki "4 liner" dial (150€) - the only one 28mm they had, a 2836-2 movement (95€) and a Big Crown from Raffles (30 €).
It would be great to compare tiger-concept case and silix case to see the differences between the 2.
there was a thread that specified the differences between tiger, silix, cartels and phong based watches, its a give and take in all regards... the most important attribute in this build has to be the hands and dial as the beauty lies in the gilt design...
silix cases are hard to come by in pristine condition, i doubt that michelle would still have any stock left...
one of the best modders on this forum would be gmg, i know that he is building a kickass big crown with a super hard to come by customed made gilt dial...
coming back to budget builds, the construction of silix has its drawbacks,
another route which some go eventually would be to simply get the whole thing built by helenarou.... they provide customed dial and inserts with eta movements all in one shot, saving the person loads of time...
but the case specs arent accurate to gen...
anyway, you really learn alot while starting a build like this, ive learned to take apart watches, changed dial and hands because of this build, if anything, it would be a fruitful experience as you get hands on
time dealing with small watch parts... the panerais become so much easier due to the size later on
silix cases are hard to come by in pristine condition, i doubt that michelle would still have any stock left...
one of the best modders on this forum would be gmg, i know that he is building a kickass big crown with a super hard to come by customed made gilt dial...
coming back to budget builds, the construction of silix has its drawbacks,
another route which some go eventually would be to simply get the whole thing built by helenarou.... they provide customed dial and inserts with eta movements all in one shot, saving the person loads of time...
but the case specs arent accurate to gen...
anyway, you really learn alot while starting a build like this, ive learned to take apart watches, changed dial and hands because of this build, if anything, it would be a fruitful experience as you get hands on
time dealing with small watch parts... the panerais become so much easier due to the size later on
^^ to add, get proper watch tools guys, proper watch tools saves you loads of cash by avoiding spoilt dials and damaged screws... its gruesome to see the screws scratched and damaged just because of low-quality screwdrivers and rusty pliers...