A brief story:
I've always liked the 116655. It's stealth wealth; a bit of flash with the right amount of subtlety and nods to Rolex's past, like the matte dial and red text. But a real one is out of the question, and I had always been concerned about the plating on reps. I passed on a superfranken over at Repgeek a couple of months ago and have been kicking myself since. So I decided to embark on a franken project, asking if my VRF with an A2836 could fit the bill: https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...nt-swap-a2836-for-gen-sh-vr3135-in-vrf-116655.
Reader, it could not. I had a source for a gen bezel and dial, but no watch to serve as a basis. So when a GMF came up with the right case and movement, I pounced. And then reached out to Nikz19. It was a long journey -- turns out the watch I sent him couldn't serve as a basis for the franken. So Nik went the extra mile and ordered me one from a TD. He swapped the movement to a more reliable VR3135, and installed the gen dial and bezel that I procured from another dealer. He then added a gen datewheel and crystal to really sweeten the deal. All the while, Nik sent me updates, pictures, and information on his process. Alongside the frankening, Nik did an incredible job replating and nano-coating the watch, matching the gen tone and improving durability. And, Nik patiently addressed my questions and concerns over customs, being CONUS-based.
The man is an artisan, hailing from the land that has them in spades in other fields (looking at you, cars, food and fashion). I cannot recommend him enough. To top it all, he said that the 116655 that he put together for me is the best he's ever done -- so I couldn't possibly post this review without some pictures:
A special thanks to KJ2020, who recommended getting in touch with Nik for his frankening and plating services!
I've always liked the 116655. It's stealth wealth; a bit of flash with the right amount of subtlety and nods to Rolex's past, like the matte dial and red text. But a real one is out of the question, and I had always been concerned about the plating on reps. I passed on a superfranken over at Repgeek a couple of months ago and have been kicking myself since. So I decided to embark on a franken project, asking if my VRF with an A2836 could fit the bill: https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...nt-swap-a2836-for-gen-sh-vr3135-in-vrf-116655.
Reader, it could not. I had a source for a gen bezel and dial, but no watch to serve as a basis. So when a GMF came up with the right case and movement, I pounced. And then reached out to Nikz19. It was a long journey -- turns out the watch I sent him couldn't serve as a basis for the franken. So Nik went the extra mile and ordered me one from a TD. He swapped the movement to a more reliable VR3135, and installed the gen dial and bezel that I procured from another dealer. He then added a gen datewheel and crystal to really sweeten the deal. All the while, Nik sent me updates, pictures, and information on his process. Alongside the frankening, Nik did an incredible job replating and nano-coating the watch, matching the gen tone and improving durability. And, Nik patiently addressed my questions and concerns over customs, being CONUS-based.
The man is an artisan, hailing from the land that has them in spades in other fields (looking at you, cars, food and fashion). I cannot recommend him enough. To top it all, he said that the 116655 that he put together for me is the best he's ever done -- so I couldn't possibly post this review without some pictures:
A special thanks to KJ2020, who recommended getting in touch with Nik for his frankening and plating services!
