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Building a 5513 - Tutorial

369mafia

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Can anyone share any feedback on which case/bezel/insert is better. JKF or Bivintage?
the BV is more gen spec in appearance however the jkf with a bit of metal work can get pretty close also. Neither are perfect and it all depends if you want to do some metal work on the case.
 
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nyswe

Horology Curious
17/2/22
10
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I'm looking for the exact replacement xtal, did you have any luck @nyswe ?
I did order the 305.451 xtal but have not received it yet. The outer diameter is the same as the stock xtal fitted by raffles and should fit snuggly to the gasket. However, the inner diameter is too big, TBC if that means that the xtal will be loose and need some adhesive or if it is sufficient with the outer diameter being correct.

Also I’m not sure about the total height on the xtal vs the raffles fitting, to be seen when it arrives. I will report back here on the findings.
 
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cacti

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I did order the 305.451 xtal but have not received it yet. The outer diameter is the same as the stock xtal fitted by raffles and should fit snuggly to the gasket. However, the inner diameter is too big, TBC if that means that the xtal will be loose and need some adhesive or if it is sufficient with the outer diameter being correct.

Also I’m not sure about the total height on the xtal vs the raffles fitting, to be seen when it arrives. I will report back here on the findings.
Yes please, that would be great. I ordered the same crystal, but it will be my first crystal swap so I appreciate any advice.
 

nyswe

Horology Curious
17/2/22
10
11
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Yes please, that would be great. I ordered the same crystal, but it will be my first crystal swap so I appreciate any advice.
So today I performed surgery on the raffles case. After talking to Raffles I was told the case would be fitted by pressure and glue - no glue was found.

I pushed the xtal out quite easily with my thumbs, maybe a bit too easy opposed to what i was expecting so i pushed it out unevenly and cracking the lip of the old xtal.

No need to remove the insert or bezel the xtals fit nicely in between. The new xtal came down nicely and although having the wrong inner diameter having the correct outer diameter did the job of holding it in place.

The xs305.451 looks much better to my liking - it might sit slightly slanted as I see a hint of it being a bit thicker at 12 opposed to 6 but no amount of pressure I can produce can lower the xtal anymore. Either it is an illusion or something is slightly off. I did try to rotate the bezel/insert to see if it was slightly lower at 12 but no change.
 
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JBits

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30/5/23
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Thanks for the amazing and detailed write up @Megahz1 . I haven't started dabbling in watch making but reading this thread was very enjoyable and education for me.
 
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cacti

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@JBits Glad to see that this thread is now the go to for new modders! I also wanted to thank everyone for the kind words and mentions in other threads.
Hey, when bleached your insert. What is full bleach solution or diluted? How long did you leave it? thanks
 

Karbon74

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Hey, when bleached your insert. What is full bleach solution or diluted? How long did you leave it? thanks

this is hard to answer because it depends on the insert and on the bleach you use.

The JKF fades easily in less than 30 minutes , the CousinsUK does not budge at hours, the Raffles a bit in between.

Also, I found out that ambient temperature and sunlight plays a big role.

my suggestion is to start with a half-half solution, and dip by periods of 5 mins for the JKF. as soon as it starts to discolor, you need to take it out immediately and rinse under running water. else it will go too far.

Also, despite the temptation, don’t rub it. It will create an ugly mottled look rather than a uniform fade.

Finally, I found that a first dip in acetone or nail varnish remover (and rinse) helps the process.

And yeah, remove the lume pip before, else it will melt and distort.
 
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Karbon74

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@daytona4me

I would respectfully apply for this thread to become a sticky in the Vintage section asthe 5513 is the go-to vintage sub.

@Megahz1 original post is a masterclass for budding modders, and I believe he deserves the recognition
 
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369mafia

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came across this the other day and thought I would share it here to help anyone that has difficult fitting a seconds hand to a watch so I thought I would share it here a a build thread.
 

maikols

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5/10/18
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Reshaped my 5513 raffles case buyed 2 years ago .

So the xtal 305.451 fits good on raffles ? Can you post a picure please ?

So :
Cg reshaped
Crown changed
Slimmed lugs
Forgot to enlarge the lugs hole lol
Brushed and polished to make the case look 40 years old
Changed the xtal with a domed one from verlux

Now waiting a new bezel becouse i destroyed it . I tryed to remove it like a jkf one lol

Tomorrow i will try to add a spider effect to the dial but i dont know how.
Relume index and hands and install a fresh nh35 or a2824 .

This is how it looks right now. For a comparision with a jkf you can search on one of my latest build or in the selling page.





 
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369mafia

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Reshaped my 5513 raffles case buyed 2 years ago .

So the xtal 305.451 fits good on raffles ? Can you post a picure please ?

So :
Cg reshaped
Crown changed
Slimmed lugs
Forgot to enlarge the lugs hole lol
Brushed and polished to make the case look 40 years old
Changed the xtal with a domed one from verlux

Now waiting a new bezel becouse i destroyed it . I tryed to remove it like a jkf one lol

Tomorrow i will try to add a spider effect to the dial but i dont know how.
Relume index and hands and install a fresh nh35 or a2824 .

This is how it looks right now. For a comparision with a jkf you can search on one of my latest build or in the selling page.





You can give your watch the code name of "sardine can," You really bent that bezel , wow. Everything okay at home?? dang. nice work on the lugs and cgs
 
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cacti

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So today I performed surgery on the raffles case. After talking to Raffles I was told the case would be fitted by pressure and glue - no glue was found.

I pushed the xtal out quite easily with my thumbs, maybe a bit too easy opposed to what i was expecting so i pushed it out unevenly and cracking the lip of the old xtal.

No need to remove the insert or bezel the xtals fit nicely in between. The new xtal came down nicely and although having the wrong inner diameter having the correct outer diameter did the job of holding it in place.

The xs305.451 looks much better to my liking - it might sit slightly slanted as I see a hint of it being a bit thicker at 12 opposed to 6 but no amount of pressure I can produce can lower the xtal anymore. Either it is an illusion or something is slightly off. I did try to rotate the bezel/insert to see if it was slightly lower at 12 but no change.
Btw, where you able to use the original gasket?
 

cacti

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Raffles build. Waiting on a new bezel as I bent this one removing it.

I probably does less scratches and a little bit of fade (bleach) on the new one.

 

nyswe

Horology Curious
17/2/22
10
11
3
Reshaped my 5513 raffles case buyed 2 years ago .

So the xtal 305.451 fits good on raffles ? Can you post a picure please ?

So :
Cg reshaped
Crown changed
Slimmed lugs
Forgot to enlarge the lugs hole lol
Brushed and polished to make the case look 40 years old
Changed the xtal with a domed one from verlux

Now waiting a new bezel becouse i destroyed it . I tryed to remove it like a jkf one lol

Tomorrow i will try to add a spider effect to the dial but i dont know how.
Relume index and hands and install a fresh nh35 or a2824 .

This is how it looks right now. For a comparision with a jkf you can search on one of my latest build or in the selling page.





305.451 sits slightly high, I do however prefer it to the original any day


Btw, were you able to use the original gasket?
Yes, could just press the old xtal out and the new one in without any issues. No waterproofness guaranteed
 
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Cr0mex

Horology Curious
6/6/18
22
8
3
Hey guys,

I'm currently in the process of building a 5513. But I'm not sure about the dial yet, which one do you think is better Yuki or Helenarou?

Thanks for your opinion and support