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Difference between Gen Swiss ETA 2836-2 and Gen Rolex 3135 movements

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Japtastic

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Just curious at the moment as I have been offered a used 3135 date movement from a trusted local source. It's pretty expensive but if it was worth it I'd buy it and make a super franken.

I was going to buy a Sub soon with a ETA movement but if I could swap that with the 3135 would it make a big difference? Is it easily changeable?
 
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d4m.test

Guest
Knowing nothing about rolex, I'd guess that the first compatibility problem would be hand sizes. You might need new hands at the very least.
The case may be a problem, most obviously with size, but also possibly placement of the hole for the crown and stem - it's very likely to be the wrong height.

Again, I know nothing about rolex, but those are some specific problems you might want to search in the meantime.
 
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honeybear

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If you're going to buy a gen 3135 movement, then you should get a good Rolex replica like the TC Submariner (or maybe the BK Submariner) as the base for your modifications. Anything else would be a waste.
 
J

Japtastic

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I hear you on the hands.

I'd go with whatever case is compatible or the least work in the sub range.

Really, the main question at the moment is whether it's worth having that 3135 movement over the ETA 2836-2. I know nothing about the 3135 to know if it's worth spending the extra £900!
 
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anonymus

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18/5/12
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TC sub IV can fit a 3135 according to his blog.. would be a almost perfect super-franken with that combo and a gen insert.. best of luck with the build!

Japtastic said:
I hear you on the hands.

I'd go with whatever case is compatible or the least work in the sub range.

Really, the main question at the moment is whether it's worth having that 3135 movement over the ETA 2836-2. I know nothing about the 3135 to know if it's worth spending the extra £900!
Click to expand...

i guess the difference would be winding-direction if you got touchy-feely friends who like to finger your watches.. and ofcourse that it IS as close to gen as you could come..
 
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Chris v.

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a TC v4 16610 with a gen 3135= pure sex!!!!, the TC sub is already bad ass and highly accurate, getting a gen 3135 and a gen insert would be a super ubber franken!
 
J

Japtastic

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Sorry to be a noob but where can I find details on the TC v4?
 
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anonymus

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Rovin

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Don't bother buying anything other than a TC to start with. All Noob cases are designed to fit the ETA, not the Rolex.
The dial that fits a 2836 is also different to a gen one.
Hands can be had from many sources, see ebay.

Not to rain on the parade, and I love a good franken, but you're going to get into used 16610 gen pricing territory with this. So think it through before starting the project.
 
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honeybear

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Rovin said:
Don't bother buying anything other than a TC to start with. All Noob cases are designed to fit the ETA, not the Rolex.
The dial that fits a 2836 is also different to a gen one.
Hands can be had from many sources, see ebay.

Not to rain on the parade, and I love a good franken, but you're going to get into used 16610 gen pricing territory with this. So think it through before starting the project.
Click to expand...

That's true, these ultra franken projects rarely make fiscal sense. I would say a TC submariner at $520, and a genuine insert at $180, for a total investment of $700 is about as high as I would go. A preowned gen 16610 could be had for about $4.5K.

If you added the 3135 movement at GBP 900, we're already at $2100, and you still have to get a gen dial ($500), crystal ($350), tube ($75), and crown ($75), and you already over $3K, not even taking into account the time and effort to source all the parts, and the cost of getting a modder to put it all together for you.
 
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ajs914

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Yeah, all that. And 900 pounds doesn't sound like any screaming, don't pass it up, deal on a 3135.

IMO, a 3135 isn't worth the money over an eta. Isn't this why we buy reps in the first place? :)
 
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honeybear

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I guess the main tell with the ETA 2836 vs. the 3135 is the crown position, and the direction in which the hands turn when you set the time with the crown. Also, the different sized holes on the hands also means that you can't use gen hands unless you broach them. The dial holes are also different on the 2836 vs 3135, so one might need to clip the dial legs to use a gen dial.

A cheaper option if these issues are important to you is the SA3135 movement that Puretime offers on some of their higher end Rolex replicas.
 
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phillycheez

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If you are getting a good price on the movement... like less than a grand I don't see why not.

You would have a killer franken for less than $2k.

If you go gen you are looking at $4k plus... And the ones you would want are $4.5k+.


Worst case scenario... You don't like it.

Part it out. You will lose very little... Especially if you got a deal on the movement.
I don't see how this is a bad idea... But that's just me.
 
trailboss99

trailboss99

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More, he says "extra 900" so I assume you can add on the 150 an ETA costs. Not all that cheap for a 3135
 
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Fidhle007

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That's a decent price but not a steal. You will need a TC case or (my personal preference) an ETASwiss case as it's a little more accurate then the TC. The advantage to the TC is that it will take a rep dial.

I have an über-franken built into an ETASwiss case with an SA3135 movement that cost me the better part of $2500 to build. Subtract the $500 for the SA3135 and add another grand for the gen movement and you're a few paychecks away from owning a gen with resale value. Granted, there's no reason to go as crazy as I did, it's easier to count what's not gen on my watch (case, bracelet and movement) then what is...
 
ShiroTenshi

ShiroTenshi

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imo if u going to end up spending 50% of a used gen, forget it. Spend another 50% for a gen case, warranty(if any), real papers, and the feel.

just my 2cents.
 
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