Genuine 3135 dial on an ETA movement, without cutting feet?

[pompompurin]

Hello guys,

Has anyone managed to install a genuine 3135 rolex dial onto an ETA movement, without cutting the dial feet?

I am going to do an Explorer I 14270 (36mm) build and I have a gen superluminova dial. The dial spoke to me told me and told me not to cut off its poor feet because damn, the whole dial looks so pretty :laugh:

I am planning to use a smaller ETA 2670 / 2671 / 2678 and these movements all measure 7 3/4 ligne (i.e. 17.2mm). I plan to use these ETA movements because of their overall diameter, which is smaller than the rolex 3135 dial feet location - this would mean that I don't have to cut the rolex dial feet. I also plan to fabricate the movement ring myself, using a pillar drill and a clamp.. and some brass disc.

This idea is inspired by TC from what he has done back in 2012 on his prototype:

However, the biggest problem I am now facing with this idea...
1. the ETA 2670 / 2671 / 2678 take smaller hand sizes (70/120/20). Typical submariner ETA hands are made to 2824/2836/2892 specs (90/150/25 hand size). If anyone knows, could you please tell me where to buy submariner hands with the specs: 70/120/20 (or smaller, so that i can broach it)
2. the ETA 2670 / 2671 / 2678 might have a shorter pinion height than the typical 2824/2836? Can anyone confirm that so that the hands would have enough clearance to clear the dial indices?
3. is there an alternative recommended movement that has an overall diameter smaller than the 3135 dial's feet diameter? I am doing everything i could to save the dial feet

Thank you for reading!!

If this works, I will keep everyone updated

 

[scottb57]

Coming from someone who has gone to great lengths to avoid cutting off dial feet... this is going to be a LOT of work. A LOT of work.

70/120 are common hand sizes for quartz movements... So you might actually be able to find some decent mercedes hands, but probably nothing as accurate as the ones made for the 2824/2836 or 3135. Looks like Ofrei has quite a few listed, Cousins probably will too in the UK.

http://www.ofrei.com/page1627.html

Yes, you will likely have to swap out the 3 hand pinions. Even the 2824 often has to be upgraded to the H4 pinion set. There's no way to tell if they will need to be upgraded until you have your specific movement in hand, since different manufacturers had them fitted with different pinions at the factory. From the ETA technical docs it looks like the "standard" H2 canon pinion in the 2670, as an example, has a standard height of 2.13mm. The H4 on the TC or ETA 2824 is 2.7mm. To further complicate things, the parts you need might not even be available anymore. Cousins lists the H4 canon pinion for that movement set as "obsolete."

I would use ranfft.de to find a movement that is the ligne and hand size you need, and then cross reference that with places like Ofrei, Cousins, and Startime to make sure they have pinions that match the 2824 H4 heights. Then start scouring eBay for donor watches, keeping in mind the movement will likely need a service.

And that's even before you fabricate the movement ring. If the dial is that special to you and youre concerned about cutting off the dial feet (and I would be too!) have you thought about saving for a Yuki 3135? That would solve literally all the issues you listed. So would just clipping the feet off and using a 2824 or 2836.

 

[rsh]

Contact BK , he had those hands at some point for sure......WHY dont you do this.....look for a wm9 v2 sub with that movement and hands and movement ring already, then just drill for the dial feet on that movement.....they come up from time to time, I sold one just a while back......wonder if I can figure out who it was for you

 

[pompompurin]

Coming from someone who has gone to great lengths to avoid cutting off dial feet... this is going to be a LOT of work. A LOT of work.

70/120 are common hand sizes for quartz movements... So you might actually be able to find some decent mercedes hands, but probably nothing as accurate as the ones made for the 2824/2836 or 3135. Looks like Ofrei has quite a few listed, Cousins probably will too in the UK.

http://www.ofrei.com/page1627.html

Yes, you will likely have to swap out the 3 hand pinions. Even the 2824 often has to be upgraded to the H4 pinion set. There's no way to tell if they will need to be upgraded until you have your specific movement in hand, since different manufacturers had them fitted with different pinions at the factory. From the ETA technical docs it looks like the "standard" H2 canon pinion in the 2670, as an example, has a standard height of 2.13mm. The H4 on the TC or ETA 2824 is 2.7mm. To further complicate things, the parts you need might not even be available anymore. Cousins lists the H4 canon pinion for that movement set as "obsolete."

I would use ranfft.de to find a movement that is the ligne and hand size you need, and then cross reference that with places like Ofrei, Cousins, and Startime to make sure they have pinions that match the 2824 H4 heights. Then start scouring eBay for donor watches, keeping in mind the movement will likely need a service.

And that's even before you fabricate the movement ring. If the dial is that special to you and youre concerned about cutting off the dial feet (and I would be too!) have you thought about saving for a Yuki 3135? That would solve literally all the issues you listed. So would just clipping the feet off and using a 2824 or 2836.

that is EXTREMELY insightful, thank you so much for your valuable input and experience. This seems a lot harder than what I thought! Everything was ok until i read up to the point where you said pinions need changing and the parts are obsolete.

I am very very surprised that you have gone to great lengths to do this, i haven't seen a project build like that before as most people just snip the dial feet off.

I once had a yuki 3135, but the keyless completely crapped out on me. Now I hate yuki lol

 

[pompompurin]

Contact BK , he had those hands at some point for sure......WHY dont you do this.....look for a wm9 v2 sub with that movement and hands and movement ring already, then just drill for the dial feet on that movement.....they come up from time to time, I sold one just a while back......wonder if I can figure out who it was for you

woah i never knew that rep factories like wm9 would use smaller ligne movements with massive movement rings.

Thank you for the heads up, if wm9 did it before, then I need to hunt down 2 sets of these movement/ring set so that i can replace my crapped out yuki 3135 without cutting the rolex dial feet

 

[scottb57]

that is EXTREMELY insightful, thank you so much for your valuable input and experience. This seems a lot harder than what I thought! Everything was ok until i read up to the point where you said pinions need changing and the parts are obsolete.

I am very very surprised that you have gone to great lengths to do this, i haven't seen a project build like that before as most people just snip the dial feet off.

I once had a yuki 3135, but the keyless completely crapped out on me. Now I hate yuki lol

To be clear, I haven't even done what you're suggesting... by great lengths I mean scouring eBay and Chrono24 every day for 6 months for a donor watch with a movement with the same feet location that didn't cost as much as a decent used gen! :laugh:
[MENTION=27175]rsh[/MENTION] is right on the money... If a rep has done this before that is going to be the quickest and easiest way to accomplish what you need.

 

[rsh]

check this out.....you can buy this from the guy who bought it and swap in TC movement etc....the dial is just an ETA feet dial, so you need eta 2824 36 hands .....

https://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php/334245-Rolex-16610-submariner-wm9-v2-sub-tc-case

 

[pompompurin]

To be clear, I haven't even done what you're suggesting... by great lengths I mean scouring eBay and Chrono24 every day for 6 months for a donor watch with a movement with the same feet location that didn't cost as much as a decent used gen! :laugh:
@rsh is right on the money... If a rep has done this before that is going to be the quickest and easiest way to accomplish what you need.

check this out.....you can buy this from the guy who bought it and swap in TC movement etc....the dial is just an ETA feet dial, so you need eta 2824 36 hands .....

https://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php/334245-Rolex-16610-submariner-wm9-v2-sub-tc-case

this is the ultimate holy grail and answer that we have been looking for. It makes me drool and become mesmerized. I think this is the ultimate and best alternative to a Yuki 3135 - given that the yuki 3135 is increasing in price yet declining quality.

So it is quite possible to use an ETA movement without cutting the dial feet off - using unorthodox methods. Thank you @rsh!

by the way, may i ask how to contact BK? thanks!

 

[pompompurin]

and it's a shame that wm9 subs aren't produced anymore. It was a very very accurate sub for its time and it is still accurate now (after frankening it)

 

[rsh]

Godkiller
the wm9 subs ARE being made.....they are now the TC subs.....really the TC sub is based on a wm9 sub lineage....the last wm9 sub was a v3, then tc sub came along and it was obviously the same or similar case.....with a small change - BK coined it the wm9 v4......see this link
http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php?t=98894

 

[pompompurin]

Godkiller
the wm9 subs ARE being made.....they are now the TC subs.....really the TC sub is based on a wm9 sub lineage....the last wm9 sub was a v3, then tc sub came along and it was obviously the same or similar case.....with a small change - BK coined it the wm9 v4......see this link
http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php?t=98894

that is an interesting read and it is great to know, thank you for sharing your write-up and observations

I have severe OCD for crown height and the 2836 crown is lower than 2824, which makes the 2836 less accurate to gen.

I have a TC case at home and I swear, the crown guards and crown height is pretty much gen after reshaping (whilst acknowledging that gen subs vary very very slightly in manufacturing tolerance). The only problem with my TC case is that the SEL is a bit loose and if not, I think I might got the best TC case ever made hands down lol

 

[rsh]

the latest tc cases (v7) with the chamfered lugs have funky CGs but the SEL is good

 

[pompompurin]

the latest tc cases (v7) with the chamfered lugs have funky CGs but the SEL is good

reps are always 1 step forward, 2 steps back lol

i hope there is enough meat to reshape the crownguards, but i haven't seen a tc v7 in person yet

 

[vmarks]

that is EXTREMELY insightful, thank you so much for your valuable input and experience. This seems a lot harder than what I thought! Everything was ok until i read up to the point where you said pinions need changing and the parts are obsolete.

I am very very surprised that you have gone to great lengths to do this, i haven't seen a project build like that before as most people just snip the dial feet off.

I once had a yuki 3135, but the keyless completely crapped out on me. Now I hate yuki lol

I did mine with a yuki 3135. When properly serviced, the keyless is fine. I've been very happy with mine.

 

[pompompurin]

I did mine with a yuki 3135. When properly serviced, the keyless is fine. I've been very happy with mine.

mine was serviced too with gen rolex parts, but i screwed up the keyless when i was trying to take the stem out for the first time. It has never happened to me before for ETA and asian clone movements