How I built my Franken Submariner 16610 JF

[mega12]

These kind of posts make me wish I was better with tools and modding. Great work and very informative.

I like lucky # slevin

 

[mega12]

And don’t worry. It’s just try and error. I damaged so many parts. Movements, dials, hands, ceramic inserts.

 

[gatty]

This has to be one of the most interesting and informative posts I've seen re modding. Great work!

 

[mega12]

This has to be one of the most interesting and informative posts I've seen re modding. Great work!

Highly appreciated

 

[heska]

Hi Mega,

Thanks for all these informations !

I have a few questions :
- I imagine you've tested a few differents hands, could you tell me if the second hand is different between 16610 hands and maxi hands ? What is your opinion on Clark hands ?
- Have you tried Clark Bezel spring and washer ?

Thanks!

 

[mega12]

Hi Mega,

Thanks for all these informations !

I have a few questions :
- I imagine you've tested a few differents hands, could you tell me if the second hand is different between 16610 hands and maxi hands ? What is your opinion on Clark hands ?
- Have you tried Clark Bezel spring and washer ?

Thanks!

Thanks man.

Yeah, I have tried some and IMO best ones (apart from gens) are TC. However, there are also quite a few good aftermarket. And honestly speaking, there is some experts around here who can spot rep hands from 20 meter. But I’m not that kind of guy. I tried many things to compare and understand this mysterious thing of „3D“ effect on gen ones compared to rep ones and figured out that I’m simply too blind to see. It’s like gen 704/703 crown versus JF or TC crown. I cannot see a big difference. Of course, once I take a cyclops I will see it, but for my naked eyes only, it’s really hard to tell. There is much more obvious things on a rep someone should change... However and as already said, there is many people who swear on gen hands. I do have gens, TCs, Noobs, no names, cheap ones and I like all of them simply as that.

I never tried Clark (apart from a crystal and this didn’t fit quite well with the gasket so I returned it).
Anyway, there is a LV insert which is offered by Clark and I was tempted several times to order... maybe I should do it.

WSO has quite nice hand sets (IMO) but they also have lots of crap parts with not that good quality as what they promise... So it really depends on what you order.
Never tried the WSO or Clark bezel as I didn’t trust in them to spend that much money. Think about, I did order many TC bezels for around 50-70€, or ST bezels for like 100€, so why spending the same on gambling for an aftermarket bezel by Clark or WSO.

To cut a long story short, if it comes to hands, I think I’m the wrong reference. Lol
If it comes to bezels, nothing beats gen. TC is quite good. ST is also nice but has wrong bezel polishing.

By the way, I will sell a JF insert with TC v5 bezel today.

 

[itgoes211]

Wow. Outstanding post. Great work on the watch - looks awesome. Thanks for sharing the detail including rabbit-holes, misses, as well as the successes. Learning from my own and others missteps helps tremendously. And the pics are super helpful - thank you. Kudos to you for putting the time into the build and into this post!

 

[mega12]

Wow. Outstanding post. Great work on the watch - looks awesome. Thanks for sharing the detail including rabbit-holes, misses, as well as the successes. Learning from my own and others missteps helps tremendously. And the pics are super helpful - thank you. Kudos to you for putting the time into the build and into this post!

Thanks mate and welcome to the forum.

 

[mega12]

Good morning

 

[Phwtan]

What a build! That's an amazing amount of effort to create a beautiful each. Thanks for sharing your experience !

 

[mega12]

What a build! That's an amazing amount of effort to create a beautiful each. Thanks for sharing your experience !

Thanks man

 

[Perpetual]

Thanks man.

Yeah, I have tried some and IMO best ones (apart from gens) are TC. However, there are also quite a few good aftermarket. And honestly speaking, there is some experts around here who can spot rep hands from 20 meter. But I’m not that kind of guy. I tried many things to compare and understand this mysterious thing of „3D“ effect on gen ones compared to rep ones and figured out that I’m simply too blind to see. It’s like gen 704/703 crown versus JF or TC crown. I cannot see a big difference. Of course, once I take a cyclops I will see it, but for my naked eyes only, it’s really hard to tell. There is much more obvious things on a rep someone should change... However and as already said, there is many people who swear on gen hands. I do have gens, TCs, Noobs, no names, cheap ones and I like all of them simply as that.

I never tried Clark (apart from a crystal and this didn’t fit quite well with the gasket so I returned it).
Anyway, there is a LV insert which is offered by Clark and I was tempted several times to order... maybe I should do it.

WSO has quite nice hand sets (IMO) but they also have lots of crap parts with not that good quality as what they promise... So it really depends on what you order.
Never tried the WSO or Clark bezel as I didn’t trust in them to spend that much money. Think about, I did order many TC bezels for around 50-70€, or ST bezels for like 100€, so why spending the same on gambling for an aftermarket bezel by Clark or WSO.

To cut a long story short, if it comes to hands, I think I’m the wrong reference. Lol
If it comes to bezels, nothing beats gen. TC is quite good. ST is also nice but has wrong bezel polishing.

By the way, I will sell a JF insert with TC v5 bezel today.

Hey MG12

Do you wanna do some submariner hands comparison so some members here (including me) can pick or match hands that work best for a submariner build.

I myself been looking for some decent hand set for a 16610 submariner using eta base movement and thers isn't ones that are pleasing..

What movement base is the hand set you have many of?

Great builds bud keep it up I read your 6 digit build too nice

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[phamedd2]

You made my toilet time 10x longer then it supposed to be

 

[mega12]

Hey MG12

Do you wanna do some submariner hands comparison so some members here (including me) can pick or match hands that work best for a submariner build.

I myself been looking for some decent hand set for a 16610 submariner using eta base movement and thers isn't ones that are pleasing..

What movement base is the hand set you have many of?

Great builds bud keep it up I read your 6 digit build too nice

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Hi man, unfortunately I do have only a TC handset and a gen gold 5 digit leftover on my builds. Therefore, a comparison would be quite limited


Time doesn’t exist, clocks exist.

 

[bc1221]

Hey MG12

Do you wanna do some submariner hands comparison so some members here (including me) can pick or match hands that work best for a submariner build.

I myself been looking for some decent hand set for a 16610 submariner using eta base movement and thers isn't ones that are pleasing..

What movement base is the hand set you have many of?

Great builds bud keep it up I read your 6 digit build too nice

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

From my “research” aka, reading the crap out of this topic as well as others. The list of good hand sets for subs go like this.

1. Gen (of course)
2. TC
3. Yuki

Though, the JF hands are not bad. They don’t look like aluminum foil like most others. The hands actually is a bit rounded and looks like some work was done after punching them out. I do plan on ordering some Yuki hand sets when I start my 16800 build.



Re: to the JF bracelet’s divers extension being close to impossible to pop out. I found a little trick for them. There is a link with a curved edge that wraps around the bar in the clasp. That curve goes too far around the bat. Just file that down about .5mm and it’s pretty solid. It’s a bit tough to pop out so no accidental pop outs but hard enough to get out that you do need to put some force when you pull on it.

When I first got it, it was damn near impossible. Once I finally got it out, it looked like they had put some tacky, gum-like stuff on it. Once I removed those, gave it a overnight oil bath and filed the curved link a little, it feels perfect.


Good luck with your build. It looks like it’s turning out nicely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bc1221]

mega12 your excellent post has been trully inspirational. I just bought all the parts at Startime to build a 16610 lug holes case. All my experience was with a Cartel case, so I must say that the build quality of the ST is superb!

I always wanted one of the ST16610 cases with lug holes... they look great and the price is not bad.




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[Perpetual]

I always wanted one of the ST16610 cases with lug holes... they look great and the price is not bad.




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I can veitch for that, the ST is indeed a great quality case with great inner anand outter machining but still needs some work reshaping a bit.

 

[lastroopwafel]

Is this the case you guys talked about?

http://www.startimesupply.com/merch...t_Code=RSCSS&Category_Code=1_07_1D_Rolex_Case

 

[Perpetual]

Is this the case you guys talked about?

http://www.startimesupply.com/merch...t_Code=RSCSS&Category_Code=1_07_1D_Rolex_Case

Yes, that would be the one. Be sure to purchase the bezel ring along with it under (bezels/inserts)

 

[Dino2018]

The ST case is superb. Is Swiss Made and after a bit of finishing work looks amazing. I used on my build and I cannot be happier.