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NEW! 1675 GMT case set offering from Raffles.

deadaglev

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Thank you very much for your kind words.
I am quite satisfied myself, still needs a tiny bit of refinement but is almost there.
Mid 60s early rounded crown guards with a flat top was exactly my goal. especially since none of the available options out there offer this specific variation.
unfortunatly i am not at home for the next weeks so i can’t take pictures of the used tools.
If people are interested, i can make a little tutorial once i am back home.

I mostly used dremel tools and sanding paper.
The wood sanding bit from the dremel tool kit for the rough work on the outer crown guards at the start and then i wrapped the flat dremel stone bits with sading paper to go further.
that gives you a really flat surface and good control over the process.
that is what i found out to be the best tool to make or sharpen chamfers as well if you don’t happen to have a lapping machine laying around. (and boy did i try lots of options for chamfers:) just wrap the stone bits with sanding paper made for metal. That will eat nicely into the case and gives you sharp chamfered edges. Then i do the same again with the finest available grit that has been made even finer by being used and therefore polished on some metal before using it on the case. That gives me an almost mirror finish on the chamfers and case. The key is to remember the exact angle used before to avoid rounding the chamfers.
I messed up 4 watch cases before i had the muscle memory to pull it off:)

The best tipp i can give is to always try to have a hard and flat surface supporting the sanding paper to avoid rounding any surface on the case. any give underneath the sanding paper will lead to rounded and therefore overpolished looking watch cases.

I used sanding paper layed flat on the table for the underside of the crown guards, sanding paper glued to a flat peace of wood for the top of the CGs.
you need a special construction to guide the movement of the sanding paper on the top, otherwise you will end up rounding up the edges of the flat surface. (I can take pictures once i am home).
Sanding paper glued to a flat wooden stick for the flanks as well. Always going from coars to fine grits.
The inside of the crown guards is a bit more tricky.
i used a peace of rolled sanding paper and a power drill and one of the dremel metal files. (I would need to take pictures to describe which one:)
I also used lapping paper and cape cod cloth for the final finish. (Avoid the chamfers, you will round them!)
The whole process was made by hand, not using any holder for the dremel or case.
This gives me the best control, but also needs some serious try and error to get there.
keeping the angles and pressure even is challenging.

I am sure there are more refined ways to do this, but that is what i found out to be the best way for me without professional tools or training:)
 

WatchN3RD

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I would love to see pictures and/or a tutorial when you have time! But, your description above is very helpful, and I can envision most of process from that. Thanks again for sharing, and great work! I'm a sucker for those mid-60's GMTs, so I'm extra impressed with how it turned out.
 
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WatchN3RD

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Here is is little pictorial i just created with the spare case.
Hope it helps visualizing what i wrote earlier and what tool was used and were.

Thanks for all the extra information. Only one or two questions:
1) What is the advantage or reason for sanding the top of the crown guards? Were you wanting the sanding marks to run in that exact direction, or were you flattening the top so you could achieve a sharper edge with your chamfers? Or was that only for the chamfers and there was no sanding of the top?
2) I haven't looked at the inside near the crown. Is that asymmetric, or was there another reason it needed to be sanded/grinded/corrected?

I know question 1 relates to "I used sanding paper layed flat on the table for the underside of the crown guards, sanding paper glued to a flat peace of wood for the top of the CGs.
you need a special construction to guide the movement of the sanding paper on the top, otherwise you will end up rounding up the edges of the flat surface."
 

WatchN3RD

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To clarify, I wasn't sure if you were sanding the top of the case near the crown guards, or just chamfering the guards near the top of the case.
 

deadaglev

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To clarify, I wasn't sure if you were sanding the top of the case near the crown guards, or just chamfering the guards near the top of the case.
I was indeed sanding the top of the crown guards.
Two reasons for that.
One, i had to smoothen the surface after redoing the inside of the crown guards. Some metal worked itself up there and there where general signs of my work on the case.
Two, in this Raffles Case, the crown sits a little too low (towards the case back) in comparison to gen. Sadly the only fault that can't be fixed (afaik... if someone has a fix here, i would appreciate the knowledge!) So i wanted to sort of cheat that by sanding down the top of the crown guards a little.
It worked to an extend. Sanding down the top is not necessary, especially not for the chamfers, but i helped with the overall look.
There is a downside to it. The gen brushing on top of the CGs is radial, not linear. I did not attempt to try a radial brushing, this might be the next step. I have seen gen cases with linear (maybe wrongly refinished) brushing there too though.

The insides of the crown guards need work because there is too much material on the sides and the inside looks a bit wrong and is strangely rounded towards the tip of the crown guard.
Furthermore the crown sits too far away from the bezel/there is too much material behind the crown.
 

deadaglev

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Btw. all of these observations., how the case should look, are solely based on pictures and videos of the gen, i did not have a gen on hand. So if i am wrong somewhere please correct me:)
 

WatchN3RD

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No way. I think it's the best to go about it. Even if you had a gen on hand, you wouldn't know if it was stored in a bank vault and never touched. Maybe if you sold or repaired GMTs for a living, certain things would subconsciously jump out, but realistically, I don't know of a better solution than exactly what you did.
 
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The_scotsman

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As a long time forum lurker and relative novice with metal working I just wanted to say thank you @deadaglev for this post. It’s really helpful getting detailed written and visual insight as to how/where you’ve shaped the metal.

I’ve got a Raffles 5513 build (though I’m also now tempted by the Raffles 1675!) that I’ve been keen to reshape and experiment with, but put off. This will very much come in handy when tackling the job soon.

Best of health wearing your build!
 
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deadaglev

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As a long time forum lurker and relative novice with metal working I just wanted to say thank you @deadaglev for this post. It’s really helpful getting detailed written and visual insight as to how/where you’ve shaped the metal.

I’ve got a Raffles 5513 build (though I’m also now tempted by the Raffles 1675!) that I’ve been keen to reshape and experiment with, but put off. This will very much come in handy when tackling the job soon.

Best of health wearing your build!
Thanks mate:)
 
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EnryDJ36

In search of perfection
5/11/23
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Crown and this (the side of the case should not have a 90 degree angle) are the two faults i can make out with this midcase. Otherwise very satisfied.

Crown and this (the side of the case should not have a 90 degree angle) are the two faults i can make out with this midcase. Otherwise very satisfied.
Unfortunately for the rounded part there is nothing to be done and even less for the height of the crown as the case was created for the 2836 movement which has a different height from the dial to the stem compared to the gen Rolex 1575 GMT movement, but in my opinion opinion is a small detail. Few if not experts will notice the differences and in any case if not by looking very closely. In the end, for the cost and with a bit of finishing work and remodeling, the case is quite satisfactory
 
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deadaglev

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Unfortunately for the rounded part there is nothing to be done and even less for the height of the crown as the case was created for the 2836 movement which has a different height from the dial to the stem compared to the gen Rolex 1575 GMT movement, but in my opinion opinion is a small detail. Few if not experts will notice the differences and in any case if not by looking very closely. In the end, for the cost and with a bit of finishing work and remodeling, the case is quite satisfactory
Could not agree more. At least for the midcase and caseback. The position of the crown does bother me personally, but for now i can manage. And that says a lot:)
The bezel construction, crown and crystal definitely needs to be replaced though.
If you are able and willing to do the reshaping of the case this is a bargain. And a very fun and satisfactory one too.
 
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EnryDJ36

In search of perfection
5/11/23
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Could not agree more. At least for the midcase and caseback. The position of the crown does bother me personally, but for now i can manage. And that says a lot:)
The bezel construction, crown and crystal definitely needs to be replaced though.
If you are able and willing to do the reshaping of the case this is a bargain. And a very fun and satisfactory one too.
Yes absolutely agree! Bezel assembly and insert are terrible and the crown also needs replacing. Then you can put a bezel insert, and there you just have to choose the most beautiful or favorite one and then you start spending money! :) But that's the beauty of modding in my opinion.
 

EnryDJ36

In search of perfection
5/11/23
129
182
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Italy
I am especially impressed with the top brushing of the lugs tbh. It is very nicely done. Sharp, very clean and the edges are very crisp. I like that part better than on my vietnam cases.
Yes it's one of the first things I noticed, really well done!