Project "RWI Raffle Win"... a 1675 Build

[p0pperini]

So those are the same dials that are sold on eBay by some guy ostrich. Makes sense. I wonder which MK dial they are meant to represent. The size of the print for GMT-MASTER is larger than the Vietnam dial. I don't know if this is because they are different MK variants or if this is an inaccuracy. The coronet crown is slightly taller and the hole in the crown is smaller but the L in ROLEX is closer to the center of the crown than Vietnam dial which I think is more accurate. Both are good dials.

My biggest concern is finding a decent GMT hand.

As I’ve mentioned previously, I don’t get too hung up on the very fine details of accurate representation. I’m more interested in the aesthetic appeal of a dial or case shape or hands. I’m not trying to fool anyone, and I only have to please myself.

What struck me while researching dials (to use as tracing templates for drawing gilt dial artwork) was how there seem to be sub-variations even within the different Mark I/II etc. variants, which only the most deeply committed Rolex or GMT expert might recognise. It seems to me that this may be the reason we can be left wondering which dial a repro is based on. Anyhoo, this may just be ignorance on my part, but at least that means I don’t fret too much.

chubbychaser911 Thanks for adding so much useful info and reference to this thread. That bad Raffles GMT hand is bad..! I agree with Kj2020 regarding WSO - the quality (and the similarity to the photo) of what you order and what you get is very variable, which makes them a frustrating source - particularly when ordering from the UK, waiting weeks and receiving tat.

 

[cjt202020]

Tried practicing painting the cartel 1675 dial and hands I had with some paint pens (were a horrible orange colour before) that went ok, but when I came to re-assembling - what a nightmare!! Can’t get hands on right and then the movement tabs snapped as I tightened the screws !!

After applying a bit too much pressure during the plexi installation on the milk case it cracked in two.

As fun as it is to try, I think best to send the milk parts to a professional when the other bits arrive. Until then, all bits go back into my GMT Tupperware / graveyard !!

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[p0pperini]

Man, I have so stuff in the "Tupperware graveyard"...

Great job on the paint pen lume, that looks really good! (Albeit a little bit albino for my own taste). How did you manage to get it so clean and sharp-edged? More info about the pen and your technique would be very interesting.

 

[cjt202020]

We were decorating Easter eggs the other day and my wife dug these paint pens out for the family craft cupboard.

It took some convincing to be trusted with them on the watch, as I was definitely going to ‘ruin another watch’ but when I finally got approval / found them again the in cupboard, I just carefully painted over the lume dots. The tiny nib and minimal paint flow made it really easy.

Although she was right, the watch hands don’t work right and movement is not in secure. I was quite happy with the look!

She ordered the posca pens off eBay. Now locked back in cupboard!

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[p0pperini]

Again, great job - the variety of tools that we have at our disposal to use in this hobby is amazing!

 

[chubbychaser911]

As for me the reason I get hung up on the details is because I guess I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I love knowing the details. And if I get something that’s close enough and I’m happy with then so be it. But if I know I have two options out there then I NEED to know what the differences are and which one I can live with. Imo both dials are acceptable and I’m starting to think that richies dials on mochacha are possibly better. I’d be willing to defer to tripdog ‘s expertise if he knows better. I have no problem telling people that my watch is a replica but I also like to be able to show people the accurate news inaccurate bits.

 

[chubbychaser911]

KJ2020 I wonder if there are different hand sets in the 16710 models based on year.

I found this one on Chrono24

 

[chubbychaser911]

Okay now what I'm thinking and I could be wrong. The 116710 has the thinner GMT hand triangle. And if a 16710 is found with a thin triangle it may have been serviced and different triangle hand used.

 

[chubbychaser911]

Am I crazy for thinking these look slightly different? Especially the 116710 red hand. Definitely looks less equilateral than either the 1675 or 16710

 

[KJ2020]

KJ2020 I wonder if there are different hand sets in the 16710 models based on year.

I found this one on Chrono24

That Chrono GMT hand does not look substantially different from mine to me bro.

I'm sure over the years and across models 1675 - 16710, Rolex has used slightly different shapes and hand thickness. Maybe they even outsourced some or got unpainted "blank" hands from 3rd party suppliers like they did with dials. But I've never seen any specific hand versions listed like dials are, MK1, 2, etc. Whether on a 1675 or 16710 I've always thought of the triangle as being nearly equilateral, maybe slightly longer sides than the base. Also, if a hand is replaced during RSC servicing you would get a service hand so I think all the large triangle hands should be more or less interchangeable within the same movement groups.

Just looking at random pics of large triangle1675s I don't see anything different in hand thickness or triangle shape/size

https://www.google.com/search?q=gen...KHQIfB4kQ1TV6BAgLEEU&biw=412&bih=718&dpr=2.63

 

[KJ2020]

Am I crazy for thinking these look slightly different? Especially the 116710 red hand. Definitely looks less equilateral than either the 1675 or 16710

6 digit GMT hand triangles do have longer sides than the base, and I'm sure there's some minor variations across models. But I don't think it's something we need to be overly obsessed with as long we get a hand that looks appropriate to the model. I don't see a significant difference between the 1675 and 16710, allowing for batch variations.

Not like this GMT hand, lol

BTW the hour and minute hands were made longer on the 126710 (BLRO and BLNR) but the GMT hand and second look unchanged.

https://thewatchlounge.com/rolex-gmt...-batman-price/

 

[chubbychaser911]

Okay that seems to settle it. 1675 and 16710 GMT hands are nearly equilateral and probably are the same hands. 116710 hands are a bit more narrow. And I'd bet if you sent a 16710 in to the Rolex Service Center and they replaced your hands it would look like an 1167710 gmt hand.

I swear it seems to me that Yuki GMT hand is closer to an 116710 hand. Raffles has two versions of the hand. One is much worse than the other (big bump where stem meets and triangle surround looks like edges are rounded). Raffles other better version has the lume almost dead even with the triangle surround but better shape and stem. WSO looks best on paper but they're a crap shoot because they're all over the place and who knows what hole size you're actually going to get.

I'll stop thinking about this for now.

 

[Solution6]

Just a heads up on the Yuki GMT hand - it’s 2.2mm not 2mm as advertised.

That was the first set I picked up as the GMT hand looks great but it’s useless. Tried to shrink it but no luck.

Maybe I was unlucky and comms with them are a bit patchy to confirm things ahead of a sale..

Another option are the hand sets from tiger-concept, made for the DG movement so in theory the GMT hand should be 2mm.


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[Perpetual]

Just a heads up on the Yuki GMT hand - it’s 2.2mm not 2mm as advertised.

That was the first set I picked up as the GMT hand looks great but it’s useless. Tried to shrink it but no luck.

Maybe I was unlucky and comms with them are a bit patchy to confirm things ahead of a sale..

Another option are the hand sets from tiger-concept, made for the DG movement so in theory the GMT hand should be 2mm.


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Thanks for this info! Always a bear when buying watch parts that are wrongly advertised...

 

[gtrt5]

Hello from Austria,

i am new in the GMT game, i get milk´s case set next week.
I want to build a period correct watch. I found these rep. crown and tube
on ebay. Have anyone experience with these or is it better to go gen?

cheers
Jordan

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Crow...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

[chubbychaser911]

Yuki sells a rep crown and tube for $15 USD.

 

[gtrt5]

The one from Yuki is not very gen like.....

this is not my first vintage project...

 

[chubbychaser911]

So I happen to have a gen and a Yuki 5.3. Gen is obviously nicer. mouth on coronet looks better. Better polishing. The crown itself is a little bit taller. Once I thought that the Yuki wouldn't screw down but I think that was because I tried to screw down the Yuki on the gen tube and the gen tube is slightly longer than the Yuki tube. When I look at them on the wrist I can't really notice the difference. Gotta break out a loupe to see the difference. However, I will say that I haven't tried the Yuki case tube and Yuki crown so maybe it won't actually screw down into the milk case. All that said it doesn't look too bad. Since it's a 5.3 versus a 7.0 any differences probably won't smack you like a bad Triplock crown would.

 

[Solution6]

Hello from Austria,

i am new in the GMT game, i get milk´s case set next week.
I want to build a period correct watch. I found these rep. crown and tube
on ebay. Have anyone experience with these or is it better to go gen?

cheers
Jordan

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolex-Crow...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Yup, picked up a set from this seller before going gen. Same ones but not packed. A bit on the large side, not 5.3 as advertised. Ask him to send you an actual measurement of the item before buying as he doesn't accept returns

 

[gtrt5]

In the meantime i bought a VN crown from an RWI member i hope to going right with these crown.


https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...ng-crown-vn-crowns-1x-rolex-vn-5-3mm-vn-crown