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The 1016: The Under Appreciated Thread

dpd3672

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A little update from the formerly chatty but recently oddly quiet home front:

Last couple days it was raining packages, lots of projects move a bit further along, and I did some of the tedious work that I've been putting off. Full disclosure, the lady friend is out of town, so I've also been napping and watching a lot of trash TV in sweat pants...which is my favorite way to spend a vacation, lol.

I (3D printed a bunch of jigs, drilled holes and mounted feet on a couple hundred dial blanks. I know it seems like a lot, but I like to make dials in batches...maybe 10 at a time, then pick the one or two that come out right and practice on the rejects...luming, finishing, aging, etc. When I'm done, I either answered a question, got better at a technique, or learned something new...and then I strip the rejects and start over. Plus, if you buy the undrilled blanks from AliX, they're like $.35 each, so they're damn near disposable. Let's just say I have a lot of tendonitis from the drill press, and there's little brass "corkscrews" all over the workshop, but I should be set on dial blanks for life (at least in 27mm and 29mm).

I almost finished my Commando build, although now I'm at a loss for what case to put it into. The dial is lumed, the lume came out very well, and it's lightly aged...I am trying to decide if it needs more patina or if I should leave well enough alone...most of the photos I've seen show watches that aren't terribly beat up, so I think light aging would be best, rather than seriously beat up. I have a few 34mm Raffles cases to choose from, and a couple gen cases that aren't for the right model (I'm considering a 1500 case or a 6XXX case, can't remember specifics), but look the part without case work...will probably decide tonight and put it all together. I also misplaced the hands, although I'm sure they'll turn up. I had everything sorted, but when I pulled the parts for the Commando build, they somehow got separated. I also can't remember if the Raffles hands were for a 2824 or an NH38...Raffles' website doesn't allow viewing previous orders, so I guess I hope for the best, lol.

One of the 5500s I built is having issues, so that's getting looked at. I have to say, I'm just about done with junk 2824 movements...they're cheap, but problematic, and after a build with an NH38, I have to say I love the Seiko movements. I'm either going to swap in a gen ETA or swap over to a NH.

The $28 AliX Explorer cases arrived and I have to say, they're quite good for the price. They're completely sterile, but take a gen spec crown, so when you add one of the $1 crowns from AliX, they're a serious competitor to Raffles. They still lack case back engravings, but I think I can either hand engrave or just use a decal and the etching technique there...it's not like anyone but I will see it. The crowns aren't bad, and they fit gen tubes (and come with their own tubes) so I'm planning on using them for the cases I have that lack crowns, rather than the Athaya process, which intimidates me a little bit, lol.

The cases for the SWOLEX project arrived, and I have to say, they're perfect...cheap, gaudy, simple, but very true to something Swatch would put out. I have a couple dials done, so those should be built tonight.

Also received some super cheap jubilee bracelets that I ordered on a whim. They're not bad for the price, although I wouldn't put them on a serious build...more like an occasional "freshening up" of a watch that's not getting wrist time.
 

Karbon74

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I am waiting for parts for my Railmaster and some creative Moonswatch builds

However, I have not forgotten the 1016
You know that one of my backburner projects is a quartz vintage 1016 or 5513

So, my contribution today
-ISA 1198 non date stem height is 1.75 so that is on par with the 2824-2 at 1.8mm

- ISA 1198 with date stem height is 2.2mm compatible to the 2836-2.

hands are 0.9 1.5 and 0.20

I think that would work 😁
 

dpd3672

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I am waiting for parts for my Railmaster and some creative Moonswatch builds

However, I have not forgotten the 1016
You know that one of my backburner projects is a quartz vintage 1016 or 5513

So, my contribution today
-ISA 1198 non date stem height is 1.75 so that is on par with the 2824-2 at 1.8mm

- ISA 1198 with date stem height is 2.2mm compatible to the 2836-2.

hands are 0.9 1.5 and 0.20

I think that would work 😁
This is good information. I decided to build an Oysterquartz, after finding out that the Tissot PRX case is very close in design. So I picked up the cheapest one I could find on AliX and ordered it, lol.

"Shitter" PRX:


Gen Oysterquartz:


Not sure where the dial will come from, but they do go cheap on Ebay occasionally. I'm gambling that a cyclops crystal is available that's drop in, otherwise I'd need to remove the cyclops from another crystal and glue it on. Hands look to be generic Rolex DJ hands, more or less.
 
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Karbon74

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Playing with Moonswatches opened the world of DHGate to me. I was quite surprised by the quality of the Speedmaster case I bought.

DHGate get bad reputation, rightly so as the mecanical movements are shoddy. But the cases are not bad, and some dials are surprisingly good.

so for your oysterquartz:

SHARE FOR REWARDS Hurry! Use My Link Now To Get Up To $20. Enjoy Great Products On DHgate! https://m.dhgate.com/product/tisso-...=8a2aa52559964d7ea0d0c25499882e07|-|876588598
 
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dpd3672

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Playing with Moonswatches opened the world of DHGate to me. I was quite surprised by the quality of the Speedmaster case I bought.

DHGate get bad reputation, rightly so as the mecanical movements are shoddy. But the cases are not bad, and some dials are surprisingly good.

so for your oysterquartz:

SHARE FOR REWARDS Hurry! Use My Link Now To Get Up To $20. Enjoy Great Products On DHgate! https://m.dhgate.com/product/tisso-wristwatches-for-men-2023-new-mens/876588598.html?invitationCode=8a2aa52559964d7ea0d0c25499882e07|-|876588598
I'm betting that's the same one I bought, lol. Prices can be all over the place at AliX/DH.
 
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Karbon74

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The only small challenge I would foresee is that Tissot tubes are pressed in, and it's also the cheapest to manufacture so the rep is likely to have that

This means that you will need to thread the pendant hole to fit the Rolex crown
 

dpd3672

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316lad

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Do we have a laser engraver in the house chaps?
Need some tiny lettering done on steel - standard font?
 

dpd3672

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Do we have a laser engraver in the house chaps?
Need some tiny lettering done on steel - standard font?
I've got a couple, a 5W and a 20W. They still scare me slightly, but technically it's something I could do.

I also have a drag engraver and the set of fonts that Rolex used. It would give a more gen-like result, although it depends on what needs engraving and what size it needs to be...it will do case serial and model numbers, maybe some movement plates (haven't tried that yet), but not sure on anything else.
 
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dpd3672

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It looks like I'm going to be starting a Tudor build, lol.

I swear, if I could stay off of Ebay, AliX, and this site, I'd be posting photos of my gen RM vs a rep (jk, those watches do nothing for me).

I got a good deal on a gen case ($175ish), followed by a good deal on a set of dial and hands ($100ish), so with a crappy A2824 from the stash I should have a very nice FrankenTudor for a very nice price...all gen except the movement, which I might even dress up with one of the Raffles rotors with Tudor markings. For the price of a Cartel watch + Shipping, I'll have a pretty nice Franken that's all gen until you open the case.




It's a shame about the dial, since I was looking forward to adding a Tudor Ranger build to the 3,6,9 family, although that is on the horizon. I think that Arabic "12" on the dial really makes it a unique watch, nothing at all like the Explorer (/Sarcasm).

 

369mafia

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I also noticed how it was quite around these parts but figured you guys were working on projects as that is what I was doing. I would just stop in to answer dms or check in on the action when I was taking a break from my projects.

This week :
build a 6350 explorer with an interesting parts list for a very "detail oriented" member .
Used a syringe minute hand from a vintage Benrus
removed radium lume and relumed the hand - that was involved with study of some safety and disposal protocols , but will still probably end up like the radium girls
Glow Episode 5 GIF by The Simpsons

eta movement with 2 position swap
raffles time hour hand
helenrou seconds hand
My old 6350 MQ dial
TC Case set

I wasnt sure if I would be able to age the hour and seconds hand to the same level of patina as the vintage minute hand but I think I nailed it. I am pleased with the match and results of the build. Again, ochre paint and the weathering paints for the win. they look like they are all the same age.








swapped a 3135 into a date just project.
Theae are nice movements. Definitely look the part and was a pretty easy swap.
Compared to an eta with dwo and all that. This went together like an explorer build. I think I will be using this movement more in the future for datejust and other projects.

Modified zip tie as movement holder and it fit like a glove.

 

369mafia

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Yesterday he messed around with my big crown sub.
Tried to further age the bezel trying to get those cool turquoise build up ok it but it wasn’t working for me. Soni tweaked rhe case and swapped in a white seconds and faded some inserts to my liking.








so I sanded the bezel and it cleaned up some. not sure if I like it but I plan on swapping it with the one from the ali x case set we found anyway. the insert looks more blotchy in the pics but IRL it looks pretty good.
 
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dpd3672

Putting the "whore" in "horology" since 2023
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I also noticed how it was quite around these parts but figured you guys were working on projects as that is what I was doing. I would just stop in to answer dms or check in on the action when I was taking a break from my projects.

This week :
build a 6350 explorer with an interesting parts list for a very "detail oriented" member .
Used a syringe minute hand from a vintage Benrus
removed radium lume and relumed the hand - that was involved with study of some safety and disposal protocols , but will still probably end up like the radium girls
Glow Episode 5 GIF by The Simpsons

eta movement with 2 position swap
raffles time hour hand
helenrou seconds hand
My old 6350 MQ dial
TC Case set

I wasnt sure if I would be able to age the hour and seconds hand to the same level of patina as the vintage minute hand but I think I nailed it. I am pleased with the match and results of the build. Again, ochre paint and the weathering paints for the win. they look like they are all the same age.








swapped a 3135 into a date just project.
Theae are nice movements. Definitely look the part and was a pretty easy swap.
Compared to an eta with dwo and all that. This went together like an explorer build. I think I will be using this movement more in the future for datejust and other projects.

Modified zip tie as movement holder and it fit like a glove.

Beautiful build!

I was actually thinking about the waffle dials and how to replicate them. I hit some brass with a hammer (not watch related) a while back and noticed that the "negative relief" of the face of the hammer was impressed on the watch. Every dent, piece of grit, and imperfection was stamped onto the brass. It's how they used to strike coins back in the day (probably still do, no idea).

Now, trying to avoid another rabbit hole, I'm thinking something like a checkered surface, like they do for gun grips, on the face of a hammer would allow a perfect replication of the gen waffle dial.

Finish the face of a cheap claw hammer from the hardware store with a negative waffle finish (possibly just checker it, or have a gunsmith checker it), 3D print a jig to hold a dial in the proper position, and start stamping out dials by hitting the anvil part of a bench vice. The steel face would be much harder than the brass, so it should last quite a while before the pattern started to get sloppy. I'd assume several hundred dials, at least.

Remembering all the work Manodeoro mentioned perfecting his waffle dials (which for some reason I seem to remember involved multiple layers of waterslide decals, but maybe I'm remembering wrong), this seems like a much simpler (and likely more authentic) process.
Even a series of steel "circles" about 26mm in diameter, with checkering and a 2mm stem to hold the dial should work.

Alternatively, laser engraving the dial blank, or drag engraving it might work just as well. Some micro sol to "melt" the decal into the grooves (or even paint it and laser etch the gilt away) and it should look pretty good. I'm thinking if the dial blank is 285.mm, the area that's "waffled" is inside a 26mm circle, give or take.


The best thing about this hobby is it almost guarantees I'll live to be 100, just because I'm stubborn as hell and I keep getting ideas for new things to try...
 

dpd3672

Putting the "whore" in "horology" since 2023
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I also noticed how it was quite around these parts but figured you guys were working on projects as that is what I was doing. I would just stop in to answer dms or check in on the action when I was taking a break from my projects.

This week :
build a 6350 explorer with an interesting parts list for a very "detail oriented" member .
Used a syringe minute hand from a vintage Benrus
removed radium lume and relumed the hand - that was involved with study of some safety and disposal protocols , but will still probably end up like the radium girls
Glow Episode 5 GIF by The Simpsons

eta movement with 2 position swap
raffles time hour hand
helenrou seconds hand
My old 6350 MQ dial
TC Case set

I wasnt sure if I would be able to age the hour and seconds hand to the same level of patina as the vintage minute hand but I think I nailed it. I am pleased with the match and results of the build. Again, ochre paint and the weathering paints for the win. they look like they are all the same age.








swapped a 3135 into a date just project.
Theae are nice movements. Definitely look the part and was a pretty easy swap.
Compared to an eta with dwo and all that. This went together like an explorer build. I think I will be using this movement more in the future for datejust and other projects.

Modified zip tie as movement holder and it fit like a glove.

Beautiful build!

I was actually thinking about the waffle dials and how to replicate them. I hit some brass with a hammer (not watch related) a while back and noticed that the "negative relief" of the face of the hammer was impressed on the watch. Every dent, piece of grit, and imperfection was stamped onto the brass. It's how they used to strike coins back in the day (probably still do, no idea).

Now, trying to avoid another rabbit hole, I'm thinking something like a checkered surface, like they do for gun grips, on the face of a hammer would allow a perfect replication of the gen waffle dial.

Finish the face of a cheap claw hammer from the hardware store with a negative waffle finish (possibly just checker it, or have a gunsmith checker it), 3D print a jig to hold a dial in the proper position, and start stamping out dials by hitting the anvil part of a bench vice. The steel face would be much harder than the brass, so it should last quite a while before the pattern started to get sloppy. I'd assume several hundred dials, at least.

Remembering all the work Manodeoro mentioned perfecting his waffle dials (which for some reason I seem to remember involved multiple layers of waterslide decals, but maybe I'm remembering wrong), this seems like a much simpler (and likely more authentic) process.
Even a series of steel "circles" about 26mm in diameter, with checkering and a 2mm stem to hold the dial should work.

Alternatively, laser engraving the dial blank, or drag engraving it might work just as well. Some micro sol to "melt" the decal into the grooves (or even paint it and laser etch the gilt away) and it should look pretty good.
 
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