The Ladies' Rolex thread...a guide to assembling a nice Franken (thread will be updated periodically)

[McDuck888]

Ok, Fantastic! I'm just so amazed you made your own printed movement holder!! It's beyond cool!!!

This evening I strengthened the cheap plastic movement holder that I originally got from a poor immitation 26mm case by bolstering it with old crystal gaskets epoxied to it's perimeter and then dremeled down in height. I need to dremel 'holes' / cut outs, for the friction fit gen dial to sit down into. But I'm definitely having problems with having lifted the datewheel up a tiny bit, then the hour wheel isn't tall enough to place hands on the watch.

I wondered if I could just buy a 'taller' hour wheel. But I don't understand anything to do with pinion heights nor hour wheels tbh because I've previously abandoned any build that required an ETA and use of a DWO, in favour of easy clone movements with their ready made fitting parts.

I've bought riyi's silver lume tall post hands. I plan to trim the length of the hand away from the minute and hour hand, make the poles I'm left with golden coloured, and then epoxy non-lume long plain hands onto the 'poles' to make whole hands that are genlike in their length and hopefully will be tall enough to clear the dial. But I'm really not hopeful.

Will have to investigate more about pinions, hour wheels and heights.

And all of this is before I have even bought myself a case - So I'm not sure that the stem will line up beautifully yet at all. I highly doubt so
Oh lord.
At least the gen datewheel I used as an overlay is sitting prettily now with all dates well centred and secure haha.

 

[McDuck888]

Thank you for your encouragement!

 

[McDuck888]

Does anybody happen to know which size of gen crown may be used on a 26mm gen case and tube please?

 

[dpd3672]

Does anybody happen to know which size of gen crown may be used on a 26mm gen case and tube please?

5.3mm

 

[McDuck888]

*24mm Rolex models start with (1)65XX (with date), (1)66XX (no date), (1)67XX (no date) and (1)76XX (no date).
*26mm models are numbered (1)65XX (date), (1)67XX (no date), (1)69XX (with date), and (1)79XX (with date).

@dpd3672 Hi boss, I was just re-reading your fantastic information ahead of finding a case for my 26mm date dial. And I noticed you have entered for 24mm and 26mm (1)65xx (with date). Is this a tiny typo, or am I misunderstanding. It looks to me like you're writing that the model number is repeated for both sizes? I'm very tired though at time of reading this haha.

 

[dpd3672]

@dpd3672 Hi boss, I was just re-reading your fantastic information ahead of finding a case for my 26mm date dial. And I noticed you have entered for 24mm and 26mm (1)65xx (with date). Is this a tiny typo, or am I misunderstanding. It looks to me like you're writing that the model number is repeated for both sizes? I'm very tired though at time of reading this haha.

There's conflicting information out there, and I learned as I was updating this post. Basically, the date and no date watches have cases that are both very close to 26mm, although the no date models are sometimes listed as 24mm. The biggest difference is the rehaut opening is bigger on the date watches, and that results in the crystal and bezel being slightly larger to compensate.

The no date models take a smaller dial than the date models as well. I think I posted an update with the correct model numbers. I think 65XX and 69XX have the date, and 66XX and 67XX are no date.

 

[McDuck888]

Super job! And thank you so much for parroting that information back at me so beautifully so I'm much more clued up. That all makes perfect sense. You're truly awesome my friend. I'm so grateful.

 

[HulkyGalore]

This is an excellent thread, well worth a read to anyone thinking of a small build - thanks all!!

I have ventured into this small stuff with acquisition of various 18 and 20mm dials that I have been picking up gradually for some "future" project. My first build however, will be the slightly larger 31mm DJ from raffles with a NH05.

A question though, does anyone know what quartz movement reference I can get that will fit or be equivalent to the NH05 or ETA2671? I am ok in making mods so things attach, if needed. Would be good to know what hand sizes to look for, if this is known.

Cheers!

 

[goldenflute]

The (almost) finished birthday present, which she won’t take off, lol.

Still needs the Raffles DWO fitted, and the crystal refreshed (either new or polished better) and realigned (it apparently rotated slightly clockwise when I installed the bezel), but very happy with the finished product.

All Gen and nicely vintage looking Oyster Perpetual Date in 26mm.

Amazing!!!

 

[McDuck888]

Things are set to get a little crazy over here. I have put together an eta 2671 with gen datewheel used as an overlay, non-lumed plain hands a nice length and a modern diamond dial. - I was going to put these parts in a 79173 case and make a nice two tone watch....!
However, The price of a 79173 case is pretty big at the moment and I'm aware that I don't necessarily want to spend so much on this project anymore because its so tricky, so instead, I'm about to do a very mad thing and I'll put these parts inside a super old 6517two tone case!
It's going to look a little crazy and not even slightly age appropriate but I'm going to try it out.

I wonder if the 6517plexiglass can be replaced with a modern sapphire crystal. I have a very modern crystal (and gasket) with AR behind the cyclops in my watchbox already, lol.
I saw on ebay some glass crystals to convert 6517's plastic crystal into a glass one. And wonder if it really is just a case of whipping off the bezel and replacing the crystal for a glass one. I shall find out.

 

[McDuck888]

I'm also very tempted to plate the watch case in yellowgold to match the bezel and crown and instead of twotone, have an all gold watch.

 

[Sunry]

Following this thread excitedly!

As someone who can’t pull off anything over 36mm (and 36mm is pushing it) I love reading about smaller watches

I have a 31mm DJ being modded currently since base reps arent as good as the >40mm version.

This is the list of mods being done on it:

sw custom dial
moissanite
rg plating
CNc bezel
deepcrystal
Whole Watch Polishing
Movement Silence
Waterproof

I hope it turns out great!

 

[McDuck888]

@Sunry You just showed up and are doing Gods work! - Its incredible hearing about what you've got planned. Following eagerly. Is it a GMF base you're using or some other factory please?

 

[Sunry]

@Sunry You just showed up and are doing Gods work! - Its incredible hearing about what you've got planned. Following eagerly. Is it a GMF base you're using or some other factory please?

Its WF. Posted a pic below. I asked the modder to select the best base and thats what he chose.

The face looks decent. The RG color is very yellow so Im glad thats going to be replated lol.

 

[McDuck888]

@Sunry Thank you so much for the pic! Wow, This is going to be a seriously awesome little watch!

 

[McDuck888]

@Sunry Also that dial is stunning. It looks just like the genuine dial I'd bought.

 

[Sunry]

@Sunry Also that dial is stunning. It looks just like the genuine dial I'd bought.

Oh no way!! Thats so great to hear!! I think mother of pearl is just so classy

 

[McDuck888]

Oh no way!! Thats so great to hear!! I think mother of pearl is just so classy

i LOVE that your dial has some gorgeous texture to it, on the top right especially in your picture. The MOP looks like billows of smoke or clouds, like my one. Some of the WF MOP dials are a little bit less textured and plainer and flatter - just like the variation is gen ones are all different from each other too. So yours is extra special for having lots of that gen-like detail in it, to me.

 

[Sunry]

i LOVE that your dial has some gorgeous texture to it, on the top right especially in your picture. The MOP looks like billows of smoke or clouds, like my one. Some of the WF MOP dials are a little bit less textured and plainer and flatter - just like the variation is gen ones are all different from each other too. So yours is extra special for having lots of that gen-like detail in it, to me.

I trusted my modder to pick the best for me and I'm glad to hear he is doing a good job! I like how it flashes rainbowy colors in the sun at different angles! I also love the dark green MOP, but those are harder to find. Would love to see a photo of your MOP when you have a moment

 

[McDuck888]

@Sunry Oouh. I don't think deep make a 31mm crystal. Do they? - They may do, but I don't think so at all.
I value a good crystal more than anything on a rollie modded watch. Specifically a nice cyclops that looks like Gen. It really finishes it off for me, so I hope you get a cracking good crystal in there. Your project is set to be beautiful.