So... I've been involved with the rep world since 2015, buying from TDs a couple of pieces a year and fully convinced that building and modding were activities reserved for people who actually understand what they're doing. You know, the real heroes of this forum. Then, out of sheer curiosity (and perhaps a moment of self-delusion), I stumbled into this thread while looking for something else entirely... and that’s when the wheels came off.
After witnessing your insane builds, craftsmanship, and contagious enthusiasm, I had a sudden and probably ill-advised burst of confidence. “I can totally do this,” I thought. I was very wrong.
So, I made a brave/stupid decision to build a 16030, reading as much as I could and aiming high with a gen dial and bezel, raffles case, Clark’s plexi and hands, an open 6&9 datewheel, and a VS3135 movement. What could possibly go wrong when there are dozens of beautiful builds in this thread alone? Answer: everything.
Fast forward to last night, when I attempted the final assembly. It was all going so smoothly... until, well, it wasn’t.
- First disaster: I was introduced to the joy of resetting the keyless works. Fixed it (yay me!), but it’s like the universe said, “Not so fast, my friend,” because the moment I removed and re-inserted the stem... back to square one. We’re now in an endless loop of keyless resets. Help?
- Then, the datewheel started slipping. Can’t use position 2 to set it. The disc that’s supposed to advance the date doesn’t move, and I have no idea how to get it back to work.
Now, I’m faced with a critical decision: Should I just admit defeat and buy a new movement, keeping this one as a “spare/practice/misery-inducing” piece? Or should I wave the white flag and send the movement to a pro modder, while I sit back and eat humble pie?
Oh, and since we’re here, I have a couple of extra random questions that are keeping me up at night:
- If I replace the raffles 16200 crown and tube with an Athaya 24-600, are they fully interchangeable? Or will I need to rethread/countersink the hole? (At this point, I’m terrified of anything involving holes.)
- Do I need to sand down the caseback to make sure it doesn’t touch the 3135 rotor? I read somewhere that someone said it didn’t... but I most of you do that. Dumbest question of them all: how can I tell if it’s even touching mine? Is there a rotor-rubbing checklist?
I’m not ready to quit yet, but I’m also definitely not ready to mod a second watch anytime soon.
Thanks in advance for any guidance (and sympathy)!
P.S. Apologies for the lack of technical vocabulary and my possibly butchered English. It’s probably the least of my problems right now...
After witnessing your insane builds, craftsmanship, and contagious enthusiasm, I had a sudden and probably ill-advised burst of confidence. “I can totally do this,” I thought. I was very wrong.
So, I made a brave/stupid decision to build a 16030, reading as much as I could and aiming high with a gen dial and bezel, raffles case, Clark’s plexi and hands, an open 6&9 datewheel, and a VS3135 movement. What could possibly go wrong when there are dozens of beautiful builds in this thread alone? Answer: everything.
Fast forward to last night, when I attempted the final assembly. It was all going so smoothly... until, well, it wasn’t.
- First disaster: I was introduced to the joy of resetting the keyless works. Fixed it (yay me!), but it’s like the universe said, “Not so fast, my friend,” because the moment I removed and re-inserted the stem... back to square one. We’re now in an endless loop of keyless resets. Help?
- Then, the datewheel started slipping. Can’t use position 2 to set it. The disc that’s supposed to advance the date doesn’t move, and I have no idea how to get it back to work.
Now, I’m faced with a critical decision: Should I just admit defeat and buy a new movement, keeping this one as a “spare/practice/misery-inducing” piece? Or should I wave the white flag and send the movement to a pro modder, while I sit back and eat humble pie?
Oh, and since we’re here, I have a couple of extra random questions that are keeping me up at night:
- If I replace the raffles 16200 crown and tube with an Athaya 24-600, are they fully interchangeable? Or will I need to rethread/countersink the hole? (At this point, I’m terrified of anything involving holes.)
- Do I need to sand down the caseback to make sure it doesn’t touch the 3135 rotor? I read somewhere that someone said it didn’t... but I most of you do that. Dumbest question of them all: how can I tell if it’s even touching mine? Is there a rotor-rubbing checklist?
I’m not ready to quit yet, but I’m also definitely not ready to mod a second watch anytime soon.
Thanks in advance for any guidance (and sympathy)!
P.S. Apologies for the lack of technical vocabulary and my possibly butchered English. It’s probably the least of my problems right now...
