What AP Franken(s) do you have in the works?!

[QueTip]

I wish u speak Tamil too hehehe

On a serious note, whatever slaughterer inputs is very insightful n that is why I am keen to learn unlike some if u know what I meant

I'll be kind enough and translate it for you. Considering English is still this forums main language.
It translates to this:

LWO conversion:

DD2020 TriCompax Chrono Module
Miyota 9015 base movement with rep deco bridges

Diameter 30.0mm, height 8.25mm

Summed up it’s a probably more budget and modified alternative to the piggyback 2892 + DD Module Setup of the Standard LWO mostly to accommodate the deco bridges. :qtip2:

 

[ThePlayboy]

Hi,

Can anyone tell what movement I need for a 41mm Royal Oak Chronograph, I have the dial and the tachy, but I need a movement to build a Franken. Someone told me Cartier or Jäger, but what caliber?

 

[ThePlayboy]

I just finished this project.

 

[legend]

I just finished this project.

Open to comments or only compliments allowed? :hehehe:


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[ThePlayboy]

Open to comments or only compliments allowed? :hehehe:


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Comments are welcome. I have ordered new pushers and crown, it‘s the wrong color ;-)

 

[legend]

Comments are welcome. I have ordered new pushers and crown, it‘s the wrong color ;-)

Lol I was only teasing. When you were building the franken you would have been already aware of the shortfalls and what could be improved.

What I really want to say is that the ROO is a very nice model and this will be a very nice watch on the wrist in real life. Typical AP frankens flaws exist but it applies to every franken and not only your watch so I won’t go into those. More importantly, those flaws are largely academic and do not translate to real life concerns.
Congrats on the completion of this project. :qtip2:


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[ThePlayboy]

Lol I was only teasing. When you were building the franken you would have been already aware of the shortfalls and what could be improved.

What I really want to say is that the ROO is a very nice model and this will be a very nice watch on the wrist in real life. Typical AP frankens flaws exist but it applies to every franken and not only your watch so I won’t go into those. More importantly, those flaws are largely academic and do not translate to real life concerns.
Congrats on the completion of this project. :qtip2:


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I would love to hear about the flaws, and what can be improved.

 

[slaughterer62]

I just finished this project.

Did you build this yourself? If so, quite an accomplishment. There are things that might be changed, but only at additional cost and labor of course. Plus you will need to acquire some more parts then too. But you already know about the wrong pusher/crown color. What thickness is it?

 

[ThePlayboy]

Did you build this yourself? If so, quite an accomplishment. There are things that might be changed, but only at additional cost and labor of course. Plus you will need to acquire some more parts then too. But you already know about the wrong pusher/crown color. What thickness is it?

I didn't build it myself, I sourced the parts and had it built for me. The case is 14,4 mm. This is the second Franken for me, I have one with the"old" blue/grey dial and metal bracelet as well.

Please tell me what I can improve on the Safari. (except for the pushers and the crown.) I would really like to know how I can make it better.

My next Franken is the 41mm RO Chrono, but I don‘t know which movement to use.

 

[ThePlayboy]

This is the first one.

 

[flying-tommy]

I just finished this project.

Can you please show a few photos from the bottom?


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[slaughterer62]

I would love to hear about the flaws, and what can be improved.

Why not just google a good photo of a gen classic Safari and compare it with your watch in detail?

 

[Jurgenk]

I am partial to the beast, but those are two great choices.

 

[jasonbaylee]

YuhooOooo... the beast is so alluring to the eyes

 

[SuperLory]

I just finished this project.

Constructive criticism since you asked for:

1. The case looks thick. The caseback especially.
2. There is a huge gap between the tachy and the bezel/crystal. You should address that imho


Good luck with the rest. I love safari too

 

[legend]

I would love to hear about the flaws, and what can be improved.

OK sure, to summarize for you to take it to the next level:

Safari
1. I will recommend you try to source gen hands. I know its mikey hands the best alternative to gen available, but mikey hands look very different from gen hands in terms of shape, stack and shine. When it comes to AP frankens, gen hands complete the watch IMHO. I do own enough gen APs, and worked on enough reps/frankens to know the differences.
2. If it is emulating a H series Safari, the cyclop may need upgrading. I cannot tell for sure from that angle.
3. The tachy/bezel gap can be improved
4. When you hold the watch dial facing you, the left bottom plot is at an odd angle. The plots may be upgraded to properly emulate the way they nestle against the case
5. Again, unsure if its due to the angle, the crown seems offset toward the lower crown guard instead of being dead center like ROO crowns should

These are what I can see from casual observation. Please regard them as pointers for improvements rather than "call outs"

25721 beast
1. Likewise, gen hands if you can find them. The hands look too flat and are of the wrong shape and geometry.
2. The magnification of the date is way too big, from looks of it
3. The 25721 beast uses a dedicated date font. Jurgenk has a datewheel in his franken beast which looks close enough to be passable. The 7s should be hooked and there are a few more particularities.
4. Do get the crown alignment checked. Another little spoken tell of an AP franken is the position of the crown. Yes it is correctly recessed toward the caseback, but often not centered within the crown groove when viewed dial-on.
5. Overall, watch looks way too new for a 25721. A service polish can explain this though..


On the forums from your pics, I can immediately tell that the watches aren't gen, but in real life, they will both look like nice AP watches and depending on your level of fussiness, the above I mentioned may or may not matter to you. I view AP frankens as customized watches built to entertain and amuse the owner, and not AP watches, so they should be enjoyed as such without too much fuss as they will never be gen no matter what is done to them. Your watches look lovely ThePlayboy and I am certain that they will serve you well in real life. Here in the forums, it is easy to see and discuss the areas of improvement, but it is significantly a lot harder in real life to do so.
Well done on the frankens and do share more pics with us in the pictures section!

 

[ThePlayboy]

OK sure, to summarize for you to take it to the next level:

Safari
1. I will recommend you try to source gen hands. I know its mikey hands the best alternative to gen available, but mikey hands look very different from gen hands in terms of shape, stack and shine. When it comes to AP frankens, gen hands complete the watch IMHO. I do own enough gen APs, and worked on enough reps/frankens to know the differences.
2. If it is emulating a H series Safari, the cyclop may need upgrading. I cannot tell for sure from that angle.
3. The tachy/bezel gap can be improved
4. When you hold the watch dial facing you, the left bottom plot is at an odd angle. The plots may be upgraded to properly emulate the way they nestle against the case
5. Again, unsure if its due to the angle, the crown seems offset toward the lower crown guard instead of being dead center like ROO crowns should

These are what I can see from casual observation. Please regard them as pointers for improvements rather than "call outs"

25721 beast
1. Likewise, gen hands if you can find them. The hands look too flat and are of the wrong shape and geometry.
2. The magnification of the date is way too big, from looks of it
3. The 25721 beast uses a dedicated date font. Jurgenk has a datewheel in his franken beast which looks close enough to be passable. The 7s should be hooked and there are a few more particularities.
4. Do get the crown alignment checked. Another little spoken tell of an AP franken is the position of the crown. Yes it is correctly recessed toward the caseback, but often not centered within the crown groove when viewed dial-on.
5. Overall, watch looks way too new for a 25721. A service polish can explain this though..


On the forums from your pics, I can immediately tell that the watches aren't gen, but in real life, they will both look like nice AP watches and depending on your level of fussiness, the above I mentioned may or may not matter to you. I view AP frankens as customized watches built to entertain and amuse the owner, and not AP watches, so they should be enjoyed as such without too much fuss as they will never be gen no matter what is done to them. Your watches look lovely ThePlayboy and I am certain that they will serve you well in real life. Here in the forums, it is easy to see and discuss the areas of improvement, but it is significantly a lot harder in real life to do so.
Well done on the frankens and do share more pics with us in the pictures section!

Hi, and thanks for the comments, I‘m far from being an expert like you guys, so it‘s very good to get some input.

I know about the plots, they are completely wrong, we had to make the holes bigger to be able to mount them, I actually forgot to get plots at all (the donor watch was on bracelet) but the watchmaker found 4 plots in his shop, but they are Noob, I will replace them asap.

The case is exactly 14,4mm so the thickness is spot on.

I‘m on the hunt for hands and date wheel.

Is there any difference between Tag Heuer and Moved movements? (LWO)

Again, if anyone knows what kind of movement and what caliber I need for a 41mm RO Chronograph I would be very grateful, that‘s my next project. I have dial and tacky so far. (and the case)

 

[legend]

Hi, and thanks for the comments, I‘m far from being an expert like you guys, so it‘s very good to get some input.

I know about the plots, they are completely wrong, we had to make the holes bigger to be able to mount them, I actually forgot to get plots at all (the donor watch was on bracelet) but the watchmaker found 4 plots in his shop, but they are Noob, I will replace them asap.

The case is exactly 14,4mm so the thickness is spot on.

I‘m on the hunt for hands and date wheel.

Is there any difference between Tag Heuer and Moved movements? (LWO)

Again, if anyone knows what kind of movement and what caliber I need for a 41mm RO Chronograph I would be very grateful, that‘s my next project. I have dial and tacky so far. (and the case)

It does not take an "expert" to enjoy your watches. You have been very open to receive feedback and comments and take them in the right spirit. That is commendable.
I think there is a set of gen ROO hands on eBay, they are volcano hands, but they can be relumed. For datewheel, search for "vintage 2892 date disc" on eBay and you will get quite a haul to cherry-pick from.
The LWO movements come in different grades, but they are all functionally the same, so pick Tag Heuer or any other you like. The models you chose have closed casebacks, so that makes it a lot easier.
Case thickness wise, don't worry if your watch thickness is in the neighborhood. Other than thickness, you need to be concerned also about the proportions of the case profile from crystal-bezel-gasket-midcase-gasket-caseback. It can be 14.4mm and still look wrong, for example, if the bezel gasket or midcase is too thick. So proportions are important too in addition to overall thickness.

I will let the experts chime in on the 41mm ROC movement as I never worked on one before and therefore we will end up whipping up conjectures.
Remember to have fun with your builds always. That is the most salient part of the hobby for me.

 

[legend]

@theplayboy

I happen to be wearing a classic ROO today so I took a pic of the case profile for you.

You can see the gen and rep caseback profiles difference. In the gen, the beveled area of the caseback is much thinner than the rep. The caseback gasket is also a lot thinner in the gen. The overall profile of the gen is relatively sleek and angular.

Your watch profile looks a lot thicker than the gen despite the “correct thickness” and the profile proportions look off. Notice also the laterally centered crown and slightly thinner midcase in the gen (look at the midcase area above the chrono pusher extrusions)

My point is that to build a well-presented franken, casethickness is not the only concern, but case proportions, especially for the profile, matters.

We are discussing details which do not matter in real life honestly. I’m doing this only because you asked and this discussion is allowable on this platform.

My intention is that you see these and the knowledge will enable you to take your watches to the next level.


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[mrsullivan]

Lord I'm all eyes on this thread now, so much infos thank you guys.

Regarding movement I've been searching a LWO283 for a couple of weeks (no impatience here, I'm aware sourcing parts can take weeks, if not months), but as you guys know they don't come at every corner. As today I found 2 older watches on some auctions, Tags and Hamilton as these brands often used this movement in the 80's, but both needed repair. Of course the best would be a functional movement, so I keep on searching.

I'm wondering though : aside of the named "LWO" movements, I see many 2892 with Dubois-Depraz chrono module, which a LWO283 is in the end. Can these movement be an option for a AP franken as we want it?

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