Where does Crownartcustoms get his inserts from?

[Singapore9]

It’s very dark , how expensive are they lol

That's the only one I have ever come across to be honest, so I don't know where the market values them but I was comfortable paying multiple hundreds, as part of a deal with a couple of other bits... If the watch had to go in to RSC I suspect the total bill would have been thousands and I'd have had a load of original parts changed, so it was worth it.

How does £2.5k sound for a lighter one https://www.chrono24.co.uk/tudor/be...bezel-79090---9411--7016-9401--id10020476.htm

 

[ronin007]

2.5k ,Jesus

 

[Singapore9]

Yeah, it's a total madness but they're not service inserts, or not thin font, modern service inserts like mine at least. They're late 70s / early 80s originals and NOS, so pretty vanishingly rare. But I still don't get it. I guess if you had a gen minter and were looking to knock it out for some crazy money, like £20k, everything would need to be perfect and the £2.5k might get you the extra £5k you're charging for 'the best'.

Anyway, apologies for taking the CAC insert thread down a Tudor Sub gen insert rabbit hole!

 

[ronin007]

He has a dark blue one for 350usd I think last time I spoke to him

 

[ronin007]

I’m thinking he gets them from Vietnam and then customizes them with aging.
Here’s one I just picked up from Bivintage, pretty much identical to the CAC insert on my Tudor 9411…at 1/10th the price.

Do you want to sell the bivintage insert,lol

 

[Hor-Fan]

Do you want to sell the bivintage insert,lol

Nah,
I’ll pm you his WA, if you want to ask him

 

[Baccaracca669]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234624070937 Anybody dealt with these guys

Hey all, has anyone bought from this store?

 

[Singapore9]

Hey all, has anyone bought from this store?

No, but I am very tempted by one. Should be cheaper buying from the store themselves: https://www.vintagewatchmods.com/

Would be interested in your feedback, if you get one!

That store is Phong or Jensen, from the previous page. Does look a lot like Phong's insert: https://jewelryandwatch.com/contents/en-us/p1216_5512-1680_Deep_Blue_insert.html

 

[Singapore9]

Also, is CAC still in business? I haven't seen anything in his ebay shop in weeks! Would love a blue Snowflake insert review thread.

 

[Manray]

It's jensen, phong'son. He ship from arizona, don't know where he is.

 

[Baccaracca669]

No, but I am very tempted by one. Should be cheaper buying from the store themselves: https://www.vintagewatchmods.com/

Would be interested in your feedback, if you get one!

That store is Phong or Jensen, from the previous page. Does look a lot like Phong's insert: https://jewelryandwatch.com/contents/en-us/p1216_5512-1680_Deep_Blue_insert.html

Tempted also… likewise, feedback if you pull the trigger please!

 

[chrome72]

I’m surprised I haven’t seen any attempts at making these. Seems like you could just anodize an aluminum insert. Use a laser (I think a diode laser like the xtool would work) to laser away the numbers. Seal it. Call it a day. I’m sure the artwork could me meticulously copied.

 

[WatchN3RD]

It could be easier. What if you safely removed the non-silver dye, and simply re-dyed the color to your liking?
Of course choosing the font would be starting from scratch.
I don't think it's difficult, but you need to be committed. For the average watch tinkerer, it wouldn't be worth it, financially.

 

[Singapore9]

CAC has recently been selling on ebay again, seemed to have some nice inserts available... but now they have all disappeared for me!

Pricing, as ever, was 'strong', appreciating you may be able to get a better deal direct, but it was nice to be able to see 'em online and scroll through.

Is it just me (geo-location restricted?) or has he gone again?

 

[Hor-Fan]

CAC has recently been selling on ebay again, seemed to have some nice inserts available... but now they have all disappeared for me!

Pricing, as ever, was 'strong', appreciating you may be able to get a better deal direct, but it was nice to be able to see 'em online and scroll through.

Is it just me (geo-location restricted?) or has he gone again?

He’s gone again. He seems to be toggling his store off and on. I just got an email notification yesterday of his new insert listings and briefly browsed them, but today he’s gone.

 

[Singapore9]

He’s gone again. He seems to be toggling his store off and on. I just got an email notification yesterday of his new insert listings and briefly browsed them, but today he’s gone.

I guess perhaps just uses ebay as a sort of marketing tool, taking those buyers over to Instagram, so toggles it on/off every few months. Frustrating for those of us not on the 'Gram.

 

[Hor-Fan]

I guess perhaps just uses ebay as a sort of marketing tool, taking those buyers over to Instagram, so toggles it on/off every few months. Frustrating for those of us not on the 'Gram.

Put him in your saved sellers list and sign up for notifications, then you’ll get an email when he opens his store and posts new listings.

 

[369mafia]

I reached out to him about an insert and he was rude and condescending and then blocked me on IG

 

[est4129]

What I can say about CAC, great products but one of the most frustrating people/companies to deal with I have ever encountered.

I contacted him through eBay to ask if he could list a specific insert so I could buy it that was a slightly darker blue than what he had listed. He refused and directed me to Instagram, his page is private and you have to send him a request to access it. When I sent him the request he never gave me access. Contacted him through ebay again and ask him to contact me directly, said he couldn’t do that and again directed me to his Instagram but again did not give access. He finally put up an insert like I wanted a couple weeks later and when I went to buy it I realized he had blocked me on eBay, I get a message saying “You are not allowed to purchase this item” when I tried to BIN. Ended up buying it using a burner ebay account with gift cards and had it sent to another address. I would have bought black inserts from him but ended up ordering them from Vietnam (and the seller was easier to deal with) and aged them myself or had a modder do it. Unfortunately for blue inserts he sells the best. I would have probably dropped another grand with him but I am not going to fight someone to take my money when they obviously have no idea what customer service is and have most of their sales tied to a single platform that they gatekeep access to.

 

[oldtools]

I would have bought black inserts from him but ended up ordering them from Vietnam

Do you have a link for the black inserts? I am looking for a Mk4 insert and thought I might have to go with CAC. After hearing about your's and 369mafia's dealings, I'll pass