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Originally Posted By TheRadBaron: Very nice. Is that the fixed bar case? It is. I didn’t realize it when I bought it but that’s fine, this is going to be a work watch and will have a NATO strap. Overall I’m happy with it, now to see if I screwed anything up and it keeps time! ETA: and it is losing considerable time. Was hoping I wouldn’t have to buy a demagnetizer and Timegrapher. |
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I've been thinking about getting a Tudor FXD, but it's not in the cards financially. Then I started googling and found homage parts. Some of the nicer ones are only made for Seiko movements, but some are made for ETA 2824 style movements. Is anyone using nice Swiss movements in aliexpress watch cases? Any more premium suppliers of parts? I'm not a snob, but don't want an awful bezel either. 
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Originally Posted By NoImpactNoIdea: Pretty basic first build. NH34 movement, titanium 42mm case, and unbranded dial and hands. Took about 90 min because of the crap quality hand install tools I got from AliX. The next ones won't take as long https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/74034/IMG_5713_jpeg-3717534.JPGhttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/74034/IMG_5714_jpeg-3717535.JPG |
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Originally Posted By Couch-Commando: @NoImpactNoIdea How is the bezel on that case? Do you recommend it? Got a link? I'm thinking about something similar. @couch-commando It was the one below, can’t see to post a link from the app. My bezel is good. Solid clicks and no wobble, I’m happy with it. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By NoImpactNoIdea: Pretty basic first build. NH34 movement, titanium 42mm case, and unbranded dial and hands. Took about 90 min because of the crap quality hand install tools I got from AliX. The next ones won’t take as long… https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/74034/IMG_5713_jpeg-3717534.JPGhttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/74034/IMG_5714_jpeg-3717535.JPG I like it. I prefer the 35 movement, but my next one will be a nh70. |
"Some people have issues. Sounds like he signed up for an entire subscription." ~Brohawk
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia 3 years
Arfcom callsign: trenchfoot
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia 3 years
Arfcom callsign: trenchfoot
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Attached File I just got this watch together. It was the first watch I started building but the second one I finished. I wanted to build a vintage style dive watch but without just making a clone of something so this one is stylistically about 50/50 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner. Attached File I was planning to use a top hat style crystal for some additional vintage drip but it’s held up in customs and I got impatient. I’m going to blow the watch back apart at some point so I can do some custom engraving on the dial and case back so maybe I’ll experiment with swapping crystals at that point. Attached File I work construction and I’m a mechanic so my watches see some hard use. This one is going to be my every day watch so it needs to be rugged. I used a vertical mill to drill the lugs and enlarge the spring bar holes to accept some really heavy duty shoulderless spring bars that should be about bombproof. |
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Originally Posted By TheRadBaron: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/327494/IMG_2929_jpeg-3718478.JPGI just got this watch together. It was the first watch I started building but the second one I finished. I wanted to build a vintage style dive watch but without just making a clone of something so this one is stylistically about 50/50 Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/327494/IMG_2930_jpeg-3718479.JPG I was planning to use a top hat style crystal for some additional vintage drip but it's held up in customs and I got impatient. I'm going to blow the watch back apart at some point so I can do some custom engraving on the dial and case back so maybe I'll experiment with swapping crystals at that point. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/327494/IMG_2897_jpeg-3718481.JPG I work construction and I'm a mechanic so my watches see some hard use. This one is going to be my every day watch so it needs to be rugged. I used a vertical mill to drill the lugs and enlarge the spring bar holes to accept some really heavy duty shoulderless spring bars that should be about bombproof. |
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Originally Posted By Couch-Commando: Where do you get custom dials made? In my case my brother owns a fiber laser so I figure that should do the trick. I don’t have any experience with any of the commercial places offering custom dials but I think it was DIY Watch Club (maybe?) that had a cool program on their site for designing custom dials. |
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Originally Posted By Aspida1776: I'd like to commission a blood moon at some point  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UEjFZutgU8I have a Samurai that I've wanted to send him for a couple of years now, to rebuild into a Blood Moon. I love that watch. |
"I carry a gun because it is my responsibility alone - not that of the police, nor the government, nor the community - to defend the precious lives that God has entrusted to me."
Will Dougan, writing in gomemphis.com 08/17/03
Will Dougan, writing in gomemphis.com 08/17/03
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Originally Posted By MateFrio: He's said a bunch of those parts are no longer available. Well that's disappointing. 
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"I carry a gun because it is my responsibility alone - not that of the police, nor the government, nor the community - to defend the precious lives that God has entrusted to me."
Will Dougan, writing in gomemphis.com 08/17/03
Will Dougan, writing in gomemphis.com 08/17/03
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Originally Posted By teats: Heres one I made some time ago. https://i.postimg.cc/FHsfbkCG/20260226-092938.jpg I saw your FB post and thought this looked familiar. That looks really good, I like it. |
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Originally Posted By NickOTime: Parts in bound. It's been a minute.... Something along the lines of a 62mas crossed with a bb58 sort of affair. Using Seiko "oem" parts. We'll see when everything arrives.  The instant gratification culture we all live in definitely makes waiting for the shipped items hard! I think I have the parts for three or four watches inbound right now...some parts ordered almost a month ago. |
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Originally Posted By NoImpactNoIdea: The instant gratification culture we all live in definitely makes waiting for the shipped items hard! I think I have the parts for three or four watches inbound right now...some parts ordered almost a month ago. I hear that. At least after building a few you almost get used to it......almost... I dont have to wait the movement and hand set since im using some leftover/spare mod parts. Just waiting on the dial and case. Some how I ended up with a 6r35 movement so im not sure how I feel about that aspect. Ive heard rather mixed reviews on it. But I figured I may as well just use the thing. Honestly I love how robust the 4r/nh 35/36 movements are and would have probably preferred using one(tried and tested work horse). This should be a nice experiment to see if the movement really is as bad as the internet claims. Im hoping most of the negativity is just people not adjusting their movements for accuracy as opposed to fragility. Because I can probably regulate it just fine. Eta: Case:  Dial:  Im not using the full handset, just the "Mercedes/Cathedral" style seconds hand from that hand set. |
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Originally Posted By NoImpactNoIdea: @couch-commando It was the one below, can’t see to post a link from the app. My bezel is good. Solid clicks and no wobble, I’m happy with it. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/74034/IMG_5719_png-3718012.JPG This is my dream GMT setup. Can you post the actual link? ETA- NM I found it. |
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This kind of fits the theme here, bought this Stirling knowing that the date wheel didn’t spin. Replaced the NH35 movement with a new one from SecondhandMods and used the same hands and dial. Runs like a top now. Still working on becoming competent at setting hands. Even with the right tools it’s a chore, but mainly because i skimped out and didn’t want a $90 press. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By MateFrio: Cool links as I find them. Some great custom dial and caseback work from a guy in the US. How the heck does he even make those dials? |
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Originally Posted By stewie97: Are any of the watch kit in a box stores any good? Looking at diywatchclub and similar I thought a watch kit would be a great way to get started unless there is a better path I skipped the kits and just bought pieces of AliX and watched a ton of videos. You are definitely going to pay more using a premade kit. |
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Originally Posted By NoImpactNoIdea: I skipped the kits and just bought pieces of AliX and watched a ton of videos. You are definitely going to pay more using a premade kit. thanks! is there a tool list/kit that would be good for a first timer? My apologies if that has already been discussed in the thread |
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Originally Posted By stewie97: thanks! is there a tool list/kit that would be good for a first timer? My apologies if that has already been discussed in the thread Im far from an expert on this but a movement holder, hand setting tools, a means of removing case backs (rubber ball or tool), and good light/magnification if you need it at a bare minimum. Ill take a pic of what all I have when get off work today. |
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Originally Posted By NoImpactNoIdea: Im far from an expert on this but a movement holder, hand setting tools, a means of removing case backs (rubber ball or tool), and good light/magnification if you need it at a bare minimum. Ill take a pic of what all I have when get off work today. Id appreciate that, thanks! |
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@stewie97 Here is what I have. Hand setting tools (the press from AliX was useless as all the tips are the same size) Rodico and wood sticks Movement holder Case holder Ball to remove casebacks Blower and lens cleaning pen Side cutters Dial protectors Non magnetic tweezers O ring lube Latex gloves (not shown) Sand paper for movement stems Attached File I know there are better stuff out there and the tiny hands on this purple Seiko for my son were a real MFer. |
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Here is my newest one for my 17 year old son with parts he picked. NH35 Dial from eBay Case and hands from AliX Not my jam but I didn’t spec it out! Attached File |
Started out the week by finally putting a MilTat bracelet+OEM/factory milled Seiko clasp on the "MM200". Really really dig it! Then about mid week....refit an extra/my preferred rubber strap(green 20mm Seiko flavor of some sort iirc off the Willard) on this "green boi". Installed a lumed green saphire LCBI bezel insert too. This watch was my first introduction to the concept of Seiko moding, although I did not assemble this watch. Just specd it.  Then about end of week/weekend I got the mm200 dial(honestly one of my favorites and the first dial i ever used on one of my first mods) as well as an Alpinist hour hand(Seiko "Mercedes"). Assembled those pieces with a Seiko Gene Krantz hour hand and SKX 173 lollipop seconds hand on a spare 6r35 movement and......Voilà.  Recieved a 62mas 300m reinterpretation case today apparently off an sbdc213(40mm). It included an OEM caseback, gaskets, saphire, bezel+insert, stem+crown. So installed some Marathon "fixed" spring bars paired with a Seiko nato, cut in to a single pass of coarse. Dropped in the movement and bam.  Kind of a BB58 inspired build trying to only use Seiko factory parts. I do get some Squale vibes from it though now that I have it assembled/in hand. But i do dig that it's a pretty low key/unassuming looking sleeper.    Sorry for the crummy pics. And I did reopen the case on the 62mas and redust off everything from the case to the movement to the installed movement to the caseback. Hope i dont find any more particles.... Thinking about trying out a few different colored natos though. Or perhaps just get a bracelet. Maybe some rubber/fkm. We'll see once I get this thing running propper. |
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Originally Posted By NickOTime: Started out the week by finally putting a MilTat bracelet+OEM/factory milled Seiko clasp on the "MM200". Really really dig it! https://i.imgur.com/0RXtXCk.jpeg Then about mid week....refit an extra/my preferred rubber strap(green 20mm Seiko flavor of some sort iirc off the Willard) on this "green boi". Installed a lumed green saphire LCBI bezel insert too. This watch was my first introduction to the concept of Seiko moding, although I did not assemble this watch. Just specd it. https://i.imgur.com/WuMCsrT.jpeg Then about end of week/weekend I got the mm200 dial(honestly one of my favorites and the first dial i ever used on one of my first mods) as well as an Alpinist hour hand(Seiko "Mercedes"). Assembled those pieces with a Seiko Gene Krantz hour hand and SKX 173 lollipop seconds hand on a spare 6r35 movement and......Voilà. https://i.imgur.com/eL7Jnnp.jpeg Recieved a 62mas 300m reinterpretation case today apparently off an sbdc213(40mm). It included an OEM caseback, gaskets, saphire, bezel+insert, stem+crown. So installed some Marathon "fixed" spring bars paired with a Seiko nato, cut in to a single pass of coarse. Dropped in the movement and bam. https://i.imgur.com/HB1McSC.jpeg Kind of a BB58 inspired build trying to only use Seiko factory parts. I do get some Squale vibes from it though now that I have it assembled/in hand. But i do dig that it's a pretty low key/unassuming looking sleeper. https://i.imgur.com/7wgKIeP.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/xPPEvLp.jpeg https://i.imgur.com/hnGkIg2.jpeg Sorry for the crummy pics. And I did reopen the case on the 62mas and redust off everything from the case to the movement to the installed movement to the caseback. Hope i dont find any more particles.... Thinking about trying out a few different colored natos though. Or perhaps just get a bracelet. Maybe some rubber/fkm. We'll see once I get this thing running propper. Love the coin bezel on the BB58. Classy, and as you say, understated. |
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Low key unit watch. Not happy with the hand colors that don’t match, might try and replace those. Attached File Attached File Attached File Someday I’ll learn how to take pictures, I know they stink! |
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Had my first “catastrophic failure” yesterday when the little prong on the second hand broke off in side the minute wheel on the pinion for the second wheel. Parts on the way because I refuse to scrap a $50 movement but thinks a little more in depth than I wanted to be doing! |
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Say a guy started parts shopping and got all excited for the perfect setup, but then realized he could order one wrong thing and loose time and money, rinse repeat a couple times. Would there hypothetically be any more experienced folks here that do ordering and assembly as a service? |
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Originally Posted By teats: I see someone else has similar tastes. https://i.postimg.cc/NfCynfTL/20260322-091121.jpg It has awesome lume too. https://i.postimg.cc/V5Qhsc0v/20260323-222422.jpg Definitely. Was sick of not having a more "basic" black automatic dive watch beater/stealth/under the radar build. But I had to replace the 6r movement with a lumed nh35. I think i either improperly stored the 6r or let it bump around too much in my parts box unfortunately.... Forgive the pic, my phones camera lens(') are absolutely fuct.  Originally Posted By gcw: Say a guy started parts shopping and got all excited for the perfect setup, but then realized he could order one wrong thing and loose time and money, rinse repeat a couple times. Would there hypothetically be any more experienced folks here that do ordering and assembly as a service? Don't worry, eventually you'll have enough parts to build an entire "spare parts" watch. Much like accumulated AR parts......Thats what happened to me anyways.  Spare movement, dial, saphire, rehaut/chapter ring, case back, and crown buuutttt....Busted up hands and a case so beat i ended up having to "delete" the bezel.  Im sure there is someone who could do what you are requesting but tbh Ive found part of the fun of the modding process is figuring out not only which parts work together but also proper installation techniques to not mar or damage said parts during assembly. For instance, Im nearly to the point to where I no longer need to order extra handsets "just in case". Also ive never ordered through temu but ive heard navigating that aspect can bring some difficulties/challenges as far as properly labeled parts/in stock items etc... |
Wanted to give the "BS-58" a more skin-diveresque vibe so I swapped out a different handset: Then added an OEM Seiko bracelet+clasp to the "62ooMmAS". The "Diashield" on the case/bracelet/clasp makes it look very titanium adjacent in the pics, however in person its definitely quite less noticeable:  Bofum: 
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I don’t think I’ve posted this one since I made the final tweaks to it. I had my brother engrave my logo on the dial with his fiber laser. He said “it looks kinda like a dollar sign”. I guess he’s right but I still like it. It’s an obvious Fifty Fathoms homage which I was initially trying to avoid but I’m very happy with it. Fauxfty Fathoms. Fifty Fauxthoms. There’s a little pube attached to the second hand that I should probably remove but I’m gonna live with it for now. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By AccelR8: https://imgur.com/a/OUAH5EY AliExpress parts, NH36. Put this one together some time ago.  
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Don't have to work til Tuesday night, so we scored a camp site out on Cottonwood Campground along the San Juan River. We bought a nice older Lance slide in camper to get back into the camping groove. A little touch up of new parts, upgraded lighting, and we are out on it's maiden voyage. All settled in, and having a rum and Pepsi ! Wearing a Deep Sea creation. 
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Originally Posted By teats: Don't have to work til Tuesday night, so we scored a camp site out on Cottonwood Campground along the San Juan River. We bought a nice older Lance slide in camper to get back into the camping groove. A little touch up of new parts, upgraded lighting, and we are out on it's maiden voyage. All settled in, and having a rum and Pepsi ! Wearing a Deep Sea creation. https://i.postimg.cc/gjtMWYCQ/20260524-161810.jpg Like the handset on your other one, but this guy is just flat out my style! Love the pop of color on the seconds hand and that its an mm300/200 style as well. 
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Originally Posted By teats: I'm really liking my newest creation. https://i.postimg.cc/T25MZyVb/20260608-112318.jpg |
Illegitimi Non Carborundum
DEXAI
DEXAI
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Hey guys, I bought all the parts for a really neat build. I just had to be honest with myself and say I don't have the time to buy the tools, learn, and assemble it myself. Can anyone recommend somebody to send the pieces to for the build? Or is anyone here able to do it? |
Lit Low Ready, LLC
litlowready.com
litlowready.com