Gotta say, that Tudor above is a lovely looking thing, a nice compromise between a dress watch and a field/tool watch.

Anyone here built a watch from bits? Not one of those DIY kits, things bought from eBay, AliExpress, Cousins, etc.

A recent wedding in the Highlands had me thinking that my never-removed Fenix 5 isn’t perhaps the best watch for fancy occasions so I’m thinking about building a nice elegant dress watch. Yes I could just buy something and be done with it but where’s the fun in that?

Anyone here built a watch from bits? Not one of those DIY kits, things bought from eBay, AliExpress, Cousins, etc.

Yes. Generally built around Seiko movements as they are the most common, but others are available.

It’s not particularly difficult as long as you have the correct tools (crystal press, case back remover, hand press) and you ensure parts comparability with the movement.

It’s not particularly difficult as long as you have the correct tools

This I like to hear. Would something like this be up to the job? – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08YDV72RR

Are there any particularly useful resources online, best youtuber, etc.?

I’d like something reasonably ‘high quality’ so looking at a Sellita SW200 elabore movement rather than the £30 Chinese hand-wound things and then I guess searching for compatible cases, dials, etc. from there.

Yup, that would do the job. The only thing I wouldn’t scrimp on is the crystal press (I did and had to buy twice!).

From memory Otto Frei is a go to place for Sellita compatible cases and bits n’ bobs.

TheFlyingOx – I bought a replacement bracelet for my 1962 Rolex from raffles dials so that I could retire my stretching original, the quality is really good and they are easy to deal with. You can build a replica vintage watch with their bits but they also do unbranded cases etc. They will makes sure all of the bits you buy will fit together and work with movement that you decide on.

https://rafflesdials.com/

@TheFlyingFox, I’ve made a couple of watches, with 6498 movements. Hardest part was getting the crown stem the correct length with a screw-down crown.

I saw an AP RO chrono in the flesh last night in Versailles. Wasn’t impressed tbh, to look at from a metre or so. I didn’t handle it.

Thanks all! There seems to be no question STW’s combined masses can’t answer. Have we thought about clubbing together to figure out this fusion energy lark?

@TheFlyingOx

Cheap kits are okay but the quality of some of the tools is poor.  I have a similar one and the screwdrivers are junk, so I have spent money on Bergeon ones which aren’t going to round off at the first sight of a screw

Agreed. The quality of metallic parts in some kits is dreadful. Think Wensleydale cheese. Worth spending a bit more as you’ll probably get bitten and build more in future.

TheFlyingOx, if you do look into it please keep posting. Something I’d love to do sometime and I’d be interested to read in how you get on.

Same here.  Often thought it would be quite good fun, but no idea where to start

Will do YoKaiser. Was very tempted by a Rolex Day Date replica from that rafflesdials website but then thought Rolex might be too obvious. And if it’s going to be a fake then may as well be a top tier fake. It’s been a quiet day at work so I’ve spent an hour or two looking round various far flung webshops, the end result of which is I’ll be building an homage to the PP Nautilus 5711 with blue dial. I’m not home until beginning of June but I’ll definitely post pics of my progress.

Edit – will start a new thread rather than polluting this one with my horological charlatanry.

I modded my Seiko SKX007, but I got the crystal and bezel changed by shops in town (long story). I changed the movement myself (4R35? movement bought from Amazon) and I wish I had bought hand pushers. I had read that a pencil eraser tip did the job but it was fiddly af. This guy “Lume Shot” on YouTube is a really good resource.

Lume Shot example video

‘Fake watches are for fake people’

Fake Watches are for Fake People

I just don’t see the point. Fake watches. Or more the more dubious term trying to make it seem acceptable ‘replicas’.

FWIW. None of mine are ‘replicas’ from the Patek down to my Casio’s.

Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better

To be fair, if you can afford a Patek it’s unlikely your other watches are fake.
I’ve a handful of good watches, not paid more than £5k (includes a Rolex and a Panerai), but I probably understand fakes more so than homages (especially Panerai homages).
But then I also realise how lucky we are to be in a position that allows us to buy these watches.
SSS – you’re last comment. Really not sure that’s a just comment, quite offensive to be honest. Having money makes you no better than someone who has to buy fake. Just had to delete my mini rant (trying to understand if SSS is trolling?)

“…someone who has to buy fake.” No one has to buy a fake. Buy what you can afford, be happy with it, and don’t support criminals’ finances.

@w00dster i feel quite strongly about Fakes (Replicas/Homages – insert your suitably ‘socially’ acceptable term here).

If you can afford a real CW/Tissot/Omega/Rolex (pick watch Manufacture here). Be happy and content that it is real, and not a knock off.

Fakes and discussion thereof cheapens the quality and integrity of this thread…..

I cant get angry about fake watches. Would much rather a Promaster than a fake Rolex myself but each to their own!

i feel quite strongly about Fakes (Replicas/Homages – insert your suitably ‘socially’ acceptable term here).

There’s a distinct difference between a fake and an homage. I’ve got two Heimdallr’s, both based on Seiko watches, both with Seiko movements, but neither are trying to be fake Seikos, the dials  carries Heimdallr logos, and the casebacks are Heimdallr designs. One is based on one of the Tuna Seikos, only it’s been further modified by having the style of hands and face from the MarineMaster 300, the other is based on a modified SKX007, with a MM300 face and hands.
There’s a whole subculture based on modding the SKX007, with different faces, hands and bezel inserts styled after other watches.

There are also plenty of quality makes of watch with faces and hands and bezel inserts based on various Rolex dive watches – are those fakes?
A fake is exactly that, it’s deliberately pretending to be an expensive original, down to markings, etc, and sold as such.

My Heimdallr ’Tuna’ – there’s no Seiko that looks exactly like it, it’s not trying to be a fake, it’s a Heimdallr homage to a particular style of Seiko, nothing more.

In an attempt to get I have no useful contribution to make that I can see coming as one of the longest standing threads, hardly off page one, teeters on the edge of a mass slanging match….. Certina. Talk to me about certina. I saw a photo of a ds powermatic 80 diver today and…wowsers it caught my attention.

Fake watches are for fake people…

Chill out mate. I’m just seeing what it’s like, how easy/enjoyable it might be to build a watch. I’m not funding some cross-continent people-smuggling/drug mule operation. It’s unlikely it’ll ever see light of day, because I’ll either enjoy the process and use the movement in something more suitable (because who really wears a £100k+ grail watch as a daily beater) or I’ll hate the process and never finish it. Look at it this way: amateur artists when they’re starting out – do you think they just paint empty plantpots or bowls of cereal? Or do they maybe try their hand at replicating one of the Old Masters like the students in Ateliers of old used to?

Don’t wish it were easier. Wish you were better.

Now that’s just embarrassing. This is STW, not TikTok.

In the case of RafflesDials they really came to my rescue. As an owner of a sixty year old watch with a rivet bracelet that was stretching and would eventually fail.
The watch was given to me by my Grandad in 1989, I want it to look good and live on.

A replacement rivet Rolex bracelet would cost £500 plus and be in no better condition than my own. I doubt if Rolex has made a compatible bracelet for about thirty years.

These old oyster watches look a bit rubbish on a leather strap.
I was able to but a replica bracelet with the correct end pieces and markings for peanuts and to be honest I don’t think my watch ever looked so good. If you go looking for a 60’s-80’s Rolex I would say 80% have a reproduction bracelet.

The whole homage/fake etc always throws up a lot of debate.
When it comes to watch building and modding, some (like me) just do it to create a one off watch to their own taste.
I posted this one ages ago which was built by myself from scratch using entirely aftermarket parts.

To be honest, I get more enjoyment out of wearing “my” watches than I do from wearing my branded premium watches as I decided what I wanted them to look like, and I took the time to put them together with my own hands. The modded watches or ones I built myself also receive more comments than the likes of my Seamaster, because they are different. Live and let live and all that. I’d agree that straight out fakes are a bad thing mind.

Currently after a Sinn 556a although now seems like a terrible time to be spending over a grand on a luxury purchase.

SSS comes across as a snooty bugger. I wouldn’t go for a pint with him and his £35k watch.

That ^^ looks lovely Futureboy.

Certina. Talk to me about certina. I saw a photo of a ds powermatic 80 diver today and…wowsers it caught my attention

I like those as well, and for reasons that follow was considering putting one on a NATO.

So I’m in a place now where I know a 40/42mm watch is the perfect size for me, with the exception of the Arnie which wears very well. This is putting doubt over two of my watches – the Tissot Supersport which is massive and the G-Steel. I can cope with the latter becuase that’s kinda how G shocks are supposed to be.

With an end of May work bonus coming – which is why I asked the Black Bay question a page of so back – I’m considering selling the Tissot an moving to something smaller on a NATO/not bracelet. I’d like it to be reputable but not tumbling in value, maybe Certina maybe a Longines Hydroquest or a green sunburst Oris Aquis.

I thought of putting a NATO on my Hamilton Field King but it looks a bit too “dress watch” on black leather and I think I’d like to keep it that way.

Nice watch @airvent

Stop trying to talk yourself out of it.  It won’t work around here

That is very nice indeed Futureboy77. Where would I find for similar decent quality watch dials? Leaving aside the fake/not-fake debate it seems as though most places, certainly the Chinese sites, either sell either poor quality knock-offs or poor quality blank dials. That one you’ve shown looks to be neither.

@TheFlyingOx that one came from One Second Closer over in Poland although they don’t have much in the way of choice and are limited to Seiko.
Dagaz also do well finished dials for Seiko, but it looks like they are giving up mod parts and concentrating on complete watches.

Otto Frei are apparently good quality for Sellita movements but are unbranded.

@derek_starship, is this really what one STW’s most pleasant and uncontentious threads is coming to?

@kryton57 What about swap the Supersport for perhaps the Tissot Seastar? i always had a fancy for it. Lovely colour, automatic, and well priced. It is a 43mm case however.

Seastar

Isn’t there some sort of design flaw/issue with the Powermatic 80 movement?

Edit – supposedly it’s none serviceable so if it goes wrong you’re looking at a replacement movement. Whether that’s true or not is a different matter but it is something I’ve seen written more than once.

Saw this today in a shop, was €189 so cheaper on line…
Quite like it. I prefer the grey, but also being drawn to the yellow version.
I’m after a new beater, not needed but quite fancy getting a new one….
Obviously I’m aware of Festina from a roadie perspective, still like them though. I’ve got a couple of beaters already and they’re all a bit samey (Seiko Diver and a Seiko Diver Chrono)

https://www.timeshop24.com/festina-f20544-7-bike.html

https://www.watchshop.com/watches/festina-watch-f20544-8.pdp

Its a good shout I quite like the seastar and actually had the green one in mind before I jumped on the Supersport offer when the TdF started. Of course now’s the time I should sell it I guess seeing as its the TdF special edition – this one.

supposedly it’s none serviceable

I’ve not heard that but I’d like to know. Its a modified ETA so you’d have at least thought Tissot/Swatch group would service it.

Edit @woodster click on my Supersport TdF link! 😀

@w00dster I had a Festina a few years ago. 2 actually because the first one used to loose or gain weird amounts of time. The warranty replacement did it too, seemed to have absolutely no shock protection whatsoever.

Don’t want to entirely dissuade you, just something to be aware of.

Over on watchuseek they talk about the powermatic 80 and how it has synthetic parts (read Plastic). Some say because of this it’s unserviceable- get a new one- others say many ETA movements have synthetic parts not just this one. Also criticism of the slow heartbeat too from a technical perspective, not a functionality perspective.

So from what I read. It is serviceable, but not that pretty to look at (allegedly)

A slow beat brings better power reserve (part of how 38 hour 2824 becomes an 80 hour movement). It also means lower wear and longer service intervals. Hi beat on the other hand goes the other way, may look good with a smoother sweep but actually is done to improve accuracy, more beats to average out beat error gives better accuracy. If a watch can be accurate with a slow beat it’s better… Yet hi-beat is viewed as wonderful

Futureboy that’s lovely. Nicely done.

I’ve only had people recognise my daily watch a couple of times (it’s a very lightly-modded SKX007, flat sapphire crystal and ceramic version of the OEM bezel) but it’s a surprisingly good feeling when someone says “oh, is that a…” and compliments the watch. 🙂

I am so gutted! Had some time to kill so tried on the Tudors. My star quality watch – the BB bronze is 43mm, wears high and has long lug to lug. what’s more its very heavy and on the parachute strap even done up tight is a very top heavy piece.

I tried a 40mm BB58 for comparison:

This looks great but – I’m sorry to anyone who owns one – the quality did not feel like £3.3k’s worth of watch at all. Mainly the bracelet was quite jangly.

What’s more, I tried the Tissot Sea Star in another shop, well there’s a 41.5mm watch that wears very big.

Oh well…. moving on past my shattered dream of a Bronze Black Bay.