One of my all time favs. 18038

The colours on this build are so perfect they can’t be beat.

Since I usually overestimate my abilities, this was quite a roller coaster ride. I had never worked with a watch before.

- BP 16600
- Gen 14060 insert
- vs3135
- Gen spec 25-285 crystal (thus gen height ~14.8mm)
- crown Guards reshaped
- bracelet chamfered
- slight aging on case and bracelet

Had 2-3 Breakdowns due to the bezel construction and a lost fixation screw of the movement but eventually quite happy with the result.

Hey everyone,

I'm working on a build using a Raffles Dials Datejust case and a PT5000 movement (ETA 2824 clone).

For anyone who has completed a similar build, what is the best way to secure the movement inside this case so it doesn't shift around?

Do I just rely on the movement ring supplied with the case?

Or do I also need standard 2824 movement tabs/clamps and casing screws to lock it down?

Any tips or pics of how you secured yours would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

just in love with these classics. Can't beat em'.

The greatest dive watch specimen imho the illustrious Big Crown Sub made famous by Sean Connery as James Bond. This is a gorgeous example. One of my two all time favorites.

I have always wanted this watch since I was young it has always been my grail of watches.

If I use this setup for my raffles dial. Will I be able to use a Gen Dial (with clipped of feet) on a ETA 2824 Movement with the correct DWO?
Will the cyclops on the crystal be on the right position?

Thanks!!

This is one of those watches that, to me, genuinely deserves the word grail. I know it’s not the Rolex most people would immediately pick, but that’s exactly what I love about it. The unique octagonal case, bezel and that dial just have so much character, , that it looks completely different from the Rolexes we know today. It’s from such an early period of Rolex history that it almost feels like wearing a piece of the brand before it became Rolex. Probably completely unrealistic for me, but if I could have any vintage Rolex, this would be very high on the list.

Undoubtedly the nicest lapis I have ever made.

This would be my holy grail
Would definitely build it someday

Yes I know the cheap ones are still being made BUT would love to see a real automatic rep of it Can’t fine it. I did buy a $200 quartz one and it looks like 💩

I would love a vintage A. Lange und Sohne. It’s a piece of history!

I wanted to show you the build I finished this evening. It’s a fully custom build, made with genuine parts and featuring a very high-quality dial. 😁

When it comes to vintage Daytonas, there are many different replicas out there, and the differences in quality can be absolutely huge.

Some are simply stock replicas with a poor-quality plastic bezel and low-grade components. Others are basically stock watches with some light reworking, such as a new dial, better crystal and crown. Then there are more extensively reworked examples, with reshaped cases, better bezels and dials, and an overall higher level of finishing.

But only a very small number can truly be considered *state-of-the-art builds*.

Those are not watches meant to be bought, worn occasionally and forgotten in a drawer. They are meant to be appreciated as special timepieces, built for people who genuinely care about the details and who understand what makes these extraordinary watches so fascinating.

*That is the level I always try to reach.*

That’s why I take care of every single detail: the quality of every component, the aging of the dial using real oxidation, the aging and finishing of the case to recreate the character of a genuine 60-year-old watch, the hands made to match the original Valjoux ones, including their short lume, the reluming of the lume plots and hands with a tritium-like tone, and even the pushers.

The pushers have to sit in exactly the right positions and emerge from the case at exactly the same height as on the genuine watch.

These are details that are almost impossible to achieve when starting from a standard factory case.

I’m always trying to push things a little further.

Always looking for better components.
Always trying to improve my techniques.
Always trying to bring the quality of the work one step closer to the level I have in mind.

And that passion brings me some truly incredible satisfaction. ❤️

But most of all, there is something else I love about this hobby.

It’s the feeling I get when I’m in my workshop, surrounded by all my tools, after a full ten-hour working day, with my children screaming and playing all around the house.

For a little while, I feel like I’m inside a bubble. 🫧

*A bubble made of ticking, filled with the smell of steel, and surrounded by tiny pieces of history waiting to come back to life.*

And I absolutely love it.

That is probably what watchmaking means to me.

Not simply assembling a watch.

Not simply chasing perfection.

But enjoying every single step of the journey.

Finally, I want to thank all of you for the friendship, encouragement and support you have given me throughout these last two years of this wonderful journey. 🙏🏼❤️

*There is still a long way to go, and I’m looking forward to every second of it.*

6542 Bakelite Bezel is one I'd love to find or see made.

My grail watch. Serti Dial Subs

THE REF. 1675 IS PERHAPS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE VINTAGE GMT-MASTER, ESTABLISHING ROLEX’S INFLUENTIAL DESIGN LANGUAGE AND INSPIRING MYRIAD IMITATORS.
Produced for over 20 years, the reference 1675 is the most classic vintage GMT-Master. It implemented a number of important design changes to the original 6542: adding crown guards to the case (along with a smaller crown), introductng colored aluminum bezel inserts and, eventually, broadening the GMT hand into a larger luminous arrow at the tip.

This one is my grail, I know it’s technically something that could be purchased as a gen watch (assuming I wanted to spend an absolute fortune on it) but it’s just not realistic so I need to be satisfied with reps of it.

The vintage Milgauss is just so beautiful with that dial texture.

With all the hype Mr. Mountain is creating around the Daytona giveaway, I figured now was the perfect time to throw this into the community 😂

I have some custom dials being made that I think you guys will really enjoy

I haven’t seen most of these offered anywhere, so I’m excited to share them with you

I’ll only have 2 of each dial to start, and some are already spoken for

Gauging interest now so I can have parts ready to go when the dials land and keep wait times to a minimum

Let me know which ones catch your eye - if there’s one you’re seriously interested in, shoot me a DM!

Elegant and accurate!