Home Built Watches, Show Us Yours.

[Rolo]

How about a forum challenge ? We set a budget (a realistic one so everyone can afford to participate) and a list of criteria / spec (Chinese parts, Swiss etc) and maybe even specify a style (pilot, dress, etc) and then see what everyone comes up with?

I think it will be great to see everyone's interpretations and you can do as much or as little of the build as you want so it will be open to all skill levels - you could just buy a movement, case, dials, etc and then fit them or you could (budget permitting) build / modify a movement.

We can make this run over a couple of months to help spread the cost and also to allow people like me who work away from home for an extended period of time to still participate.

Anyone up for it?

Edited January 3, 2016 by Rolo

[SSTEEL]

Its an interesting idea, but its finding the time to participate, I'm snowed under with work and have been for the last year, with the next year equally as busy.  I would love to see what people come up with though.  

[ramrod]

it's a great idea. the availability of parts makes it very easy.

we could establish a budget - would it be different for each type of watch? right off of the top of my head $300 comes to mind, but i think that's even a bit high - well, perhaps not if one wants to go swiss on his movement.

[Rolo]

I think it will make it easier if we decide on a budget and then do a poll to come up with 1 style of watch that everyone builds, this way we will see some different interpretations on the same style. $300 works out to about £204 so to round it up we will say the maximum budget allowed is $300 or £205 (however please feel free to spend less if you like as the challenge is not as much about how much you spend, its more about what you do with it and making it go as far as possible)

Any other takers?then we can poll on style, spec, etc

Edited January 4, 2016 by Rolo

[ramrod]

i'm ready.

[EnamelDial]

300 - Swiss movement, enamel dial, classic.

[Rolo]

Are you participating enamel dial? If so great.

Ok, so it seems like we have an agreement on the budget ($300 maximum) my preferred type of movement would be American and my preferred style would be a pilot watch.

Let's see if we can get a few more participants and then we'll take a vote.

Ps @ ramrod - please add your preferences so we can add them to the vote list

[ramrod]

rolo - what american movement do you have in mind? just curious.

[bobm12]

Probably a vintage Hamilton...Those are a beauty but probably more than US$300...am I right? :)

[ramrod]

i don't think so. i think i've seen them for less. i'm watching one  - a hamilton 747 beauty - for BIN of $50.

i'm just wondering if anyone makes a case that is compatible. i'd love to use an old american movement. i just see it's fitment as a nightmare. i would love to be wrong.

[Rolo]

rolo - what american movement do you have in mind? just curious.

I didnt have anything in mind to be honest but would probably look at either waltham or hamilton as they have made some stunning movements.

[bobm12]

Sorry Rolo, they are now Citizen or Swatch movements respectively (or under their umbrella). Of course, there is always the vintage but parts would be an issue...

 

As a side note, I remember a friend was telling me how great the Invictas were -- they are made right here in Florida, USA -- I just turned his Invicta over and showed him through the exhibition back the movement...on the rotor: SII (Seiko Instruments...)  :) And of course, it was a Seiko 4r36 as engraved.

 

I think that more than money, a time frame would be more an issue...or we can have this topic open forever...it is up to you guys. I might even participate given I can put some time into this...I'm so busy this year it is not letting me work on my watches as I would!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

PS. Vintage pocket Hamiltons and South Bends size 10 will have a case available...or used to, in ebay.

[Rolo]

Hi bob. Yeah i was thinking of a vintage model. I may fall lucky and find a pocket watch movement that someone has de-cased for the silver so i could upcycle it instead of it ending up being scrapped or split for parts.

Regards

Lee

Ps id be happy leaving this open as an ongoing thing if anyone is interested.

[Geo]

Would you not just be as well opening a thread "Home Built Watches" where those that are interested in doing this kind of thing can post pictures and information regarding what they have "done", "are doing" and the "progress of". As Bob says, the thread could be open for ever as it's not a time constrained competition.

[Rolo]

Yeah fair point geo. Could you edit the thread title for me as i cant seem to find where to do it?

[Geo]

Yeah fair point geo. Could you edit the thread title for me as i cant seem to find where to do it?

I've changed it for you. It's done on the dark side! :)

[Rolo]

Thanks geo.

[ramrod]

Sorry Rolo, they are now Citizen or Swatch movements respectively (or under their umbrella). Of course, there is always the vintage but parts would be an issue...

 

As a side note, I remember a friend was telling me how great the Invictas were -- they are made right here in Florida, USA -- I just turned his Invicta over and showed him through the exhibition back the movement...on the rotor: SII (Seiko Instruments...)  :) And of course, it was a Seiko 4r36 as engraved.

 

I think that more than money, a time frame would be more an issue...or we can have this topic open forever...it is up to you guys. I might even participate given I can put some time into this...I'm so busy this year it is not letting me work on my watches as I would!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

PS. Vintage pocket Hamiltons and South Bends size 10 will have a case available...or used to, in ebay.

 

 

i bought an invicta diver case a while back. it arrived with the seiko movement. i really like the 4r36 because it allows for hand winding. i can't remember if it is a hacking movement or not.

thinking out loud here....i wonder if some enterprising....let me restate, i wonder why some enterprising individual doesn't come up with a series of movement holders (maybe 3D printed) that can fit say, a series of cases. maybe a movement holder for a hamilton 747 to fit a seiko SNKL09 case which are somewhat plentiful. or that same movement that could fit into a generic diver case. possibly the variables are too many. i guess the availability of dials, hands....etc. i can see the problem.

o.k.....i'll shut up now.

 

bob - what did you see regarding those hamiltons and south bends? were they cases that would fit those movements?

[bobm12]

The cases resemble those we normally find on ebay for the ETA 6498 et al. They are necessarily big to accommodate the size 10 movement.

 

As a side note, it is possible to fit different movements to a case, any case. You can use "Speedi-fit" to fabricate not just the ring but a whole "adapter" to match the movement to the case well. Of course, the movements are limited in diameter and height to never exceed the dimensions of the case, so cases that lend themselves to this operation are necessarily on the biger side (more versatile, accommodate a more diverse number of movements). Not to say that smaller cases can't be had, you are just limited to smaller movements...

 

I haven't tried this personally but in a book I read once -- can't remember the title -- it showed the whole process of making the "ring" with the speedi-fit paste. I checked and the product itself is fairly expensive so I gave it a pass back then.

[Rolo]

Is this the stuff your on about bob? Seems like a good easy option. http://www.esslinger.com/speedi-fit-watch-case-filler-for-retrofitting-movements/

[bobm12]

That's the stuff all right...

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[EnamelDial]

Substituted about it? Insert your built watches? :-)

[ramrod]

That's the stuff all right...

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

i would like to see what the stuff is like. is it a kind of putty? it must be light so it won't make the watch too heavy. interesting.

[ausimax]

Seems you could use bog you use on car bodies to the same effect, if you press it in around the movement I wonder how it goes when you want to remove it?

 

Not to good for a mechanical, might bind the works up a bit!

 

I did one retro fit of a cheap mechanical to quartz, a Seiko P21 mvt  I think and used one of the plastic fitting rings from a cheap Chinese watch and stabilized that with sponge rubber material from a shoe innersole (new not old and smelly) :D

 

Max

[bobm12]

The "speedi-fit" compound will harden after both pots' contents have been mixed (there is some time for this to happen so it could be worked out in the shape needed). After that, it could be trimmed and becomes like the plastic rings you find on most modern watches (usually quartz)...You can use it in any case for any movement.

 

Cheers,

 

Bob