ColumbusJBR
Member
After watching a million YT videos I decided to dip my toes into this community and built this 2-tone “Seiko” GMT. It was a lot of fun, and also quite challenging but rewarding. I was pretty confident, as I’ve worked on guns for years and am quite handy, but this is certainly a different animal. I love how mine turned out (flaws and all) and learned a lot for the next build:
1. A movement holder would have been VERY helpful, especially when adjusting the crown stem. Kinda needed 3 hands when popping the stem in and out while avoiding touching the newly set hands. Also would help when setting hands.
2. Setting the seconds hand sucks. Nothing else to add there.
3. Always have extra sets of watch hands (needed 1, had 1). I trashed a second hand on 1st attempt.
4. Always have spare crown stems (needed 1, had several).
5. It takes almost nothing to scratch the dial face. I was trying to bend up a hand and foolishly grabbed the closest tool, a small metal dental pick. I merely touched the dial and it got faintly scratched. Lesson learned. Thankfully I’m likely the only one who will ever notice.
6. Take your time and enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun, right? I had to walk away and cool off once or twice when getting frustrated, then remind myself that this isn’t life-or-death. I settled and had more fun with it.
I wore it to work today and already have several requests from coworkers lined up. I am NOT looking to make money at this, just a hobby, but it’s exciting that people noticed and want one. I told them if they buy the parts, my fee is merely a case of beer.
What’s amusing to me is that I already own plenty of nice, name brand authentic watches. But I’m currently way more excited over these “fake” watches, can’t wait to build the next!
1. A movement holder would have been VERY helpful, especially when adjusting the crown stem. Kinda needed 3 hands when popping the stem in and out while avoiding touching the newly set hands. Also would help when setting hands.
2. Setting the seconds hand sucks. Nothing else to add there.
3. Always have extra sets of watch hands (needed 1, had 1). I trashed a second hand on 1st attempt.
4. Always have spare crown stems (needed 1, had several).
5. It takes almost nothing to scratch the dial face. I was trying to bend up a hand and foolishly grabbed the closest tool, a small metal dental pick. I merely touched the dial and it got faintly scratched. Lesson learned. Thankfully I’m likely the only one who will ever notice.
6. Take your time and enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun, right? I had to walk away and cool off once or twice when getting frustrated, then remind myself that this isn’t life-or-death. I settled and had more fun with it.
I wore it to work today and already have several requests from coworkers lined up. I am NOT looking to make money at this, just a hobby, but it’s exciting that people noticed and want one. I told them if they buy the parts, my fee is merely a case of beer.
What’s amusing to me is that I already own plenty of nice, name brand authentic watches. But I’m currently way more excited over these “fake” watches, can’t wait to build the next!
