So I had a bit of spare time - novice Rolex Sea Dweller Gen Insert Fitting

[Ped 13]

Not sure if anyone will find this interesting. If you do great, if you don’t, I don’t really care. It isn’t that interesting by the way......

 

So I had a spare half hour the other day. I say spare half hour, the Mrs thought I was working sorting paperwork out and I couldn’t be fucked to work and sort paperwork out. So I decided to try and fit my Gen insert into my ol’ faithful - a BP Sea Dweller I’ve had for about 4 years, pressure tested so I can swim with it, DSSD Glidelock cos I swell and shrink with temperature more than a puffer fish, on a TC bracelet. I’ve many Gen parts to go franken but my skills don’t extend to beyond this bezel insert and I never get round to sending it off to be modded.

 

I thought about taking pics and then thought nah, cos I won’t get round to posting on the forum as I’ll probably fuck it up. Fuck it up I did NOT!

 

First off, I taped the case and inserted a knife between the bezel and case at 1-2 o’clock and twisted to get the bezel off. Plenty of info on how to remove the bezel elsewhere.

 

The Gen insert was not a direct replacement. But I knew that. Fitted over the crystal fine but would not fit into the bezel. I’d researched how to reduce the outer circumference of the Gen insert if it was too big, so I went with it and used sandpaper (600 grit) placed and held on the desk with one hand, the insert in the other and on its edge, pulling to me whilst turning the insert smoothly and firm, not hard, even pressure all the way round using the triangle to know once I’d done a full revolution. I did two of these revolutions each time, roughly 5 or 6 pulls, then offered the insert in trying to fit it. I reckon I must have done 50x 2 passes, but don’t quote me on it. Softly, softly catchy monkey for this stage.

 

I fitted the bezel back on the watch with no insert to get a visual on how it goes on without the insert in and then used a permanent marker to dot the bezel on the metal at the scallop that sits bang on the centre of the 12 marker on the dial. Removed the bezel again and then lined the Gen insert triangle centre up with the permanent marker dot when finally snapping the Gen insert in, once i’d shaved only just enough of the Gen insert edge off to snap fit with a good amount of pressure with the thumbs.

 

To be honest, if I’d realised how close the BP insert is to Gen, I wouldn’t have bothered going Gen. The only real differences, that you need a loupè to see, are the lume pip is more full on the Gen and the Gen lines are better, more crisply printed on some areas of the numbers. Insert fits perfectly with a lovely snap into place, bezel back on and operates exactly how it should. No double sided taped, ridiculously proud insert here thanks!

 

As I said above, not that interesting but I thought I’d post and give hope to others who aren’t masters - this is possible with patience and research.

 

Here it is completed, I’ll try and get some proper pics of this piece into Section 8 -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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“People who wear Rolex aren’t wankers, I’ve just noticed many a wanker wear Rolex”

[Glaude 1,615]

Nice work ! 

Must have been quiet so that the Mrs doesn't know you are not doing paperwork  

[RussP 22,670]

The ONLY thing that caught my attention was possibility of a S8 pictorial.

Rep makers are certainly upping the ante it would appear.

[Ped 13]

Nice work ! 
Must have been quiet so that the Mrs doesn't know you are not doing paperwork  

Precisely. Goes to show there was no swearing or banging of the desk and therefore us folk with no watchmaking skills are able to do it!

The ONLY thing that caught my attention was possibility of a S8 pictorial.
Rep makers are certainly upping the ante it would appear.

And this piece is about 4 years old, so they were near spot on back then with the insert





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“People who wear Rolex aren’t wankers, I’ve just noticed many a wanker wear Rolex”