manodeoro 19 Posted September 22, 2018 Today I am really happy to introduce you to my newcomer, a 5500 Air-King Precision circa 1975. That watch shows a really nice patina dial and offers a thrilling experience on the wrist ... for vintage watch lovers of course. And it's been a really long journey to get that petite on my wrist. I'll tell you the complete story a little later but for the moment … i just hope you'll enjoy the pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,285 Posted September 22, 2018 Great dial, looks lovely mate. Well done. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted September 22, 2018 5 minutes ago, GingerBlubba said: Great dial, looks lovely mate. Well done. Thanks buddy Some close-up pics … I’m definitely in love with that crown I swear the complete story will come soon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Theviking 197 Posted September 22, 2018 Lovely platina, congrats, wear in good health Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moondustesp 136 Posted September 22, 2018 Nice find congratulations Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RussP 22,234 Posted September 22, 2018 Nice. All lume plots present and accounted for. Await the story in due course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FoxWilde 155 Posted September 22, 2018 Wear in good health. What a stunner Fox Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted September 23, 2018 Hi guys and thank you all. I have finished sorting the pics so ... here is the complete story It all started when I saw, on a UK site, a watch showing a beautifull patina. That 5500 Air-King was at £3.000, a fair price IMO though I really had a better use for such an amount at that very moment. But I must admit that I fell in love at first sight and I craved to have one. I already had 2 Air-Kings, 14000 models in my drawers. One was a DHGate I got from @English Gent for the amazing amount of £67 shipped. The other one I bought from Silix, only $100 shipped, just to check if a$30 difference could imply a difference in the making. And yes there was a real difference as the Silix had a better dial, a better movement and a much better case and bracelet. Then, considering the fact that the DHGate one was a little small (not exactly 36mm) and spent almost all its time in the drawer despite the fact that she was really nice on the wrist, I decided that I could take my chance. So I decided I could try to transform a soso 14000 into a nice 5500 ... thus the really long journey. First I had to mod the dial. I removed the bar indexes and the crown and put them aside then I stripped all the letterings, using acetone and Q-Tips and only kept the "soleillé" (sunburst) I had already designed a 5500 Air-King Precision patina dial and had printed it on clear decal paper so I just had to put it on I picked the "right" indexes and a better crown from my spares, put them on the dial - with cyanolit because their positions had to be moved a little more close to the rehaut (about 1/2mm). I used 8 "thin" indexes and 3 "bold" indexes (at 3/6/9) and I reworked the crown a little with a diamond files so that it could look a litte more "genlike". Then of course a set of 5500 Precision hands and some dots of DIY vintage lume. Before putting the dial and movement in the case I had to rework it a BIG lot : - thinned the case and lugs a little to get closer to the 34mm size - drilled the lugs from scratch so that they could get vintage spring bars - filled the existing lug holes with solder so that the spring bars could not be "stucked" inside - erased the engravements on the rehaut and thinned it a little so that it could receive a Tropic crystal - reworked the bezel to the outer size of the Tropic Crystal - thinned the lugs and bezel again while smoothing everything - chamfered the inner side of the crwon so that the final look could be more « gemlike » - mod standard springbars to vintage 1,8mm springbars I did not took pics of all the phases along the process but here are some So what could I add ? That it’s been a long but really interesting process and that I’m really happy with the final result. Hope you enjoyed the story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,285 Posted September 23, 2018 Wow. Impressive dude!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted September 25, 2018 (edited) On 23/09/2018 at 11:50, GingerBlubba said: Wow. Impressive dude!!! Thanks buddy Next piece of my Air-King collection (14000 + 5500) could look like the one below ... I would really like to add that 4499 if I ever find a way to build it Edited September 25, 2018 by manodeoro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,748 Posted September 25, 2018 On 23/09/2018 at 02:26, manodeoro said: Hi guys and thank you all. So what could I add ? That it’s been a long but really interesting process and that I’m really happy with the final result. Hope you enjoyed the story. Beautiful work. Just lovely. As one would expect from you. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted September 25, 2018 40 minutes ago, NCRich said: Beautiful work. Just lovely. As one would expect from you. Thank you Rich ... I just try to reach the level of work you show on your builds Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paccbet 7,176 Posted September 25, 2018 Wow, once again, beautiful build Mano! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jasonbaylee 192 Posted September 25, 2018 Thumb Up!!!! Applause "There are more than 1 road to Rome...." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nuvolablue 2,051 Posted September 29, 2018 Amazing. Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buglicker 0 Posted October 5, 2018 That is beautiful work, way out of my league. I think it’s amazing that you just made your own dial! I bought the other Air King that English Gent sold at the same time, with the blue dial and slightly wonky coronet. The innards are now in a cartel case and bracelet that I’ve aged, and drilled the lugholes on. I changed the coronet to a better one, as the pins on the back were out of line. My first real project that turned out decent enough to wear in public.. I was wearing it today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted October 11, 2018 @paccbet @Jasonbaylee @nuvolablue ... thank you guys ansd sorry sorry to answer you so lately @Buglicker nice catch ... I almost bought that blue one too when English Gent sold it but you've been faster ... congrats Really nice build too ... that blue dial in the cartel case ... WOW Only thing I would doo is rebrush a little the upper face of the lugs (as I would do on a Gen) and chamfer a little the side of the crown that sits on the case (Rep crowns have almost always a flat "crown side" ... contrary to Gens) BTW ... what did you do with the original case ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buglicker 0 Posted October 11, 2018 Thank you, only happed because I tried to age the dial in the original Explorer, went too far, and buggered it completely. Had a ‘moment of clarity’ between glasses of Tullibardine, and dropped the guts of the Airking in there instead... Genius... Messed around with the case and bracelet, and at the moment I’m happy with the overpolished to death look - but it’s still work in progress. Will definitely look at the crown though, thanks. Still have the original case somewhere in my growing box of leftovers that I’ll probably never use. If you want it, pm me where you want it sending and I’ll drop it in the post. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted October 12, 2018 (edited) @Buglicker Chamfering the crown is an easy modd if you have a dremel ... plus a careful and steady hand of course Envoyé de mon Moto G (5) Plus en utilisant Tapatalk Edited October 12, 2018 by manodeoro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manodeoro 19 Posted October 12, 2018 (edited) 11 hours ago, Buglicker said: Thank you, only happed because I tried to age the dial in the original Explorer, went too far, and buggered it completely. Had a ‘moment of clarity’ between glasses of Tullibardine, and dropped the guts of the Airking in there instead... Genius... Messed around with the case and bracelet, and at the moment I’m happy with the overpolished to death look - but it’s still work in progress. Will definitely look at the crown though, thanks. Still have the original case somewhere in my growing box of leftovers that I’ll probably never use. If you want it, pm me where you want it sending and I’ll drop it in the post. Just PMed you about that DHGate case. I'm working on a custom date-just pie-pan stella dial and I already have some spare parts in my drawers ; - flutted bezel and DJ crystal (leftovers from the Valentine's DaYtejust I build for my wife) - matching jubilee bracelet - movement (I will have to mod the datewheel) So I really think that, with some patience and a bunch a elbow-grease I could finish with a nice 1601 ... possibly something like the one below Edited October 12, 2018 by manodeoro Share this post Link to post Share on other sites