jerkstore 14 Posted February 28, 2014 (edited) I built this 5513 to rep the serif models of the late-70s. Like this one: My ingredients... Old school cartel 5513/1680 case, reshaped & re-tapped TC tube NDT Serif dial Gen long coronet 703 crown Sternkreutz dome crystal ST hands, color matched to dial markers Low beat Swiss ETA Cartel 93150 bracelet Acrylic pearl I wasn't sure what to make of the case when I found it. The CGs were really chunky and the case neck was a bit wide. But the more I worked with it, I saw that it really offered a much better chance at decent looking gen-like crownguards than the standard Josh Polex case. I used my gen 5513 case as a reshaping guide. As usual, the NDT dial is really accurate. From the spacing in "Rolex" and "Oyster Perpetual" down to the depth rating font. The dial came with 15xx feet, so I had to clip them to seat the dial on my ETA movement. The latter uses a 1mm gauge stem, so I had to source an adapter to fit the gen crown (fits on a 0.9mm stem). I baked the ST hands at 450 for five minutes or so, to achieve a nice color match to the dial markers. The original crown was a fat, reppy POS. I like the TC tube because you don't need to countersink, and it fits a gen 703. As you can see, the gen uses a long coronet, so I used the same on this watch. A gen crown makes a big difference. I used a Sternkreutz crystal to match the nice dome on the gen. Fitting it and the bezel was kind of a pain, but lots if testing and re-testing worked out in the end. Here's how it turned out: Edited February 28, 2014 by jerkstore Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wdev 0 Posted February 28, 2014 Love it!! Very nice build. An instructive and informative read, as always. Thanks for sharing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Markrfc 3 Posted February 28, 2014 Great work wish i could afford it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mwhitetx 0 Posted February 28, 2014 Looks Fantastic, Good job mate! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tubthumper 0 Posted February 28, 2014 Here's my 5513 from Trusty time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
myaz 3 Posted February 28, 2014 That's some labor of love and a special set of skills. Well done. Pearl looks fuzzy on most shots, must be on account of its translucence. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tubthumper 0 Posted February 28, 2014 I really wanted white print with vintage markers but all the factory had was the gilt dial . May try to get the dial changed at some point! With ft first! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kcore 0 Posted February 28, 2014 Another wonderful build! I always look forward to your posts on the builds you do. Nice to see real talent and that you're branching out, not just DJs. Best! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
J!m 289 Posted February 28, 2014 Oh, that's nice Mike... As usual... One note: with the movement (I assume it is a 2879 like you turned me onto) I ran into the same problem on my 5517. You can use a 2824 stem in it, which is 0.9 tap, and fits gen and rep crowns. I would like to get a 0.9 die to try and re-thread the 2879 stem, because it is not a *perfect* fit; however it fits and functions just fine. It is frustratingly close in diameter and took me a while at first to realize what the heck was going on... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jerkstore 14 Posted March 1, 2014 Thanks all! The 5513 is probably my favorite sports model. So clean with the no date and little text. My grail is a gilt version. Maybe I'll build one of those, next... @Jim: good to know on the stem. Yes it is a 2879. I actually grabbed a set of stem adapters from Esslinger for $1 a pop. Really easy to use. That's some labor of love and a special set of skills. Well done.Pearl looks fuzzy on most shots, must be on account of its translucence. I couldn't get a clean shot of the pearl in my light box :( . I popped off the original 16610 style pearl, and replaced it with an ST acrylic. It does the job, but there are some skid marks from where the original pearl sat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hcaht 0 Posted July 17, 2014 Apologies for adding to an old thread, but I'm here researching a 5513 and 1016, and this build is a beauty. You people are magicians with these projects! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ThePadd 0 Posted December 2, 2016 I think its a beauty too.... BUT. Shouldn't a 5513 serif have a crown with the coronet and no pips?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdog 1 Posted December 2, 2016 I think its a beauty too.... BUT. Shouldn't a 5513 serif have a crown with the coronet and no pips?? No. The 5512's came with a 700 crown which carried the Rolex logo and no dots underneath. It was later placed with a 702 crown with the 3 dots underneath indicating the new trip lock system. By the time the 5513 serif was released, the 702 was standard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
