Idea of frankenwatch - help me understand?

[johnliley]

I consider this modded with other Rolex watches parts on my original 16200 got the idea from Jocke I retained all the original parts.


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[Stan Cooper]

Originally Posted by Triplock

I collected genuine Rolex parts for a few months and built this vintage GMT. The movement was a 3135 from an old Datejust. I overhauled it and put in 12 genuine NOS Rolex parts to convert it to a 3185, including a 3185 marked winding bridge and new blue hairspring balance and balance bridge.

All external parts are genuine Rolex except for the midcase which came from ebay. Until I find a genuine case, this gets it on my wrist. I also refurbished the bracelet.

So it's a franken for sure. The parts were rescued from parts bins around the world to build this watch. It's not to deceive anyone and it'll never be for sale. I'm a hobby watchmaker and it was a enjoyable project.

More photos if you're interested: https://imgur.com/a/tYQwE0f

Very impressive!

[Incroyable12]

Presumably you could also make your own 1530 by putting a genuine automatic Rolex movement into an Oysterquartz case.

[johnliley]

Originally Posted by Incroyable12

Presumably you could also make your own 1530 by putting a genuine automatic Rolex movement into an Oysterquartz case.

Well maybe. Maybe.

[CarlOver]

Originally Posted by johnliley

I consider this modded with other Rolex watches parts on my original 16200 got the idea from Jocke I retained all the original parts.


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That is very good looking. What models did the parts come from?

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by CarlOver

That is very good looking. What models did the parts come from?

Looks like 116200 dial (date wheel?) and YM seconds hand.

[Mendota]

Originally Posted by Triplock

I collected genuine Rolex parts for a few months and built this vintage GMT. The movement was a 3135 from an old Datejust. I overhauled it and put in 12 genuine NOS Rolex parts to convert it to a 3185, including a 3185 marked winding bridge and new blue hairspring balance and balance bridge.



All external parts are genuine Rolex except for the midcase which came from ebay. Until I find a genuine case, this gets it on my wrist. I also refurbished the bracelet.



So it's a franken for sure. The parts were rescued from parts bins around the world to build this watch. It's not to deceive anyone and it'll never be for sale. I'm a hobby watchmaker and it was a enjoyable project.



More photos if you're interested: https://imgur.com/a/tYQwE0f

This is fantastic. I would like to tinker and build project pieces someday. I know of a few guys who built 6538 and 6542 pieces this way. It took years to source all of the parts, especially the movements, and this was back when it was much easier and cheaper to find these things.

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[ROLEX MAN]

So this is my "Frankenstein"!!

[OG1982]

Originally Posted by zengineer

In the Rolex world where everything is "collectible", anything added or replaced with something other than an oem duplicate seems to push it into frankenwatch territory. Maybe you get a pass for changing dial color to some other dial that was also available at the time it was made.

I've never been temped with messing with a Rolex but that's more about being content with mine the way they are than any hesitation driven by "what people will think".

I suppose to be fair those rules apply to many other "luxury" brands but their respective communities don't seem as sensitive about it. I put a 2004 LE Apollo 11, 35th Panda dial and hands in my 2019 Speedmaster but it clearly isn't one of the originals and I don't represent it as one. I just like it better and could undo it if I ever wanted to. Nobody has freaked out about it...not too badly anyhow. Attachment 1280192

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I've seen your Speedmaster on here before and it’s a lovely looking watch. It's a shame Omega don’t offer the white dial (Panda if you like) as an option on their current Speedmaster Pro offerings.

[Edward leef]

Hi guys, just what if have learned from reading a lot of watch forums:
A frankenwatch is close to a modified watch but still very different.
Modified watch: starting point is a complete watch and changing one or more things to make it look different.
Frankenwatch: starting with collecting individual parts (OEM) from different sources. putting them all together to create the desired model/type. In the process it can happen that parts from different references can be used to create a specific model. it can also happen that people will use a non OEM part (case) and complete it with OEM parts.

Hopes this helps?

[Ravager135]

A Frankenwatch is only a Frankenwatch when the genuine replacement parts are cobbled together in such a way to misrepresent the presented reference number. Replacing a dial or bezel of a watch that a particular reference offered would not be a Frankenwatch in my opinion. If I had a Datejust 41 and had the silver dial replaced with a white one, that would not be a Frankenwatch. Certainly getting reference appropriate replacement parts does not make a watch a Frankenwatch.

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Triplock

I collected genuine Rolex parts for a few months and built this vintage GMT. The movement was a 3135 from an old Datejust. I overhauled it and put in 12 genuine NOS Rolex parts to convert it to a 3185, including a 3185 marked winding bridge and new blue hairspring balance and balance bridge.

All external parts are genuine Rolex except for the midcase which came from ebay. Until I find a genuine case, this gets it on my wrist. I also refurbished the bracelet.

So it's a franken for sure. The parts were rescued from parts bins around the world to build this watch. It's not to deceive anyone and it'll never be for sale. I'm a hobby watchmaker and it was a enjoyable project.

More photos if you're interested: https://imgur.com/a/tYQwE0f

1. That's awesome.

2. Technically, didn't you create a 3175 movement (unless you managed to incorporate the jumping hour hand feature)?

[WatchSmith]

Originally Posted by dannyp

1. That's awesome.

2. Technically, didn't you create a 3175 movement (unless you managed to incorporate the jumping hour hand feature)?

I converted it to a 3185 as I said. Not 3175. And it does have the jumping hour feature. It's a 100% Rolex 3185 GMT movement. The only thing that's not is the serial number on the movement (which only Rolex can lookup) which would indicate that it left the factory as a 3135 and not 3185. So RSC would probably refuse to work on it since it's been modified. Of course they'd refuse to work on the watch for other reasons too, since it has an aftermarket midcase. But I do my own servicing so I'm good.

[johnliley]

Originally Posted by dannyp

Looks like 116200 dial (date wheel?) and YM seconds hand.

16220 bezel, next gen DJ dial, ToG Roulette Date wheel, YM hands

[donq]

A Frankenwatch is one that has been put together out of mismatched parts from different watches.

Some people like to say any watch not 100% original is a Frankenwatch, but that’s not correct.

If it’s been modified it’s a modded watch.
If it’s been serviced and parts replaced, it’s non original but genuine.
If it’s been built out of parts from different watches, it’s a Frankenwatch.

[midnightblue]

Originally Posted by Triplock

I collected genuine Rolex parts for a few months and built this vintage GMT. The movement was a 3135 from an old Datejust. I overhauled it and put in 12 genuine NOS Rolex parts to convert it to a 3185, including a 3185 marked winding bridge and new blue hairspring balance and balance bridge.

All external parts are genuine Rolex except for the midcase which came from ebay. Until I find a genuine case, this gets it on my wrist. I also refurbished the bracelet.

So it's a franken for sure. The parts were rescued from parts bins around the world to build this watch. It's not to deceive anyone and it'll never be for sale. I'm a hobby watchmaker and it was a enjoyable project.

More photos if you're interested: https://imgur.com/a/tYQwE0f

Holy moly! Nice work :) how much did it cost you?

[dannyp]

Originally Posted by Triplock

I converted it to a 3185 as I said. Not 3175. And it does have the jumping hour feature. It's a 100% Rolex 3185 GMT movement. The only thing that's not is the serial number on the movement (which only Rolex can lookup) which would indicate that it left the factory as a 3135 and not 3185. So RSC would probably refuse to work on it since it's been modified. Of course they'd refuse to work on the watch for other reasons too, since it has an aftermarket midcase. But I do my own servicing so I'm good.

Oh cool! Seems like a much more complex conversion so nicely done.

But in that case, wouldn’t it need a GMT II dial?

This is the watch nerd in me geeking out, not the jackass in me trying to say gotcha.

[BOA]

I bought a white SS Daytona from an AD that keeps a display of old Rolex dials they used to sell. Back in the day it was more common and not frowned upon to swap out dials to just about anything you wanted. These were mostly Day-Date dials. I recall one looked like wood grain.

Later on I sourced a panda dial from TRF, and when they saw it, you should have seen the very same AD make faces at me like I'd not only ruined the watch but broke a sacred "Thou shalt not...". They referred to it several times as a Frankenwatch. That was the day I learned that they only care that you follow their dictates, whatever they happen to be. These can change on a whim and not make any sense.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if one day my Daytona design would be in place as an option because it looks so nice. But they would never admit that now, not until corporate gives their blessing, whereupon they will be all smiles praising and recommending it to everyone, I'm sure.

[Incroyable12]

Originally Posted by BOA

I bought a white SS Daytona from an AD that keeps a display of old Rolex dials they used to sell. Back in the day it was more common and not frowned upon to swap out dials to just about anything you wanted. These were mostly Day-Date dials. I recall one looked like wood grain.

Later on I sourced a panda dial from TRF, and when they saw it, you should have seen the very same AD make faces at me like I'd not only ruined the watch but broke a sacred "Thou shalt not...". They referred to it several times as a Frankenwatch. That was the day I learned that they only care that you follow their dictates, whatever they happen to be. These can change on a whim and not make any sense.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if one day my Daytona design would be in place as an option because it looks so nice. But they would never admit that now, not until corporate gives their blessing, whereupon they will be all smiles praising and recommending it to everyone, I'm sure.

Just a wood Day-Date dial now costs the same as what a used 18038 did a few years ago.