Assemble your own watch

A place to discuss other watch-brands
perho
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Assemble your own watch

Post by perho »

I was reading this article A Visit To JS Watch Company In Reykjavik, Iceland and this part got me thinking:
All of the watches are designed and assembled by hand, although Gilbert is the first to say that all of the parts come from suppliers in either Germany or Switzerland. This includes the cases, movements, and dials, all the way down to the straps. The company uses Top Grade executions of Soprod moments, adjusted in five positions, to a maximum rate deviation of +4/-4 seconds per day.
Does anybody know if it's possible to buy watch pieces separately, like cases, dials, glass, hands,... not used but new.
Is there any site(maybe also different sites for different parts) that would sell watch parts, so that person could buy everything to their liking and assemble their own watch?
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hughesyn
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Re: Assemble your own watch

Post by hughesyn »

C8 Pilot Mk II Vintage; C5 Quartz Mk II; C4 'Phoenix', C5 MMXV FLE, C7 Automatic Chronograph
Ian Mc
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Re: Assemble your own watch

Post by Ian Mc »

Yes, very much so. It was what I considered before starting to machine my own.
You will need to look at various site for different components and care will be needed to ensure compatibility.
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gwells
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Re: Assemble your own watch

Post by gwells »

saw this on reddit/r/watches recently.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/commen ... cal_watch/
the "g" is for Greg...
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tikkathree
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Re: Assemble your own watch

Post by tikkathree »

perho wrote:I was reading this article A Visit To JS Watch Company In Reykjavik, Iceland and this part got me thinking:
All of the watches are designed and assembled by hand, although Gilbert is the first to say that all of the parts come from suppliers in either Germany or Switzerland. This includes the cases, movements, and dials, all the way down to the straps. The company uses Top Grade executions of Soprod moments, adjusted in five positions, to a maximum rate deviation of +4/-4 seconds per day.
Does anybody know if it's possible to buy watch pieces separately, like cases, dials, glass, hands,... not used but new.
Is there any site(maybe also different sites for different parts) that would sell watch parts, so that person could buy everything to their liking and assemble their own watch
?

I can say that there's a whole universe of Seiko modding options - hands, dials, almost certainly movements and cases. Likewise Vostok Amphibia parts.

Some micro-microbrand watches are almost certainly built of generically available parts.

Where do you want to start - with a particular movement?
C60 MKI, MKII, MKIII: "some",
C6 & C60 Kingfishers,
C600 Tritechs,
C63 "some",
C65 "some",
C4, C40, C8, C9, C3, C5, C20 & 23FLE
Some other brands
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hughesyn
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Re: Assemble your own watch

Post by hughesyn »

gwells wrote:saw this on reddit/r/watches recently.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Watches/commen ... cal_watch/
someone on reddit wrote:this really makes you appreciate brands like Tissot and Christopher Ward
Made me laugh.
Comparing Tissot who sell over 3 million units per year with CW who sell 20,000.
C8 Pilot Mk II Vintage; C5 Quartz Mk II; C4 'Phoenix', C5 MMXV FLE, C7 Automatic Chronograph
perho
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Re: Assemble your own watch

Post by perho »

Thanks all, it's exactly what I was looking for, even with bonus tutorial. :D
tikkathree wrote:
perho wrote:I was reading this article A Visit To JS Watch Company In Reykjavik, Iceland and this part got me thinking:
All of the watches are designed and assembled by hand, although Gilbert is the first to say that all of the parts come from suppliers in either Germany or Switzerland. This includes the cases, movements, and dials, all the way down to the straps. The company uses Top Grade executions of Soprod moments, adjusted in five positions, to a maximum rate deviation of +4/-4 seconds per day.
Does anybody know if it's possible to buy watch pieces separately, like cases, dials, glass, hands,... not used but new.
Is there any site(maybe also different sites for different parts) that would sell watch parts, so that person could buy everything to their liking and assemble their own watch
?

I can say that there's a whole universe of Seiko modding options - hands, dials, almost certainly movements and cases. Likewise Vostok Amphibia parts.

Some micro-microbrand watches are almost certainly built of generically available parts.

Where do you want to start - with a particular movement?
I have no idea. I came to this idea because I see on each watch something that I would change. Some have great case but hands are ugly, others have perfect dial but case is strangely shaped.
So maybe I will just check everything that I can find and start putting it together in my mind.
Because I'm a beginner and don't know much about movements, I think if I start with this, I'll assemble first watch just so that it looks nice and then search for movement that fits. :D
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