The Three

I don't know about anyone else but in my life and my stories one thing is always the catalyst for another. It's hard to trace where a story begins. Most of my posts about a build can be tied to a different post. And this one is no different.

Let's just start with the GMT build that was okay but just didn't quite sit right.

I know, I know, from the photo it looks okay. But the handset doesn't match the indices, and they had TERRIBLE lume. The crystal is domed which to me felt wrong. Whatever.... I'm selectively OCD I guess. Anyway I'm already sidetracked. So I begin searching for a dial for a GMT I can feel more fuzzies from. Which would become this

Still no fuzzies BTW. 🤬🤬🤬

While I'm digging around to find my elusive fuzzies dial I come across this guy

Struttin' thru Etsy like he owns the joint. The confidence, the swagger. Who could pass this bad boy up. ME, "I don't need another build project" I tell myself. "You're building a GMT not a freaking Cracker Jacks prize". So I close the page, feeling like I just left a puppy at the pound.

I find my GMT dial, then hands, then case, so on so forth, push "buy now" and begin to try to scratch that GMT itch. But as anyone who builds with AliX parts can tell you, it takes a minute to get those parts from China. And while I'm waiting, guess who's struttin' around in the back of my mind. Tony the Effen Tiger.

I should have just bought the damn thing and got on with it. But I was busy living in denial. Peeking in every couple of days and trying to imagine what I would do with it. What I began to see I would later realize was ridiculous. I began to giggle at the idea of Tony as a dress watch. In the vein of Grand Seiko. Polished case, dauphine hands, perhaps a black leather strap. It felt fun and ironic and goofy. Mostly it made me giggle. So after a week of flirting with Tony online, and lying to myself about my how serious we were. I made it official and swiped the card.

Again I'm playing the waiting game. I didn't want to order any other parts until I had it in hand. The post said it was a 31mm dial, but I wasn't buying it. I had convinced myself they had measured it wrong. So I wanted to get a good look and be confident before I started spending more money I didn't have. While I was waiting I noticed

that it was marked Swiss. My selective OCD kicks in again. If it says Swiss on the dial shouldn't it have a Swiss movement. Just for reference this dial was originally mounted on a Bettlach cal. 8811. A one jewel, pin pallet, manual wind, ummm..... inexpensive Swiss movement. So I do what any sane watch enthusiasts would do. I asked WC. Do I use a Japanese NH35, a Sellita SW200, or a PT5000 an ETA2824 Chinese clone? I mean I really want it to be Swiss, but is this goofy idea for a goofy watch worth $wi$$? The PT5000 is Swiss adjacent? It's kind of the SW200's Chinese cousin? But as luck would have it, and I use the term luck loosely, there was a 60% off Black Friday sale online and I scored an SW200 for $130. A bargain right? Right?? RIGHT!?!? This project has just started and it's already off the rails.

The movement is on the way and in the meantime the dial arrives. Once I'm holding the dial all thoughts of a "Grand Tony" vanish. Printed Arabic numerals around the dial, matt white dial, I don't know but I was suddenly feeling field/pilot watch. Maybe 39mm, thinner bezel, making the dial appear larger, syringe hands, distressed leather strap. Yeah....

I started my hunt for the case. I should note, they had measured the dial very accurately. It was 31mm. Do you know how many cases are available for a 31mm dial? 3! 3 effen cases. 🤬🤬🤬 I mean I looked. And I looked, and I looked some more. I'm not exaggerating when I say I scrolled through hundreds of posts trying to find a a case for a 31mm dial. You add the SW200 and I found 2. An Omega SeaMaster case and a Serica 5303 case. If I wanted to go ahead and use an NH35 I could also use a GS/Presage style case. But not a single field watch case. 🤬🤬🤬

This is where it really begins to come off the rails. Weighing my limited options I began to try to think outside the box. Could I buy the polished case and brush it myself? If I managed to brush it halfway decent would it look like a field watch or an effed up dress watch? So I did what anybody does when they need an answer. I went to YouTube! Brushing seems simple enough, but I had zero confidence so I decided that was out. Like it or not? I'm down to two options. Diver and dress. I was now stuck on field watch so it was hard to decide.

So I mocked it up with a couple of my watches. After a few minutes of staring I decided the black bezel made for a good outline and contrast to the dial. Not a lot of dive watches with Arabic numerals, but whatever, I'm knee deep in this, no stopping now. Serica it is!

So I order the case and wait some more. The waiting is what gets me. It gives me time. Time to think. Or should I say time to overthink? Now that I'm waiting for my case to come, I'm brought back to my original thought of My Grand Seiko style Tony the Tiger watch. Hell, that other case wasn't expensive, they had more Tony dials, what if I did both? Makes perfect sense right? Right?! RIGHT!?!?.

My credit card wept, as it often does, as I order an NH38 and the case. But I'm grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Then I go back to Etsy. The seller started with 10. I bought 1 but now there were 7. What if I messed up? What if I scratched the dial and they had sold out. 50 year old new old stock Tony the Tiger dials weren't everywhere you look. I better get an extra. Wait, I'm making 2 watches, better get 2 extra. EFF it, they're cheap, just buy the rest. Makes sense right? Right?! RIGHT!?!?.

All my parts for the Serica arrive. While the Sw200 has some differences to the NH35 it's similar enough to be pretty straight forward. It went together so quick and easy I forgot to take pictures but I was surprisingly satisfied with the finished "Swiss" diver

Right after the parts for the dress watch come. I open up my NH38 to find

Whatever this is. 🤬🤬🤬🤬

If you're not familiar, AliX is not like Amazon. I mean you can dispute, and they'll take care of you, but it took me a few days of back and forth with the vendor and a dispute with AliX and of course I had to WAIT for the NH38. I've mentioned what happens when I wait, right?

I want that field watch! This dial was born for a field watch! How do I get it done. I decide I'm going to use a 39mm field watch case meant for a 33mm dial. Then I'm going to use a rehuat that will bring the dial size down to 31mm. PERFECT! I'm a GENIUS! What could go wrong? And I already have a pile of dials so I can DO ALL THREE! I'll write a post about around Xmas time it and call it the 3 Kings. I'm so clever.

So my wallet just starts sobbing like a 3 year old that found a bug in their ice cream because it knows what's coming. I really need to find a wife. Perhaps if I had some adult supervision these things wouldn't happen.

Of course I order the case first. Nothing crazy. A Tandorio pilots case. Maybe I should have thought about if they made a rehaut that size. BECAUSE THEY DON'T! Just like before I scrolled and searched, I came close. I ordered a brushed SS rehaut that was perfect. Well, with the exception of it being 1mm to small 🤬🤬🤬

In the meantime, the NH38 arrives and I assemble the dress watch. It goes together pretty quickly once everything is here. Again, quick enough that I forget to take pictures. I was less satisfied than I was when I finished the dive watch.

But it was okay and I had other issues with the stupid field watch.

With the parts arriving for the field version. I was getting frustrated. I was going to make this field watch happen. I tried different rehauts but no luck. I was about to give up when I decided on blasphemy.

I had a 36mm field watch case from a different project. It's made for a 29mm dial. I couldn't stretch a dial. But I could shrink one. I've filed out the center hole for an NH34. Why can't I file the edges. That right! I know it's horological heresy, but I was going to file down a dial to fit!

I measured out my 1mm trim,

Very half ass, I know.

But how would I handle it without scratching the surface? Rodico?

That'll do it! I took a deep breath, said WTF and started my dial reduction surgery with all the precision of a toddler eating spaghetti.

Look away if your squeamish!

And believe it or not, when I was done, it fit. Holy effen $#it it fits. (I was too excited and forgot pictures again) I went to put on the handset.... TOO EFFEN LONG!! OMG these watches will never be done!

I had originally started with a 31mm and planned to have plenty of room in the case. I bought the hands set accordingly. But now that I'm using a 29mm dial I need smaller hands!

I wanted this handset

Traditional field style hands. (I don't really know that. It's just what I convinced myself) and the faux patina created contrast for good visibility and matched Tony's colors. But guess what hands they don't make in a 12mm. I found plenty of syringe hands but none with patina. So I compromised and went with these

The project feels like it's been nothing but compromises since I started it. WTH was I thinking.

Once they showed up, it was pretty straight forward again.

Three Kings?! More like 3 Clowns! Anyway, without further ado, I present to you the 3

So I'm going to be brutally honest. The only one that came out close to my vision was the diver.

There's no lume on this dial and with all the numerals it's definitely not a traditional diver. And the case quality is okay but the back play on the bezel is not optimal. But the black bezel on the diver provides a good contrast and the black on the handset provides contrast as well leading to good legibility. And the Faux patina gives it a match to Tony.

I thought the field watch was going to be my favorite. But it's my second favorite. It would have easily been my favorite but the compromise is I made dig at me. At 36mm the case is too small. It doesn't look terrible, but a bigger case would have given it more presence. And the handset looks okay, same black contrast and faux patina, but they're not syringe hands. But the distressed leather strap is kind of a good touch.

The dress style watch was the biggest disappointment for me. With a Grand Seiko the polishing is insane and helps legibility. At least that's what I assume. I've never seen one up close and personal. With a white dial you can barely see the silver dauphine handset. And the matte white dial struggles to fit with the polished finish on the rest of the watch. And without any real contrast it feels very bland. The numerals don't belong on a dress watch (unless they are Breguet Numerals). Ugh ..

Turns out I'm not much of a watch designer. I'd give myself a C- 😜😂

As an afterthought I decided to see if I could find out what they originally looked like. This is what I found on eBay

Baton hands and a bund strap. Hmmm.... Who would have guessed? Then I see this

OMG! Do these have lume? I of course hit them with a flashlight and head to the bathroom

Cool! They have like pips at each position. Then ten seconds passed

HAHAHA 😂🤣😂🤣 50 year old Toy watch lume apparently isn't great.

OMG!! Your still here?! Why are you here? You could have been doing something much more educational or interesting. Like watching an episode of Reacher or cleaning out your fridge. Anything!

Well, since you're here, I would love to hear opinions. I'd like to hear which version you prefer. And maybe why. And feel free to tell me I'm an idiot. It's not a secret.

I'm off to bed. See you Crunchers in the morning

Oh... Almost forgot. I have 5 more dials. Anyone want to try their own tony the tiger project?