Orient has a new 38mm Bambino model that might tickle your fancy!

I’ll be curious to see what you come up with for your Alpinist build! A reinterpretation of sorts! Apologies for false hope in Hobby Lobby watch parts haha More like fix my mistakes watch parts haha I see that the Heimdllr Store is now selling OEM Alpinist cases with the inner ring now as they didn’t previously. I wasn’t lucky enough to recieve the custom inner ring, but I’ll message them to fix this inherent OCD problem I have with this build not having a functioning decorative counterbalance wheel.

Also, I feel you on the Ali Express delivery times! My favorite is when the status shows delivered and then 4-5 days later it’s actually delivered 🤪Currently, anxiously awaiting delivery of my King Seiko build!

I feel you! In January I picked up the green 35mm Tissot PRX for a pop of color! Boy does this green POP in person! Photos don’t do it justice. I would suggest if you get the Quartz version to buy it in person to make sure the seconds hand lines up with indices. I was lucky to find a perfect one! This watch is a piece of jewelry more than an actual watch. I scratched an itch and also picked up a yellow Citizen Tsuyosa for more color. Fun summer watch!

I learned a lot from a YouTube channel called “ItsAnotherWatch”, “LumeShot”, and LongIslandWatches. Hope this helps! I’m on my 6th build! Getting easier and easier! No cheaper and cheaper though haha

I finished my Ali Express Build of a Seiko SPB155 (Baby Green Alpinist) with the same exact “Climber” dial earlier this week. I purchased the OEM Alpinist case and bracelet from the Heimdllr store on Ali ($330). The OEM case is fitted for a 30.5mm dial, but the “Climber” dial is 28.5mm. I had to forgo the NH35 movement holder from the OEM case because the dial couldn’t seat against the inner trim ring and the dial was just too loose in the case (after removing the NH35 plastic outer fitment ring). Instead, I put the outer plastic ring back on, went to Hobby Lobby, and purchased 1/8” black art tape and wrapped the outer ring of the NH35 movement until I build up enough thickness for the movement to fit tightly within the case without any crystal interference issues. The unfortunate part is that the decorative gold counterbalance weight on the back of the NH35 movement is stuck in place against the display case back. So, it’s a hand wound watch for now! If you’re looking to match the OEM seconds hand with the orange tip, I have some advise for you! Purchase gold cathedral hands (obviously) and at Hobby Lobby I purchased “Pumpkin” colored acrylic paint for 67 cents and some micro paint paint brushes. I applied painters tape to the hand and painted on the orange tip perfectly. This watch looks almost exactly OEM for 50% the cost! Let me know if you want any pictures 😎