Make your own watch

I posted this in "what did you buy today" thread and @Sunnier suggested I make a new thread in case anyone else in interested in watch making. I use that term loosely because it is not really making a watch but rather assembling the pieces together into a complete watch.

Here is my original post:

Had a bunch of extra time off so I've been studying building my own watch (not completely of course, the guts are already assembled). So, I ordered a small beginners tool set, the crystal press, and some other necessary supplies. Then started ordering the piece parts. I'm waiting on one of 3 dials (watch faces is what I called them, until now). I have come to learn that these are not true Seiko watches but are referred to as "Seiko Mod" watches. They have higher quality "movements" which I called guts than what Seiko puts in them from the factory. The person in the video below quoted a sales price of his watch at $950 in an email to me. Seiko does not make the SKX007 style anymore and did not make it like this one at all. A similar Seiko sells for about $325 - $350.

So far I've installed the crystal, bezel, and bezel insert. Once the dial arrives, I'll remove the white day ring, white date ring, and install the black date and day rings, install the dial, install the hands, then install the crown and assemble it. All that will be left is to install the case back and band.

This video is my inspiration to build it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukMbXg2yaUg

I'll be adding this watch band once the watch is complete.
https://www.strapcode.com/collections/seiko-samurai/products/metal-ss-dcl05-bbk066

 

This is pretty cool! Subscribed.

 

Wondering how much a custom watch costs?? Very cool though.

 

Here is a page that lists suppliers of Seiko Mod parts. Called "Seiko Mod" because most parts are not true Seiko parts.

The build described above is a model commonly called the SKX007. It can come in all kinds of different looks and there is a plethora of mods you can do to it if you already own one. You can change the colors, movements, hands, bezels, bezel inserts, crown, crystal, and on and on. There is quite the following on Facebook, Instagram (so I hear), and Youtube, with all kinds of information.

https://www.seikomods.com/suppliers-list/

The 2 best suppliers I've come across so far are:
https://www.namokimods.com/ - shipped parts from Japan to Texas in 4 days

https://www.CrystalTimes.net - a lot of different parts and are very friendly/helpful via email exchanges I've had with them.

In selecting parts, I didn't always go with the cheapest prices, most of those had to ship from over seas and would take forever to get here. I also did not order buy ANYTHING from China.

If you're interested, I would only buy the "Regulated" movement from CrystalTimes.net. The original movement from Seiko is p/n 7S26 and is used in their "entry level" watches, which is disappointing because that is the movement Seiko is using in some of their higher end diver's watches (like the one that is being replaced in the video in post #1). The key to a good movement (lol......NOT bowel movement) is the Jewel count. The higher the jewel count the more accurate it will be. So, CrystalTimes sells a movement for the watch commonly listed at p/n NH36A, with 24 Jewels (CT's part number is CT500 for this movement). They sell it "as is" or "regulated". The regulated one will be the most accurate one you can buy since it was taken from stock and calibrated using a Timegrapher.

Also to note, if you are modifying your watch take note of the position the crown (thing you wind the watch with) and whether it has a day and date. The NH36A has the Day/Date and the crown is at the 3 o'clock position. The NH35 has the Date only.

If, after reading that, you are still interested, take a look at "Seiko Mods" on YouTube. There are multiple videos. That will give you an idea what you can do to some of them. Also, there are a bunch of modders out there that will sell you the complete modded watches; however, a modded Seiko watch will almost always be higher priced than a stock Seiko watch, and with the NH36A or NH35A movement, more accurate.

Amazon sells a cheap starter tool kit for watch modding. 24.95 for just about everything you'll need.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZG1Z9W3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Not included was the silicone greases (2 that you'll see in the video in post #1) and Rodico (greenish putty) used to clean the watch pieces after and during assembly.
https://www.esslinger.com/bergeon-6033-rodico-the-original-green-putty-cleaner-watch-repair-tool/

 

The one in that video in post #1, that guy "Eric" quoted me $950. You can buy from $225 to $370 depending on the exact model. Search for Seiko SKX007 and you'll see the different models of that watch. That is where you can start and then mod from there. I started with no watch at all and am building from scratch. I'll have about $450 in it (counting tools and grease, finger cots, etc and not counting the wrist band) once I'm done with mine.

This dial (or watch face as I've always called it) I cannot locate and have looked high and low for it. I think it would be absolutely perfect for the watch seen in the video that I am copying. I'm also considering buying that watch, robbing the dial and putting in my new watch (because its gold accents would match the bezel) and then placing another dial back into the watch I robbed. Here is that watch, note the dial and try to imagine how it would look if installed in the watch in the video.

 

As much as I hate to admit it, I screwed up today. If you watched the video in post #1 you'll see where the guy removed the C-ring that allows him to pull off the white date and day dials. Well, I was removing the C-ring and it sprung out into the great abbiss. I have carpet in my office and I've looked high and low and cannot find it. Come to find out, that was a $15 mistake. I ordered 2, 1 for a back up, so actually the mistake was $30 and lost time (pun intended).

In the video the the C-ring looks rather large, or manageable at least. It is not, it is very tiny, about half the size of the clicker end of a ballpoint pen. The day and date rings. I would say the date ring is near the size of a quarter and very thin. The day ring is about the size of a penny.


Now.......I wait for the replacement C-rings to come in.

Sorry in advance for the giant pics, I attached them as thumbnails, but, they are what they are.....HUGE!


Here is the progress so far.

 

Some progress, but it has been slow. I've been trying to do the assembly without any magnification (my naked eyes) but the parts are tiny (real tiny). I am at a stand still now until some magnifier glasses with a light arrives from Amazon.

I managed to get the day/date wheels installed, and the c-ring that I had lost has now been replaced. The dial is installed as are the hour and minute hands. As for the second hand, for the life of me I cannot see good enough to get it placed right and then pressed down. I don't want to damage the hands including the second had, so for now, I wait.

Here is what I have so far (the clear plastic thing around the assembly is a holder for the movement that came from the supplier).

 

Been a while but I finished it, less the band which I'm having a hard time deciding which one I want.

All assembled, was more difficult than I thought and the hardware, hands, etc are way smaller than I had imagined. Sorry for the bad pics, I was trying to get the background lighting just right and gave up. I put in on my keyboard and said WTF, here it is.


If I get any better pics soon, I'll add it/them.