Blancpain US Navy… now within reach

[toofsy]

@toofsy
I suggest you should gently heat the bezel insert in order to soften the glue and remove it safely.

Yep for the insert but I don't see how to remove the bezel himself without hurt the midcase and the bezel.

[Fizzzz]

@toofsy
I suggest you should gently heat the bezel insert in order to soften the glue and remove it safely.

Yep for the insert but I don't see how to remove the bezel himself without hurt the midcase and the bezel.

It may be this type of rotating bezel where you need to remove the spring to free the bezel,
like on some cheap Sub. cases...

[toofsy]

@toofsy
I suggest you should gently heat the bezel insert in order to soften the glue and remove it safely.

Yep for the insert but I don't see how to remove the bezel himself without hurt the midcase and the bezel.

It may be this type of rotating bezel where you need to remove the spring to free the bezel,
like on some cheap Sub. cases...

I think too, maybe I could have a good surprise when I will remove the insert, or try to make a mini hole under the insert to access to the spring

[Mir36]

Just wanted to share some notes if you do go down the RDUNAE route.


Caseback: The caseback opens COUNTERCLOCKWISE! I didn’t bother reading this before attacking it with a case back opener. And I actually gave up trying. The following day, in daylight, I saw the arrows This is actually an accurate gen detail.



Working with an NH35: This is not the first Seiko based watch I’ve owned, but it is the first one I’ve worked on. I got stuck on the basic step of removing the stem. I normally pull out the stem to align the hands and stop movement, prior to actually removing it. However on the NH35, pulling the stem to the final position also hides the lever So for a while I thought I had lost my mind because I could not find the lever to press! Bottom line - pull out the stem at position 0.



Case profile: as you can see with the RDUNAE on top, the mineral crystal is a thing of beauty. Zero greenish tint. Also, as you can see comparing to gen profiles below, lughole or no lughole is equally acceptable:





You can buy just the case from Alix for $50, it has the benefit of lugholes, but the bezel teeth are incorrect, e.g. not he ‘saw’ version of the RDUNAE. Pick your poison https://a.aliexpress.com/_mLSQBSa


Hopefully we get enough projects going to one day warrant a dedicated Blancpain subsection

[toofsy]

[mention]Mir36[/mention]
Thanks you for your details.
However are you sure about the comparaison case pictures?
On this two pics I'm not sure there is a ruduane, I assume there is only various gen versions of blancpain. If I remember this post this is a comparaison between : tornek, FFF mil spec and FFF civilian.
Personally I prefer the wider bezel of both civilian and milspec FFF comparing to the tornek bezel wich not offer the 1mm extra step and wider bezel insert.

This Rduane is a almost perfect replica of the tornek rayville...

You can also precise the Ruduane has a 19mm strap width. It's not the case for the case you can order alone, wich is 20mm. I'm not sure the saw bezel is the only one difference. On the Alix video the case back with the huge blue gasket seems different.

Thanks to you I order this case part to complete my two ruduane and stelldive homage
My plan are to build both : tornek and Milspec FFF.
That's why I would like to remove the bezel and try to shape a new one wider on the lathe from my fablab.

When I will have received the new case part I will compare them.

In all the case thank you to generate new motivation with you really nice building

[Mir36]

However are you sure about the comparaison case pictures?
On this two pics I'm not sure there is a ruduane, I assume there is only various gen versions of blancpain. If I remember this post this is a comparaison between : tornek, FFF mil spec and FFF civilian.

Yes both cases on the stacked case photos are gens, those are reference photos

[toofsy]

Sorry to disturb your thread...

[Fizzzz]

@Mir36,
thank you for sharing your notes,
and thanks for the Aliexpress link: this case was out of stock yesterday…

I’d prefer to buy the case only, but this one is a kind of mix designs:
Blancpain Milspec I civilian version:
- drilled lugs
- bezel insert with rhombus at 12, but the rhombus is too small.
BUT
Crown: Military type
Bezel teeth: Military type
Bezel teeth too shy.

Other problem: where to find the hands…
So I guess I’ll have to buy the whole RDUANE watch, just for the case and hands ☹

Mir36 gen pics are from this article:
https://www.watchprosite.com/blancpain/ ... 1.3573546/


@Toofsy

Agree that the RDUANE is a good to build a Tornek or a Blancpain with the same dial as designed by madasboot.
Both watches are the same, Tornek being only an arrangement to comply with Buy American Act.

As far as I understand the larger bezel do not comply with MIL-W-22176A (1961, can’t find the original 1959 version)
“3.8.4 Elapsed time ring. - The watch shall be equipped with a rotatable elapsed time ring of the same outer diameter as the case.”

[toofsy]

My Graal and ref for my build...

blancpain-fifety-fathoms-mattsworldwatch-2-e1533988733843.jpg

[toofsy]

@Mir36,
thank you for sharing your notes,
and thanks for the Aliexpress link: this case was out of stock yesterday…

I’d prefer to buy the case only, but this one is a kind of mix designs:
Blancpain Milspec I civilian version:
- drilled lugs
- bezel insert with rhombus at 12, but the rhombus is too small.
BUT
Crown: Military type
Bezel teeth: Military type
Bezel teeth too shy.

Other problem: where to find the hands…
So I guess I’ll have to buy the whole RDUANE watch, just for the case and hands ☹

Mir36 gen pics are from this article:
https://www.watchprosite.com/blancpain/ ... 1.3573546/


@Toofsy

Agree that the RDUANE is a good to build a Tornek or a Blancpain with the same dial as designed by madasboot.
Both watches are the same, Tornek being only an arrangement to comply with Buy American Act.

As far as I understand the larger bezel do not comply with MIL-W-22176A (1961, can’t find the original 1959 version)
“3.8.4 Elapsed time ring. - The watch shall be equipped with a rotatable elapsed time ring of the same outer diameter as the case.”

Fizz there is a second link for the case only

€ 59,46 | Seiko – montre de plongée rétro avec coque modifiée, série de recherche de la première année, mouvement NH35, anneau extérieur entièrement lumineux en céramique
https://a.aliexpress.com/_Ey1kbnx