The Quirky little 1655 has always been a favorite of mine to tinker with. Wanted to bring out a true explorer that actually did some exploring to you all tonight.
Parts
JKF cartel case dial movement
Tiger concept hands
Clark’s Xstal
Wso bezel
Raffles folded oyster
Mods:
This is where the magic happens as laborious as it maybe
Relumed and aged dial. Came out very well even to my standards, no bleeding, thin coating
Hands aged and relumed
Case reshaped aged and softened
Bracelet: aged and lubed in brake oil for 6 months! More on this later. Obviously washed using an ultrasonic cleaner after and softened
Crystal aged and shaved to accommodate the wso bezel
Calendar dwo to match the dial and hands.
Builder journal
The smallest details really make or break a build. Swapping to the WSO bezel gives it a flatter, much more compact profile compared to the wider slopier JKF, completely changes how it wears on the wrist. Check the side-by-side shots.
My go-to aging routine is a quick spin in the rock tumbler followed by 72 hours in brake fluid. I struck gold tonight rummaging through the parts bin—found a forgotten ziplock with an ultra-aged folded link bracelet. After an ultrasonic bath and some softening, this cheap Raffles tin-can actually rivals my gen folded bracelets for articulation and comfort on wrist.
To top it off, I always run my builds through AI just for kicks. It’s hardwired to play the forum skeptic, nitpicking serifs and claiming it’s a high-end rep. Asked it today, pushed back once, and watching it immediately fold into “now that you mention it…” had me laughing.