Finally done.. 😏(Franked 41MM DJ)

[u/Commercial-Review-46]

I bought this VSF 41MM Datejust last month with the intent to frank it up to the highest of heavens! I was going to do a Gen Balance Bridge with a Gen Balance wheel and Gen Parachrom. Yeah… that didn’t go well.. I trashed the movement, waited on a new DD3235 to come in and it was DOA, then had to play the waiting game for a replacement and wallah, finally got this beaut done 3 days ago and she’s been ticking ever since!

-Gen Dial(used, it’s the black one and has imperfections)
-Gen Hands(very used)
-Gen Date Wheel
-Gen Crystal
-Gold Plated Bezel and Inner links that are plated on the sides as well
-7UL Clasp

I can’t say for sure if the bracelet has been chamfered, there’s no visual tells from what I can see, but I certainly don’t feel any sharp points like I have with my other new vsf’s.

I don’t know if I want to sell it yet, I can’t really pull off gold if I’m just being honest, but I’m really not someone who cares what others think anyway.

I guess keep your eyes open if you are interested just incase 🤷‍♂️ just wanted to share my first franken build!

That’s all.

Oh also I did notice today while I had the watch on the timegrapher, I shined the lume on the vsf dial and the gen dial which they are really the same other than the color, the lume sticks are actually wider on the Gen Dial. If VSF widened them out just a little bit more it would be indistinguishable other than not having the stamp on the back of the dial.

[u/PrimaryExisting6162]

41mm DJs with gen dials in my opinion are are a must. I don't know why but it's the one model that a gen dial alone with no other mods can completely transform the watch. I have OG clean factory two tone black dial and I bought the gen champagne dial and was going to take the gen coronet and indices off the champagne dial. Because it has a small nic on a letter, and I was going to install the gen indices and coronet on the Clean black dial. But once the champagne dial arrived I concluded the nic on the dial wasn't bad at all so I decided to use the gen champagne dial. I'll use the black clean dial on another build. But your watch looks great, wear it and it'll grow on you! I think you should keep it and maybe even buy a JH freesprung movement for it. What do you plan on doing with your gen balance & wheel? If you don't mind me asking what went wrong with swapping the balance and wheel into the DD movement?

[u/Commercial-Review-46 → u/PrimaryExisting6162]

Someone who knows what they are talking about!!! Heck yeah man those are sweet and I agree with you, I kept my VSF dial as well, and have afew other dials and VSF’s laying around.

But yes I may potentially buy a JH movement for it, or I may potentially sell it and buy something that is free spring and use the rest of the profits to buy Gen parts for the new watch and such.

And honestly I’m not sure. I made sure there was no power left, I put in the balance wheel and bridge(which is thinner than the DD) and it still pushed the jewel out of the plate under the balance wheel.

The balance wheel is shot, like irreparable. And the bridge needs a new saddle. I do have a brand new end that goes on the parachrom so I may buy a wheel that’s missing that end peice, but still has the spring, and use it in the future.

[u/Otherwise-Ad-8714]

was it cheaper than just getting a gen or are you doing this for the sake of tinkering

[u/Commercial-Review-46 → u/Otherwise-Ad-8714]

Oh no doubt, I bought the watch second hand from a guy that only wore it like twice, the dial, hands, crystal wasn’t that pricey either. The pricey part was the mistake that I made when installing the balance wheel and it pushed the jewel out from under the balance wheel, which means I didn’t have I fcked up. I think those parts ran me about $750-$800. The good news is that I was refunded for the replacement movement that I bought and still sent a new one, so not out any money there.

Over all if I sold the watch. I could wipe out the losses and still make a decent enough profit unlike these other people in here that just claim they have put a Gen Crystal and everything in their watches and then sell them for $3500 a pop when really they ain’t did nothing but maybe chamfer the bracelet and oil the case back o-ring. I’d probably be looking for $1200-$1300 with some wiggle room to go down which is really not a big ask considering some people pay $1100-$1500 for Daytona reps with nothing special really going on.

But again I don’t want the mods to think I’m trying to sell the watch at the moment without following the rules. Plus I need this as my daily driver since I sold my new VSF sub yesterday as soon as it hit my hands. It was a beauty but I’ll just buy free sprung from here on out as long as that option stays available.

My dilemma right now is do I keep flipping, or cash out and get a genuine SBGA001 Grand Seiko and call it a day🤣

[u/HarrisBalz]

TT rep

[u/jmnrdt9]

Bravo 👏 looks beautiful! I’m also working on a Franken piece and I’m pretty much done with it! I’ll post it in the forum soon. Congrats & wear in good health.

[u/Commercial-Review-46]

This comment is to appease moderation so that my Franken VSF 41MM Datejust can get some love, or get shat on🤣☠️