Motor City Watch Works offers services in the customization of watches. Besides repair, servicing, refinishing, crystal replacement and pressure testing, they also have spare parts to use for your watch modding project. The staff can also apply bead-blasting and Cerakote ceramic coating.
Getat Watch Company is an e-store run by a watchmaker who specialized in custom watches and parts inspired by military timepieces of the Pact_of_Steel countries, namingly German and Italian.
Unlike most eBay sellers, Getat Watch ensures that all dials are coated with Swiss luminous compounds. The cases are available in different sizes and with different surface finish. The movement catalog features affordable Chinese UNITAS clones.
Straps are hand-made, and there are several colours of thread to choose from.
The watchmaker behind Vintage Watch Parts is specialized in fitting vintage movements into new cases, but he also does restoration on all watch components: movements, cases, dials, hands, crowns… you name it.
The website is also intended as a resource for handy men and Panerai afficionati who are not afraid to compromise the manufacturer’s warranty of their expensive Italian watch… okay, actually Panerai watches are Swiss made and the tutorials rely on aftermarket parts.
The Website features tutorials by various authors addressed to aspiring watch modders and the main watchmaker shows some of the one-off projects he was commissioned with.
This is not fresh news per se but Bill Yao (founder of legendary MKII watch company) announced on February 10th 2010 his decision to stop selling parts (dials, hands and case parts) to focus on complete watches only.
Mr. Yao started his business by selling modding parts for ETA-based watches (mainly dials and hands), and success allowed him to move towards the design of complete watches and the acquisition of the legendary Tornek-Rayville trademark.
The entrepreneur eventually found himself overwhelmed by the combined demands of development, orders fulfillment and family life. This new focus on complete watches seems logical to me. I bid Mr. Yao good luck on his new endeavour.
From left to right: Bill Yao, Watchuseek moderator Mike Stuffler and Watchuseek founder Ernie Romers (credit Watchuseek.com)
Bob Thayer Jr. does custom work, modifications, repair and restoration. He also uses NoctiLumina, a luminous material that glows for up to 36h.
Noah Fuller (noahfuller@hotmail.com) offers ETA and Seiko original or aftermarket parts and custom dials on his web store.
The RLT Watches company offers a broad range of its own designs and an assorted collection of mod hands for ETA 28XX and UNITAS 649X calibers.
An anonymous entrepreneur going by the nickname yobokies@yahoo.com.hk (“Seiko Boy” reversed) offers some great-looking mod dials and hands produced for Seiko
Check out his gallery.
Bill Yao’s site (MKII watches) is the household name of watch pimping. Besides custom-printed dials inspired by military and historical watches, he has been specializing in made-to-order tool watches. Bill Yao recently purchased the rights to the TORNEK – RAYVILLE trademark, which allows him to release a very nice homage collection.
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image: detail of installation by Bronwyn Lace