I made my first watch about seven years ago, it was an anniversary present for my wife. I had to purchase the parts separately because, at the time, there were no kits available and I hadn't heard of AE, so I ended up going to Swiss and European vendors. It cost about $500 US to purchase the parts. Interestingly, about a year after I had made it I saw an advert for a new watch brand who were selling a watch almost identical to the one I had made, just different hands and strap, but the cost was $3000. Since then I've made about a dozen watches, for my children, granddaughter, myself and also commissions for friends who liked mine. I've watched some of the other "I built my dream watch" videos and the ones I've seen infer that it's easy to do so - it isn't always easy so thank you for posting this video highlighting the problems you encountered. I haven't, yet, built my dream watch, because you always have to make a compromise somewhere, either the hands, dial, movement, etc. This is the first of your videos I've watched, but I've subscribed and will watch the rest next.
Very interesting Micheal! Honestly, a lot of watch pricing stems from marketing, so unfortunately it's not surprising that a company would mark up their watches by such drastic amounts. I'm glad that you appreciate the transparency about building an AE watch. Thank you for subscribing and watching!
Hello Richard! Thanks for the compliment! I tried my best to make it a 'true' homage that is actually inspired by other designs instead of basically making the same watch with a different logo on the dial. Thank you for watching!
I built my first Aliexpress watch this year too. Seiko 62mas with a NH35 movement for around $84 all-in. It was my first attempt after 8 years of collecting. Absolutely loved it even though I scuffed the face, and the 9'o'clock marker has a weird black "fiber" dried into the lume. That said, I like it. Used watch silicone on all the gaskets and swam with it and showered with it tons of times. Thankfully mine keeps insanely good time, like I'm surprised how good. That said I have regulated older watches where the time has gone wonky. Don't he nervous to do it at all. You can 100% do it just by feeling it out. Letting the watch run a few days then adjust as needed. Congrats overall. I like the original look 🎉.
You got your first one down! 👏🏻 My first one had similar unexpected challanges. It gets better though, I’d recommend you to do it again and again with newer builds, experience is cumulative and it’ll get easier and easier! Not my cup of tea as a build but I really appreciate you went with your own personal design and it’s a good looking watch! Maybe look for a bracelet next? 👀
Thanks for watching! I definitely do want to build more, and as you said, I hope it does get easier to build. I actually bought it on a presidential bracelet, but the clasp was off-centered (making it protrude on the front of my wrist) on my wrist because my wrist is smaller than the average size. I was going to mention it in the video as a con, but apparently the same thing occurs on the Rolex presidential bracelet.
@@TimeTickerOfficial a trick for de-centred clasps on small wrists (like mine) sometimes is to wear the clasp or the bracelet “upside down” and see if the positioning improves. Looking forward to see your next build 👍🏻
At least you know the movement is a authentic Seiko movement with how it is preforming. ;) In all fairness, it's a really nice looking watch you put together, you got good taste in watch parts, and good analysis of the process. I will keep what you said in mind as I consider if I want to build my own watch.
Hello, I am brand new to your channel. I really enjoyed this video. I have been on my watch journey for about one year and most of my watches are from AliExpress. Tudor’s snowflake hands are my favorite hands as well. So far I haven’t done any builds out mods, but your video gives me confidence as I would like to be able to build my own watch for myself and family, etc.
Despite the hurdles you encountered I think your end product looks great! I've wanted to build my own for awhile but it's my fear of putting the hands on the dial that stops me. I've practiced on junk watches and I bend and break the hands every time. I'll just have to keep enjoying watching others build their unique watches 😊👍
Just finished my first - Red dial yellow bezel Sub. Love that I could choose my own parts, but it wasnt easy find a yellow curved bezel, gold didnt look right. Also had to order an extra set of stems and vernier calipers to get it right, set me back almost a month! All up $160, up there with a good Casio. Just spent $200 on my 2nd with Ti case. Crazy value!
Thanks for the entertaining and informative video! Sorry to hear your build was so challenging. I received my AliEx parts yesterday, and I'm excited to begin my first build. One issue I noticed with the Namokimod dials is that almost all of them contain their logo, which is not to my liking. So I would either have to superimpose a custom logo on top of it, or go with a dial from another vendor. But I may try them for cases or hands if I continue to build.
Nicely done! This is what I would've built myself. 😂 Regarding regulating the movement, you don't need many tools for the job, just something to push the adjustment lever and a time grapher app. I personally used the Watch Accuracy Meter app in a very quiet room and regulated a 7009 movement. A demagnetiser might come in handy as well.
@@TimeTickerOfficial I found that the mic on the wired headphones that came with my iPhone works well for this - it's sensitive enough to pick up the movement's sounds properly.
I hope my first build isnt a nightmare! My case and bracelet arrived from AliExpress today. I am shocked at how good the quality appears compared to a homage I own that was around 700 canadian dollars. I know the finished product will have an inferior movement and no heritage to speak of, but it will also cost a quarter of the price and have some upside (quick adjust bracelet, sapphire caseback, better cyclops). I am excited.
@@TimeTickerOfficial I did! That was after I bent the hands by pressing too hard, kept failing to press the crystal in evenly, etc. good learning experience though!
Given a like just 5mins in 😁 I almost had the same issue as you with the dial not fitting the NH34 stem. I was under the impression that NH35 dials would be compatible with the NH34 (so the listing suggests) and had no idea to file it down, so I sent it back. Luckily the replacement was an actual NH34 dial so I was able to build a Pepsi for my uncle.
That's great to hear that you got a replacement. I was reading the reviews of the watch after the fact (which I should have done before I bought it), and all the comments mentioned that the dial hole was too small. Thanks for watching
Oh dear, it seems watch building can be an expensive adventure😅 It sounds so cool to build one's own, but with my sausage fingers...On looks, I'd choose the Namoki, but that's just my personal preference. I do like the Alibuild on your wrist and the blue gives it a nice kind of 🤔...fresh look. Anyway, great video, thanks for the warning😂
@@Johan-fv7ch Hello Johan! I definitely agree with you. That is why other Seiko mod stores exist 😅. But frankly, I find that most Seiko Mods are HEAVILY "inspired" by other watches, and I find that it's really hard to make something original. I also forgot to mention that I nicknamed this the Snowman because it has snowflake hands and is inspired by the Grand Seiko Snowflake
I love that nickname 😅! Honestly, when building an Ali watch, you have to expect that something is going to go wrong, and that the cost is going to increase from the initial price. When you do get more comfortable, I would recommend that you build one of your own. It is actually very rewarding
I’m very happy that you found this watch culture and hobby. It’s something I wish I had found it at younger age. By the way you’re finished products look quite good. I’m mostly wonder if you’re in school still how do you find time to do the projects that you’re doing and do your homework on a daily basis? Anyway, if you wanna know anything about me, just ask I’ve been doing this watch thing for many many years and I really love the horology..
This hobby is quite great isn't it! I really do like the end product as well. I usually try to spread out my work throughout the school year so that I have time to make videos while also prioritizing school work. As for my question for you, it would be: do you ever become disillusioned with the idea of horology; sometimes I can't help but feel that a lot of it is just really clever marketing to justify some of the crazy prices these luxury brands are charging consumers. Thanks for watching!
Good video. Amazing build by the way and I'm just glad to see younger generation getting into watches and watch hobby as a whole. Looking forward to more videos!
Do you miss Michael from Theo and Harris? I do ! Great video. I just ordered parts to make a GMT similar to Elliot Cool GMT turquoise. I am now worried about having to file down the dial to adopt the NH34 but hopefully my ali express dial description was correct. What type of file did you use?
Hello Phillipe! I really do miss Micheal. I actually started watching videos on his channel the Iron Snail though. I also watched the Elliot Coll GMT video - big fan. Unfortunately, a lot of supposed NH34 dials do not have a properly fitted pinion hole, so you may have to use a file. I used a cylindrical file.
Hi TT! That Seiko build looks wonderful! Really pro! Thank you for the warning about the pitfalls of such endeavors...it can be difficult and frustrating. You have patience that's for sure. Do you have a watchmaker's bench and starter tools? I have 2 Seikos in my collection, Black Monster 1st Gen (SKX779) and Seiko Prospex Diver/GMT (SPB383), that I just love... Great vlog on your Seiko build...really looks good on your wrist!
Hi watchprince! Thank you so much for stopping by once again! I try my best to report every aspect about a product, so im glad that it shows. I don't have a watchmakers bench, but I do have a basic starter kit (the Namoki one), some gasket grease, and a movement holder. Your collection sounds awesome by the way. Thanks for commenting!
I broke the pinion for the second hand on a Miyota 8 series movement when I was trying to get the second hand installed. Also a diy watch. Now I have a nice two handler. I wasn’t really amused. One day I will get me a new second wheel and replace that thing. I never wear that watch but then I will. I’m glad you got your little Frankenstein creature running. Cheers. 🥂🕐⚙️🍸
@@NaNByZero Great to hear that you adapted and are currently enjoying your watch! Out of curiosity, was it your first build - if it was, I find it quite advantageous to build a watch using a miyota. Thanks for watching!
i like kit bashing......or taking the best parts of affordable quartz watches and putting all the best parts together to create my very own great looking Frankenstein watch (a watch made from other watch parts). very easy to do with quartz watches because there is little or no modifications needed...just make sure all the watches are relatively the same size, most parts are interchangeable as well.
@@spankyharland9845 thanks for sharing! Perhaps I could make a quartz watch for my dad - he tends to break things, so I am pretty sure he'd break a mechanical watch
Watching this while waiting on a replacement dial, bezel ring and hand set. As for the homages, I'm also trying to get out of that as a teenager struggling with money. Anyways, great Video and keep up the good work💪
Good video never moded a watch but would love to one day it looks like it's a lot of fun. You built id very pleasing to the eyes looks like you enjoyed building the watch also side good to see you making videos like this one
Nice job with the build! 👍 It's a great hobby and your enthusiasm comes across. I wouldn't be surprised if you do end up learning to regulate your movements. You don't need much in the way of tools for it, and I'm sure you could do it after watching a YT video or two demonstrating rate adjustment. You could leave the beat error alone (under 1ms is okay) & just get the rate into the right ball park (running fast rather than slow, which is normally preferred). You can use an app on your smartphone to serve as a free timegrapher for this, to quickly see the impact of your adjustments to the regulator arm of the balance. It can take some back-and-forth to dial it in, but one only needs to remain calm & practice doing _slight nudges_ of the arm (using your appropriate-sized screwdriver). You'll see the effect that even the slightest movement of that regulator arm has on the rate. Sometimes you can do fine adjustment of the rate by simply turning a screw on the balance (e.g. clockwise = faster, counter-clockwise = slower), and in that case it can be quite simple w/ no timegrapher needed (IMO). You'd just give that little screw a wee tweak in the right direction, then close the case right back up & see how the rate is (repeat if needed). 👍
Thank you for commenting! Honestly, after all of the comments about regulating watches, I am pretty sure in the near future I will try regulating this movement. Thank you for taking the time to give me some pointers, as I really do appreciate it!
@@TimeTickerOfficial You are so brave! I have a custom golden rotor and black date wheel for one of my watches that I’ve had for almost a year. Every time I say, ‘Okay, today I will do it,’ I open the watch, look at the thing, look at the rotor… the rotor looks back at me, and I close everything up and don’t do sht! 🤣. I tried on a cheap Pagani I don’t care about anymore and managed to get the NH35 out, but I scratched a lot of things. I have like 20 different screwdrivers, and NONE seem to engage the center screw to take the rotor out. I even joined a Facebook group for modding, and no one could give me a link to a screwdriver that could be used for that, or they didn’t want to. I don’t know, but I think I better leave that for the pros 😅
@@CoolWatchesOnly haha! It may be a while before I regulate the watch 😅 because I've heard a few stories about accidentally messing up the movement. I am also very much afraid, but eventually I'll get to it 😅
@@TimeTickerOfficial Yes, all in the fullness of time! The first time it's a bit nerve-wracking because you _are_ working close to the balance which _is_ the most delicate part of the movement. However with a cheap 10X loupe you'll be able to see what you're doing, and that already makes the task seem doable. If you stay cool you'll be fine (cover it up with a bowl to keep dust out & walk away if you need a break). Anyway, when you eventually do give it a whirl, I'll be glad to hear of your success. I mainly wanted to tell you that it's doable w/o a big investment of time or $. Some movements require more skill and even a special tool to change the rate (e.g. Rolex), some are extra easy to adjust (simply turn a screw), but Seiko's NH movements are "normal" difficulty (nudging a regulator arm to change the effective length of the balance spring). Anyhow I'll stay tuned. 👍
@@Uchoobdood Hello! Thank you so much for watching! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the video. I have not come across a black dial version of this particular dial, however, I will keep and eye out for one. You should definitely build your own watch by the way
I hope you enjoyed the experience of mashing up your own watch. I thought I might try my hand at it a year or so ago, got one of the kits. It's still in the box. I'm at the point in my watch journey that I can comfortably spend some actual money on very good watches (not the big ones, those would take some significant planning and I'd be afraid to actually wear them). I think the thought of working on watches has more appeal to me than actually doing it. And I don't have to. I just change the straps and such as needed. But you have a better story to tell.
Very interesting story Chuck! Honestly, watch building is not for everyone, and personally, building Seiko Mods is the furthest extent I would tinker with watches at this point in my life. I don't think I would try regulating or tinkering with the movement itself. I still think that you should try out the kit to see if you'd enjoy it 😅 - you never know! I personally don't understand how people wear watches that any reasonable person would consider expensive - I would also be afraid of the smallest of scratches. Thank you so much for commenting and watching!
@@TimeTickerOfficial I am comfortable with scratches. Partly the fact that I have beater watches that I wear to work and they *will* get scratched so I'm less sensitive. Partly because I think most scratches just tell the story of a watch. There can get a point when it's ridiculous, though. I stopped wearing my Orient Kamasu to work because eventually, the bezel was just beat to hell and didn't look good anymore. Might have to try replacing it one day...
@@chuckmontgomery7571 I agree with your scratch sentiment, but personally, of I had a watch that was ridiculously expensive, I would have a different outlook on scratches 😅.
@@TimeTickerOfficial Well I used to be more afraid of scratches. After a few, I have found that most are not terribly noticeable by anyone other than the obsessive owner. But I am mostly speaking of small scratches. I have seen some that are loud and proud and I would be horrified if I did that to my watch. We all have different views on many things though. I find them interesting.
Oh man... It looks like you a rough time. It sounds like you get what you pay for and its worth spending a bit more for Namoki kits. Hope you have a great day!
You made a nice looking watch! Having said that, I wouldn't have bought a dial that had a ripoff brand name on it. If I couldn't find a sterile dial with 24-hour markers, then I would have forfeited the 24-hour markers. After all, you just have to multiply the GMT displayed time by two to get the actual GMT time (i.e. if the GMT hand points at 6:30, just multiply 6.5 x 2 and you get 13:00, or 1 PM). Other than that, your watch rocks pretty good, and I really like the strap you picked for it. Cheers!
Hi Frank! You made some very good points. Personally, I value the 24 hour markings because it makes it easier to read the time. Similar to how you could do the math in your head to calculate the time in another time zone, personally, I find that the purpose of my GMT watches are to make it almost a brainless task. Thank you for commenting!
@@iron883cd Wow! Great to hear from another watch modder! I hope that I don't make as many mistakes on my next build 😅. Out of curiosity, would you mind telling me what your mod looks like?
I though about doing the same though Ali's but couldn't get around the limited selection, i mean you better be a fan of Rolex or Seiko because that's about all you're gonna get. And most everything is still only offered in a 40 mm case size, i was looking more for a 36-38 mm field watch build.
Hello John! I definitely agree with you. That is why other Seiko mod stores exist 😅. But frankly, I find that most Seiko Mods are HEAVILY "inspired" by other watches, and I find that it's really hard to make something original. If you want to build a field watch, there are some options on Ali, but unfortunately, there are minimal ratings. Thanks for watching!
By the way, even though the watch case I am using is a bit flashy, there are a ton of 36-38mm watch cases on Ali that have not given me any problems: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_DCpND1V
@@TimeTickerOfficial Also Ali had a continuity problem where the parts where built mostly to the NH35/36 standard, which limited my selection as i like quartz. There are actually more watches using Timex, Miyota, Seiko and Rhonda quartz movements than the NH series. Iv'e been modding Timex Expedition Metal watches for a while and would love for someone to produce a stainless case for their Indiglo movements.
@@johnjones928 Very true! I was looking into building a quartz watch for my dad, but the selection does seem to be quite limited. thanks for responding
Well, you ended up with a really good-looking watch there ..... Ok, the actual build process sounded marginally less enjoyable than a trip to the dentist ..... but that could also add the the overall satisfaction when it's finally complete and sitting pretty on your wrist. Kudos for seeing it through to the ticking end .... and thank you for sharing the experience. Hope you have many happy years with your bespokely stylish timepiece.
@@markstanton63 thank you Mark! I really do enjoy the watch. I do wish however that it didn't run slow. Thank you for watching. Out of curiosity, have you built your own watch?
@@TimeTickerOfficial - I'm with you there, a slow-running watch is irritating in a way that a fast-running one isn't. Easy to remedy though by giving the regulator lever above the mainspring a little nudge in the right direction. Iv'e never attempted to do a self-build... Kind of tempted to. Especially after seeing your gorgeous Namokimod (even without its pesky seconds hand fatality) .... and your beautiful new self-built GMT. But first, I will need to invest in a new pair of spectacles and meditate studiously on the art of not breaking things when trying to put them together in the right order.
@@markstanton63 hilarious comment Mark! I am the furthest thing from meticulous when it comes to building watches - aka, if I can cobble together a watch, you definitely can!
You’re tue cutest thing on watch market nowadays, but PLEASE stop calling copies homage, homage is a design that resembles something, that pays tribute, not explicitly copies it
You're absolutely right Mark! I think because when I say homages I usually am referring to Chinese "clomages", I started using the word incorrectly. Thanks for watching
You mentioned that adjusting a watch movement takes special tools…the NH movements don’t need any special tools! Just watch a short video and learn how to adjust the rate level on your own.
Hello! Thanks for taking the time to comment! I thought that you had to use a timegrapher ($180 CAD) or an app. I was contemplating using an app, but I was worried that I would magnetize the watch or that it would not be sufficiently accurate. If you have any suggestions, I would be open to trying to regulate this. Thank you so much for watching!
@@TimeTickerOfficial I used the free version of "Timegrapher", connected a standard Apple Earpod to my phone, placed the watch on the microphone part, adjusted the +- until I'm close to zero. Now my NH34-based SSK023 runs at -1s a day vs the +20 it started with from the factory.
@@TimeTickerOfficial ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Ui_QnDKciBU.htmlsi=g3DCwt2TyRu9DFeL This is how to adjust the movement in under 3 minutes with only a prying toll such as a tooth pick. You don’t need a Timegrapher and can simply measure how accurate it is keeping time after about 12 to 24 hours after setting it in unison with an atomic or internet clock.
7:26 The grammatically correct word is actually "is", not "are" because the sentence's subject is singular. ("ONE of my favorite ...") The fact that the object of the sentence is plural does not matter.
Aliexpress listings are incorrect sometimes, plus some of the Chinese manufacturers seem to chuck extra printing onto dials and think that's sufficient for purpose, for example, I've seen 24 hour dials listed as being for ETA 2824 movements - the 2824 is a three-hand (plus date) 12-hour movement. It might work for an ETA 2893 movement, but I don't know if I'd trust the hole in the dial to be sufficiently big for the 24-hour wheel either.
