Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get into this whole watch thing, and I stumbled upon something called the “Sean Connery Submariner.” Sounds fancy, right? I’m no watch expert, but I figured it’d be a cool project to try and piece one together myself. You know, get my hands dirty and maybe even learn something along the way. I always liked Sean Connery, and there’s something about that vintage 007 vibe that’s just cool as hell.
Finding the Right Base
First things first, I needed to find a watch that looked the part. From what I gathered, this “Submariner” is based on an old Rolex model, the 6538, which is way out of my price range. After a lot of digging around online, mostly on forums and some sketchy-looking websites, I figured a good starting point would be a replica, or maybe a better word is “homage,” of that model. I ain’t rich, folks.
I ended up ordering one online. It was a bit of a gamble, since I couldn’t see it in person first. Took a few weeks to get it, and honestly, I was a little nervous when the package finally showed up. But when I opened it, it was better than I expected. It had that classic look, the big crown, no crown guards. Felt solid in my hand. We were off to a decent start.
The Hunt for Parts
Now, this was where things got tricky. I wanted to make this thing look as close to the original as possible. I spent hours, maybe even days, looking at grainy old photos of Sean Connery wearing the watch in Dr. No. And the internet, oh, the internet. There is so much info, and so much of it is just confusing. I realized I needed a new bezel insert, a new dial, and maybe even new hands. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought.
- Bezel Insert: This was probably the hardest part to find. I wanted that specific font, that faded look. I went through several duds, ordering from different places, before I found one that was pretty close.
- Dial: The dial that came with the watch was okay, but it wasn’t right. I needed one with gilt text, and that specific “chapter ring” thing. Found one eventually. Not perfect, but it would do.
- Hands: The hands were the easiest to find, surprisingly. I just needed some generic Mercedes-style hands. Got those on the cheap.
Putting It All Together
So, I had all the parts. Now came the scary part: taking the watch apart. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos, bought a cheap set of watch tools online, and basically held my breath the whole time. I’m not gonna lie, I was terrified of breaking something. I almost gave up when I had to take the old bezel off. It was nerve-wracking.
Slowly but surely, I managed to swap out the dial, the hands, and the bezel insert. I scratched the crystal a little, but whatever. Adds character, right? The whole process took me an entire weekend, and I probably swore more than I have in the past year. But in the end, I had something that actually resembled the Sean Connery Submariner.
The Final Product
It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. But you know what? I’m proud of it. I built it, or at least modified the heck out of it. It’s got that vintage look I was going for, and every time I wear it, I think of Sean Connery, Dr. No, and all that cool spy stuff. Plus, I learned a ton about watches in the process. Now, I’m looking at other watches to fix up or modify. It’s a slippery slope, I tell ya. If you have some free time and are looking for a unique challenge that is kind of fun, this is the way, but you will have some headaches for sure!
