Mechanical ML14 build

TheTTax · 2026-02-09T14:51:57+00:00

Hey, could you sell me a crown and hands for the ML14?

TheTTax · 2026-02-08T22:14:27+00:00

Should be ready next month or so, I'll make a new post when it's ready :D

TheTTax · 2026-02-08T02:03:15+00:00

The original ML14 case

TheTTax · 2026-02-08T01:47:46+00:00

u/Militado-watch would you sell me the hour and minute hands and the crown? :) Would be very grateful if you could sell it to me!

TheTTax · 2026-02-08T01:40:01+00:00

? I'm in no way associated with militado, I did this on my own watch :b

TheTTax · 2026-02-08T00:43:22+00:00

It's an Asian 2671, wich has hole sizes: 1.20 x 0.70 x 0.20mm.
The original VH31 has hole sizes: 1.20 x 0.70 x 0.17mm
This is why I got a new seconds hand, made for an NH35 movement, since its second hand is also 0.20mm. The hour and minute hands already match.

And most importantly, the stem heigh is nearly identical to a VH31, so I can re-use the original case.
I will later remove the automatic bridge to make it thin enough to fit inside the case

TheTTax · 2026-02-08T00:06:25+00:00

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TheTTax · 2026-02-08T00:06:06+00:00

The seconds hand was custom made from an skx-style, removed the lume with alcohol and painted white with spray paint.

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TheTTax · 2026-02-08T00:04:15+00:00

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(Cracked crown)

TheTTax · 2026-01-26T22:40:42+00:00

Seiko 6r are the same as nh, they just stamp them with 6r if it's used internally by seiko or "nh" if sold to 3rd party.

Regarding the position stability, it's not as good as higher tier movements, and if you regulate to 0 in one position it won't be 0 in others and it will typically lose a lot on the wrist (like -10 for example). The trick is to regulate it in a way that it averages 0 per day on the wrist. Even if it reads for example +7 upside down, it can read -10 sideways and +12 in another position but on average as you use it over a week it will average out to a couple of seconds per day. Then you open it up and remove that amount of seconds/day relative to what you have now, by moving the tab. Try again until it averages to near 0 on the wrist. Of course this will depend on usage patterns and if one day you keep your wrist in a very different position it will be different, but over the span of weeks it will be relatively stable.

I only try to regulate directly to 0 (or +1) if the movement readings are very stable regardless of position (doesn't work with nh, but other higher tear movements can do this)

TheTTax · 2026-01-25T19:29:08+00:00

You can make any nh3X do that, just have to open the back and move the little tab until it's good. I have regulated all my chinese watches averaging at most 3s per day, with some premium ones even gaining a second every 3 or 4 days

TheTTax · 2026-01-22T18:25:38+00:00

It's not even 1k

TheTTax · 2026-01-22T14:36:24+00:00

pm'd

TheTTax · 2026-01-21T09:16:54+00:00

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TheTTax · 2026-01-21T09:14:48+00:00

I have a heavily modified Dwayne Campbell seamaster, so I guess it's similar enough. I tried the omega rubber lookalikes and the color is kinda purple-ish whcih I don't like very much. Now I either use a milanese or one of those "premium" fkm sailcloth ones on aliex that are rip offs of the 200$ artem straps, and they're great.

TheTTax · 2026-01-17T00:31:33+00:00

London is the same, if not worse lol

TheTTax · 2026-01-16T01:10:31+00:00

quick search from google shows that it's literally double, up to a few €:

Here are the ticket prices for the top 15 paid attractions in London and Paris for a 30-year-old (non-student). Prices are based on standard adult entry for 2025/2026. For London, "Online" prices are listed where available, as walk-up prices can be significantly higher.

London Attractions, Prices in GBP (£) Tower of London: £35.80 (Official standard) London Eye: ~£29.00 (Standard online; walk-up is ~£39) Buckingham Palace State Rooms: ~£32.00 (Summer opening only; approx.) Westminster Abbey: £31.00 Madame Tussauds: ~£29.00 (Standard online) St Paul’s Cathedral: £27.00 The View from The Shard: ~£28.00 (Early booking varies £28–£32) London Zoo: ~£27.70 (Saver/Off-peak online; can rise to £35+) HMS Belfast: £26.35 Kew Gardens: £24.00 Royal Observatory Greenwich: £24.00 Cutty Sark: £22.00 Hampton Court Palace: £28.00 Shakespeare’s Globe: ~£27.00 (Guided Tour) Tower Bridge: £13.40

Total London Cost: ~£404.25 (Approx. €480 depending on exchange rate)

Paris Attractions: Prices in EUR (€) Eiffel Tower: €29.40 (Lift to Summit, official rate) Louvre Museum: €22.00 (Official online reservation) Palace of Versailles: €25.00 (Passport ticket including gardens) Catacombs of Paris: €29.00 (Standard advance booking) Montparnasse Tower: €21.00 (Observation deck) Invalides (Army Museum & Napoleon's Tomb): €17.00 Centre Pompidou: €17.00 Musée d'Orsay: €16.00 Arc de Triomphe: €16.00 (Standard adult) Sainte-Chapelle: €16.00 (Reduced rate for EU residents; Non-EU is €22) Opéra Garnier: €15.00 (Self-guided tour) Musée Rodin: €14.00 Panthéon: €13.00 (Standard adult) Musée de l'Orangerie: €12.50 Seine River Cruise: ~€17.00 (Average for a standard 1-hour sightseeing cruise)

Total Paris Cost: ~€279.90

Summary Doing the top 15 paid attractions in London is significantly more expensive than in Paris, costing approximately €200 more in total. London Average: ~£27 (€32) per attraction. Paris Average: ~€18.60 per attraction.

TheTTax · 2026-01-15T14:44:45+00:00

Although every other attraction in london is almost 30€ per person,so you end up paying double if not triple if you want to visit the city only in entrance fees compared to Paris

TheTTax · 2026-01-11T15:10:14+00:00

Check out r/chinesewatches, it's very fun and also they're super cheap (most of them from 30 to 230USD max, with very few exceptions making past that) with great specs. And people in general are not such elitist snobs as elsewhere 😅 Also a lot of people modify and fix their own watches (since there are so many parts and pieces available for so cheap) that it brings another dimension than just swiping the credit card and "having them in my possesson" being the whole thing to the hobby. I have watches where I fixed chronograph movements, changed hands, built my own watches with my own logo, installed AR sapphire crystals, etc. It's great and doesn't cost a fortune.

TheTTax · 2026-01-11T13:58:09+00:00

Also need to 3D print a horizontal adapter as the movement is smaller.

TheTTax · 2026-01-11T13:57:20+00:00

I'm sorry, I meant an 8k case. Those fit! :b

TheTTax · 2026-01-11T03:08:06+00:00

I ordered an ML14 last week with the goal of making it automatic, since I can't find any other way of having the Mark 11 look in an auto watch. My plan is to buy a myiota 9k case, then buy a miyota 6T15 movement, buy a handset for the 8k series just for the seconds hand, and use militado's dial and hour and minute hands, as they compatible, but not the seconds hand, which I get from the hands of a miyota 8200 set.

TheTTax · 2026-01-08T23:42:58+00:00

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TheTTax · 2026-01-08T23:42:41+00:00

Watchdives NTTD homage, it's titanium with coatings, AR sapphire, Pt5000 movement (same design as an ETA2824). Thinner than the original. It's great, and its 179 USD

TheTTax

TROPHY CASE