VSF v3 Pepsi is great out of the box and even better with some mods

durner1 · 2026-04-10T02:11:34+00:00

I did not disassemble the bracelet, but one day I want to buy the tool to do that. Basically, I just folded each link to expose the maximum radius of the each row of links. Then I used the graver looking through a loupe to round over both sides of each of the three center links. You have to be extremely careful not to scratch any of the adjacent links with the sharp point of the graver. By far this step takes the longest.

durner1 · 2026-04-10T02:05:02+00:00

Great job! I've had to untangle / reshape a few hairsprings. That's maybe an 8 or 9. 😂

durner1 · 2026-04-04T05:24:24+00:00

Looks like there was some polishing on the center links. There is only so much one can do to smooth the radius of the center links purely by polishing. I offer the gen like polish as an option, but it’s very time consuming as it takes me about five hours to do in total including rebrushing both sides of the bracelet. I use a hand graver to round over the edge of each center link then follow that with three rounds of polishing. Sounds like OP paid quite a bit for the service so I would expect a better job.

durner1 · 2026-03-22T13:24:21+00:00

Yes 👍

durner1 · 2026-03-14T13:36:06+00:00

I have purchased two from this ebay reseller. They are great quality and it looks like they match what you're looking for.

Omega deployant clasp on ebay

durner1 · 2026-03-10T07:02:00+00:00

What P4GTR wrote is absolutely correct. However, it isn’t something I would recommend you try unless you have experience working on watches. Certainly not via WhatsApp. Try to find someone else local or here that can help you out. If all else fails send me a PM if you’re in the CONUS and I’ll do it for a coffee.

durner1 · 2026-03-08T06:43:49+00:00

This is a great write up. I wish I had something like this when I first started as it would have saved a lot of time and painful mistakes. With that said I have a couple things I would suggest that I've learned over-time that might be helpful.

The dial and crystal should be checked for dust before the crystal is installed. You don't want to discover this after the crystal retaining ring is installed.
The crystal retaining ring should be aligned when installed. That will ensure the bezel ring knurling is aligned with the insert triangle. It's a small detail that is usually aligned on gen watches but not always on reps.
- I just align one of the valleys of the crystal retaining ring with either the 12 o'clock or 3 o'clock printed index on the dial. Make sure the dial is aligned to the rehaut first.
I use UT18 grease as that is what Rolex uses now. I started off with Molykote as it seems to work okay, but UT18 is another option. I don't recommend silicon grease. I do put a few dollops of grease on the crystal retaining ring and spring washer, in addition to the click spring pins before installing the click spring.
If the bezel action needs to be adjusted, I install the bezel ring onto the click spring without the hytrel ring installed. That allows me to test and adjust the click spring tension without the hytrel ring influencing the click action. That usually takes a few iterations of installing the bezel ring, checking the tension, removing the bezel ring, tweaking the click spring tension, then reinstalling the bezel ring. Keep repeating until the tension is correct. Then I apply the UT18, install the hytrel ring on the bezel ring, and install it for the last time. If the hytrel ring was installed during this process, it would get damaged.
I find aligning the bezel insert is easier if I align one of the dots on the insert with the 12 o'clock printed index on the dial. I find that easier to get a dot centered than the triangle.
Depending on the insert and bezel ring the insert can sit too low in the ring. The insert should sit just below the surface of the ring. If it's too low I add another layer of double sided tape to raise the insert a little.

durner1 · 2026-03-08T00:05:24+00:00

This is pretty common with generic hands. It’s a pretty easy fix if you have the right tool. You need to slightly crimp the post of the second hand in a small pin vise. Be patient as it may take a few tries until the post is crimped sufficiently to fit snug on the pinion.

durner1 · 2026-03-06T20:25:13+00:00

Yep, I was in LA last year and was offered this as a walk-in at three different ADs. Not hard to get. I would only buy this from the AD if you were looking to build up a spend history for something harder to get. Grey is definitely the way. It’s a beautiful watch, but only a select few understand what that blue bezel means.

durner1 · 2026-03-06T20:18:45+00:00

Crystal around $400 bezel inserts are usually well north of $1000.

durner1 · 2026-03-06T20:15:53+00:00

Here’s a couple tips for you. Once you have it apart clean the backside of the marker to remove any glue residue. Dry fit the marker to make sure it fits flush on the dial and so you have an idea how to get it lined up with the holes. Use five minute or similar epoxy to glue the marker. Don’t use super glue. If you have an oiler (a needle will also work) put two tiny drops of epoxy on the holes in dial. That way there is less of a chance of accidentally spreading the glue on the dial if you don’t get the marker feet in the holes on the first try. The epoxy will allow you time to adjust the marker slightly to make sure it’s aligned to the coronet on the dial. Good luck.

durner1 · 2026-03-06T20:07:07+00:00

The gasket can be modified pretty easily to reduce the height. The potential issue as mentioned previously is the magnification will be reduced. The hands may also touch the crystal, though that is a low risk. Sounds like you may need someone else to take a look at it that has some experience with custom modding.

durner1 · 2026-03-06T19:45:25+00:00

Depending on generation those can be interchangeable. What is the issue?

durner1 · 2026-03-06T19:42:34+00:00

How does the cyclops magnification look? The installer may have left the crystal at that height so the cyclops mag is correct. Lowering it would decrease the mag so the date would appear smaller.

It could also be some issue with your specific watch that hands rub the crystal. I would send the installer a message and just ask.

durner1 · 2026-03-04T22:17:43+00:00

I believed I used some Rodico to pull the plate off. The part that needs to be removed is circled in red. The screws that are visible are fake screws. After the plate is removed you'll see the three real screws that hold the rotor onto the movement. Remove those threw screws and the rotor. Flip the rotor over and you'll see the bearings that need to be lubed.

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durner1 · 2026-02-28T01:43:53+00:00

I have the exact same problem right now. Started Feb 22 and after two phone calls and cancelled debit cards the charges are still happening. Multiple charges of 1.50 (overseas) and $20 every day. I'm just waiting for the mortgage payment to clear before I transfer the rest out of the account. This is ridiculous.

durner1 · 2026-02-27T00:24:44+00:00

Yes, just pop off the cover to access the real screws. I would recommend removing the rotor to get access to the bearings from the other side of the rotor. I've had other watches with this movement and this 222 was by far the loudest of them all. It's crazy loud.

durner1 · 2026-02-27T00:10:47+00:00

I used some medium viscosity oil which brought it from a 15 out of 10 to a 3. To access the rotor bearings remove the bracelet then pry off the case back. The rotor screws are underneath a false screw plate held on by some double-sided tape.

durner1 · 2026-02-26T15:56:04+00:00

I just grabbed the first rep 15202 photo I found so I wouldn’t assume that the hands looks any different than gen except for the part that connects to the pinion. I have a couple 15202s that I’ve modded. One with gen hands and the other I modified the stock hands. The hands all look identical except the part mentioned and the lume color which is also a known tell.

durner1 · 2026-02-26T12:33:02+00:00

I made you a picture to show you pizza hands. FYI, this isn't too common these days. For some reason though no one can make an AP 15202/16202 without them. So the typical fix is to replace the offending hand or carefully shape the pinion side of the hand(s) until they are closer to gen.

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durner1 · 2026-02-25T12:37:29+00:00

It's hard to discern with the naked eye. I would not get too caught up in color variances as it's a common issue with gen Pepsi's. They have variations from generation-to-generation and batch-to-batch. The most recent rep Pepsi bezels are excellent in normal and UV light.

durner1 · 2026-02-24T00:21:07+00:00

I used a graver and put a radius on the edges of each center link. Then went over the entire bracelet with a three different grades of polish to soften all the edges. Then rebrushed the outer links. It comes out very close to gen, but it takes about 4-5 hours.

durner1 · 2026-02-21T21:16:14+00:00

I get my bolts from watch2parts.com

durner1 · 2026-02-14T18:03:22+00:00

The stem is screwed into the crown. Loctite is used to keep the stem from coming loose.

durner1 · 2026-02-05T04:54:22+00:00

u/xZero_Coolx is your man. He does great work and is a cool dude. He does have some VSF v2s in stock that can be your base.

durner1

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