Hey all!

I've found a good looking constellation dial with 564 movement that is without a case. Considering buying the movement and casing it, but was struggling on which ref is "appropriate"? The caliber is obviously used with multiple different reference numbers so trying to understand if it is "appropriate" to use any of them, or if there is more to it to ensure the dial matches the reference? Is it by using the movement serial number to find a production year and then a corresponding reference number? Is there a table with this kind of information? A fellow forum member helped point to ref 168.017; are there are other references that would also be correct, or is the 168.017 the one to get?

 

Unfortunately sometimes these simply become parts movements because trying to make a complete watch from a bare movement is way more trouble than it's worth.

 

The best way to locate a case is to look at the crystal crown charts. These show the movement number.
Recently I have also found the casing clamp charts also show the case and caliber numbers. They also give an idea if movement rings and spacers are needed to fit a particular dial.

Note you will be competing with people like myself who have been doing this off an on for 30 or more years. Many cases were scrapped for their gold. (Silver cases are rare due to tarnishing to black.)

The supply of vintage cases is getting smaller all the time. The quality on many of them is terrible. The plating worn off, lugs eaten by stretch bands and twisted. Missing bezels and such.

People like shinny. Mop wheels and rouge makes jewelers go giddy. Does not take much skill to mop all the life out of a case.

Somehow I have 19 or 20 Landeron chronograph movements. Might have 5 cases. Many cases what are listed often do not fit the plates I have. Pushers go missing.

Plating uses really nasty chemicals. I knew someone who worked for say the EPA. They would bust plating shops when they got board. Impossible to do such without bending one law or other. Still there are plenty of online tutorials, and one can import the chemicals from the supply house. (Or make them oneself dissolving metals into cleaning vinegar.)

Still it can be a rewarding experience. I recently found most of the parts for a Dynamic. I had the cracked dial for decades. Took over a year to find the case body. Then there is the crystal, hands and a strap. Casing clamps can be tricky too.

I did recently get a 620 (ladies movement) for three bucks from a 99cent start auction. By luck I had the missing parts lying around. Watching it tick is amazing. I got a 505 for a bit more hoping it would fit into the dynamic case. Found a 552, which had a wreaked case, then half a 342 bumper. So it becomes accumulative.

Same could be said for the ladies calibers.

I also started playing with the 1980s quartz movements as well.

Not to mention scrapping apple watches and swatch watches.

It can be fun doing the Victor F. thing. Just remember at the end of the day the creature is still a franken.