Are you tired of endlessly searching for the perfect watch that truly represents your style and personality? It can be so frustrating when you can’t seem to find a timepiece that checks all the boxes.
But fear not, because there’s a solution to this problem: a custom build.
With its limitless customization options, a custom build is the ideal choice for anyone seeking something truly unique and tailored to their preferences.
In this review article, we’ll take a closer look at a NamokiMODS custom build, exploring the features and quality that make it stand out from the crowd, and see if it lives up to the expectations of watch enthusiasts everywhere.
This build costs around $375, and the best part is that Namoki offers free international shipping. They’ve got you covered with taxes and customs fees included, so you won’t encounter any unexpected extra costs.
Parts Used
- NMK939 Fifty-Eight SKX007/SPRD Watch Case Bundle: Steel Finish
- Seiko (SII) NH35 Automatic Movement
- Dial: Tudor Sub Style Enamel Black
- Hands: Snowflake Polished Finish
- Aluminium Bezel Insert: Dual Time style Black/Red (Coke)
- SKX Slim Caseback: Brushed Finish
- Tool bag that’s included with the complete watchmaking sets
The Inspiration For the Build
Since its release, the Tudor BB58 has quickly gained fans because some find the Black Bay too clunky.
Many watch enthusiasts, including myself, were eagerly anticipating the release of a Black Bay GMT in the BB58 case. But, alas, it never happened. We were left hanging, dreaming of what could have been.
That’s where a custom build comes in! It’s the perfect opportunity to explore what that dream watch might have looked like.
Now, let me make one thing clear: I’m not getting all technical and talking about performance or anything. Nope, I’m just here to focus on the aesthetics. How does it look?
Assembly
Alright, let’s dive into this package and see what we’ve got! It comes with a handy tool kit and some step-by-step assembly instructions:
- Dial installation
- Hands installation
- Movement installation
- Stem installation
- Case back installation
I’ll briefly describe each step as I go. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.
Dial Installation
The dial comes with four dial feet so that it can be used on watches with different crown positions.
For a watch with a crown at 3 o’clock, you’ll have to remove the dial feet at 3 and 9 o’clock.
To remove the dial feet, I used a trusty pair of pliers that I usually reserve for watch stems, and then carefully filed down any remaining bits with a carborundum stone and an Arkansas-type stone.
I won’t lie, it was a tad scary at first. I mean, who wants to risk damaging a perfectly fine dial, right? Especially since those dial feet are so close to the edge. But guess what? Turns out, this is actually the most common method of removing the dial feet.
Now, some modders prefer a different approach. They like to use tweezers to gently rock the feet from side to side until they come off. Whatever floats your boat, really.
When it comes to black dials, especially those with glossy piano finishes, we need to be extra careful. Treat them like delicate gems!
Wear finger cots to avoid leaving any pesky fingerprints and make sure you’ve got a clean surface to work on. Trust me, black dials have a way of showing every little speck of dust and scratch.
Once you’re ready to install the dial, simply press those dial feet into the designated holes in the spacer ring. Easy peasy!
Hands Installation
The Snowflake hands are beautifully polished and filled with lume with a slight green tint.
Installing them using the hand-fitting tools included in the tool bag was straightforward.
Every time you remove and reinstall them, you risk damaging the dial. Be sure to do it right the first time.
The color and brightness of the lume of the dial and hands match perfectly.
The Bezel Insert
This case bundle requires a sloped bezel insert, so I picked the aluminum Coke-style one. IMO it’s a little bit more special compared to the Pepsi color scheme you immediately think of.
The bezel insert comes with an adhesive ring, but that didn’t work for me.
I attached it with B-7000 glue, so it shouldn’t come off any time soon.
Movement Installation
Place the movement with the dial and hands on a case cushion, then place the case with the crystal over it.
You can’t press it straight down because you’ll damage the dial with the crown tube, so you’ll have to roll it on from the side.
To do this, the stem must be removed. This was even more fiddly than removing the dial feet was.
You have to hold the movement and press a little pawl with a cocktail stick or something similar.
By then, I’d run out of hands, so I had to use my teeth to pull out the crown and stem. It sounds very professional, I know.
The rest was a piece of cake as soon as this was done.
The Movement
The Seiko NH35 is a fantastic movement. I’ve owned several watches with this movement, including the Nezumi Baleine, and I’ve never experienced any problems with them.
This particular one runs with an amplitude of 295 and a rate of +2 seconds per 24 hrs. The beat error is 0. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Stem Installation
No problem. I’ve replaced countless stems by now, so this should be a piece of cake. In any case, that’s what I thought.
As it turned out, I screwed up.
As always, I measured the distance between the case and the underside of the crown.
After cutting the stem with pliers, I filed it down to the correct size.
However, this is a screw-down crown. Once you’ve set the time, a spring system allows you to screw it down.
The distance between the underside of the crown and the case should’ve been measured when the crown is screwed down. Therefore, I cut it way too short. Yikes.
Luckily, Jeremiah from NamokiMODS was so kind as to send me a new stem.
Case back Installation
I picked the slim case back because it reduces the total height of the watch by 1 mm, and it’s lighter too.
It’s rated for 5 ATM instead of 30 ATM, but it’ll do fine for desk divers.
Fit the gasket. Install the case back and screw it down with a case back tool.
Finally, something that I didn’t have to redo!
The Results
I think I did reasonably well with my first custom build. Only the winding stem caused a problem, but it was resolved quickly.
It was a lot of fun, and it’s nice seeing the watch you assembled develop.
The case came preinstalled with a top hat sapphire crystal (with clear AR).
Everything feels solid and is nicely finished. The dial looks stunning, and the lume matches that of the hands perfectly.
The sloped aluminum bezel insert is high quality and has beautiful colors. It looks more like a Root beer than a Coke bezel in certain lighting.
What do you think of this NamokiMODS custom build? Let me know in the comments down below.
