# Smiths A558 Project



## aroma (Dec 11, 2009)

Hi Fellow Tinkerers,

This is my first real project as an apprentice Tinkerer - I've always liked the colours black with gold as it looks so elegant and timeless and being a bit of a Smiths fan, I have lusted after a Deluxe model A558 (solid gold BWC case with black dial and gold hour markers). The only trouble is that in all my searching, I have never come across one and have only seen an image in Barrie Smith's excellent book. So I thought, why not make up one myself.

I bought a tatty old Smiths model A505 in a nice 9kt gold BWC case










and a Smiths model A358 with a good dial and handset but a rather worn gold-plated case










An easy mod you would think - just change over the movements and job done - but oh no, unknown to me at the time, the BWC cases come with two sizes of caseback - shallow (for the 15 jewel movement) and deeper (to accommodate the centre seconds bridge on the 27CS movement) and I had a shallow case and a 27CS. So, I had failed at the first hurdle.

I had to either abandon the idea or buy another BWC case in good condition with a deeper caseback (not easy to find) - or find a decent Smiths slimline movement (like in the later Astrals). I chose the latter and acquired this tatty looking (but working) movement



















So I took the dial from the original A358, the movement and handset from the slimline Astral, straightened the second hand (I had to shorten it as well) and fitted it into the BWC case. This is the result:-



















I'm sure the purists out there would shudder at this as the movement is not contemporary with the case but hey ho, it's not a Rolex and I think the result is lovely


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Looks lovely!!! Well done! Whats your next task................. :lol:


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## KevG (Dec 15, 2008)

Really nice jobyou made a cracking watch there.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I'd be more than happy to have that on my wrist, nice work. :yes: The Red tipped seconds hand always works for me.


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