Bike Mike

How accurate are these? I know a while back there were issues with AR and a few other things that make them stand out right away from the gens. Is this still the case?

The only thing that is not going to stand out from being a Gen in a Gen! If you like the watch, buy the watch and wear it. No one is ever going to know...and if they did are you that worried about being called out on it? The chances of this happening? It again is a rep, so enjoy it for what it is.

If the PR dropped dramatically to the level you are seeing now and the watch was always keep wound then best bet is the main spring let go. Happened to me 2 weeks after I finished a service on one of my pieces. The main spring is under constant stress from expansion and contraction. This is why I now replace the main spring on every gen. Pain in the a$$ having to replace it 2 months after a full service because it let go.

Bent pivots on the tilting pinion will create the issue you are having as well. One more thing that needs to be checked.

Moebius 8217 for main spring barrel grease

Moebius 8141 for main spring (Automatic. I use a little heavier for manual wind)

Molykote DX for high pressure areas like the chrono reset hammer on a 7750.

The 941 is used on the pallet fork...or any place you need extremely light oil.

I just threwup in my mouth a little! What a waste of a SA!

i would be completely disappointed with Mike if he didn't pop the hands and re-lume them...

you're creating a special piece...Wei - be a lot more demanding with Mike!...i can coach you on how to get what you want - and moreoever what the watch deserves... I'm sure our friend krpster (and others) would agree with me...

R-

And right after I lume Wei's hands I am going to test the metallurgical properties of someone's 252 to ensure that it is actually 316L.

I don't think I have the skills for these monster...The hour hand scares the hell out of me just thinking of trying to flow lume over that gap.

Gen hands are one use only. They get tapped in place with a hand set tool and hammer...you can see this in Breiltings video. Removing the hands, typically will destroy them and risk damage to the dial. Rolex hands are the same way...I have to beat them onto HackR's Tudor.

By the way, the Swiss ETA movement has H4 second/minute/hour wheels installed to make the separation of the hands nice.

FYI, this mod requires turning down of the "shoulder" on the hour wheel. If not, the shoulder will rub on the back side of the dial causing the movement to stop.

Guys,

Mike is the one putting everything together for me. I have thrown him some big challenges... He does excellent work!

Thanks Mike!

No need to thank me man, I am just having fun around here...except work keeps getting in the way. Glad you like the work, that is all that matters. I like being challenged. I was just real happy that I got the date wheel sorted out...first time for everything I guess.

Good thing someone's mad watch making skillz could fix a bent DW. Now onto a pesky crystal.

Found this post while googling Jismaa 125 (which is recommended by ETA for their 7750). Everywhere I've looked mentions Jismaa 124, but not 125. Is there much of a difference? Only thing I found was that the 125 is a heavier grease than the 124.

Any thoughts?

(yes.... I am in the market for some oils so I can start practicing servicing some movements )

Also read that Moebius 9501 is used in place of Jismaa 124 - but can it be used in place of 125?

I am thinking 125 is a mis-print by ETA, as like yourself I was looking for 125 at one point. I talked with my buddy and he said Jismaa 124 or 9501 is what he uses and what is used in the schools. I have used both 9501 and Jismaa 124 where they are called for (areas where clutching is required) on different movements. No noticeable difference.

What I have learned about lubes:

- All the oil recommendations from ETA are biased to a large degree.

- There are other brand oils/lubricants out there that work just as well and better…they are just not recognized by the all mighty ETA as being good enough. But they are good enough for Patek!

- Seems ETA is constantly updating their oil charts with the latest and greatest lubes on the market.

- A good watchmaker knows what lubricant is required to solve the issue. I have seen lubricants mixed to get the correct viscosity and effect, required at the point of lubrication.

PM me is you want to some 9501. Have a massive tube of the stuff. Could never possibly go through in my life time.

It's almost impossible to over wind an 6497... unless you're King Kong. No worry, just wind until you can wind no more!

Guilty!

Invicta comes to mind.

Sad however to observe the complete absence of safety measures on their equipment.

Just think if we did not have OSHA here in the States!

Don't change the date between 10pm and 2am (even with gen swiss watches with high end 7750s).

True for Gen 7750's, but most of the new A7750's have THIS feature that allows you to advance the date whenever you like.

I miss the old days of The Replica Collector. The red light / green light dealer ratings. Not really being sure you'd even receive a watch after you paid. Natalie's A+++++++++++++ subs. (I still have a Natalie watch). Hmmm, what else from those days...

+1! Sub $500 Pam reps with Gen 7753s! Whole lot less people posting "Where can I buy the BEST 1:1 Rolex/Breitling/Omega, etc...?", and never being heard from again.

Ah yes, loved the TRC days. I fell out of the hobby for a short time near the end of TRC, but got back into it and don't ever find myself leaving. I think the biggest thing for me staying in this hobby, is that I took up watchmaking out of a love for solving mechanical problem and always having to fix some thing....oh and build pieces for HackR!

Enjoy the R&R!

Love the sig pic from one of my fav. movies. Got to meet Clint when he was doing this movie in the D and suburbs! The final scene at the end of the car driving up Jefferson Ave with Lake. St. Clair as the backdrop, is so dope!

i hate tourneau as well, it because they offer no more than 15 percent off. that only happens if you've brought watches with them before. they are getting more stingy.

Wow there is a reason to hate a store...becuase they did not give you what you wanted!

What is everyone’s beef with Tourneau? I have bought 6 of my 8 Breitlings, a Bell & Ross and several other pieces from them and never had one issue…Maybe because I only dealt with the manager…but the one by me has gotten me any piece I have wanted at prices better then any other AD.

On a similar note, the Tourneau I frequent, has had 2 incidents where customers have walked in, tried on a piece and bolted. Both we caught on camera and arrested within days. Of course the watches never showed up. About 5 years ago, they got hit by professionals that cleared a good portion of the store out after hours. About a year later the group, 23 people in total we caught in New Mexico by the FBI. Seems like they we sweeping the country stealing watches and selling them in South America and Asia.

Depending on the state you live, armed security guards will have little effect. Someone makes a run for the door, all they can do it tackle them and try to stop them from getting away. They can not draw their weapon unless they are in a life threatening situation.

Nice! Not a bad $150 give away! Got mine for X-mas form the wife along with the Bentley GMT, shown in your first pic. Need to find time to sit down and actually read it.

Sounds about right to me.

4-6 months! On 6 D-Cells! My Orbita winders have lasted over 4 years on 2 D-Cells!

Oh I want one of these! Beautiful!

... More likely, repairing neglected movement should not cost way more that a normal full service (or it usually does?

Repairing a neglected movement can cost substantially more then a typical full service. I just did a full overhaul on a 80’s PD w/7750…Entire new main gear train was needed as all the pivots were worn down…cost the guy an additional $95 in parts alone. That is almost half the cost of the service. 2 weeks ago I watched my buddy overhaul a FM chrono...$400 in movement parts alone! The watch had been worn about every day and never saw a single service since the guy owned it over the last 10 years. So, yes, you can spend much more then the typical labor costs, even on reps if you need to start replacing parts...since only Gen ETA parts are available.

There are few issues I see even with fully serviced A7750's, and really it goes for any Asian movement...Some of the high wear items are not interchangeable with ETA 7750 parts. So if you end up with a worn out escape wheel pivot, you are SOL until you can find the Asian replacement at the correct gear ratio or parts for these movements start becoming available. Also, the final finish on a A7750 is horrible. I have been into a few movements that were locked up due to flakes of the nickel platting of parts coming off. As long as the person that is doing the service knows all the quirks of the A7750, everything should be fine.

A lot of parts are interchangeable between Swiss and Asian 7750. Besides that imo the A7750 is as sturdy and reliable as the ETA after service. They have the same design after all...

Be nice if all the important high wear parts were...main gear train & auto winding train.

How did you get those hands so clean?