W. N. Mates

I've searched the forum as much as I can, but can't see any reference to UK based modders or watchmakers. Ive got an IWC 3717 rep with an asian 7750 motor, recently purchased, and the movement is all over the place (gaining over 15 minutes a day), whilst the handwind facility doesn't work easily, and the crown hardly screws down. Although it was one of the "Don't worry, we personally inspect all watches prior to sale, and we don't drop ship" sites, when I asked the dealer I bought it from if I could return it (within 1 day of receipt), I was told to send it back to China myself! So, I need to have someone either fix it or (maybe preferably) fit a gen Swiss 7750 movement. Does anyone have any idea who could do this for me in UK please?

I couldn't quite understand why anyone would want to spend money on upgrading a rep, until I received my Arktos GMT! A really smart watch, on a great shark strap, and I haven't taken it off during the day since I got it. There are a couple of things that could be improved (maybe more, but I haven't noticed them yet) - the crown guard doesn't sit flush to the case, the bezel rattles, and the edges of the letters and markers on the bezel are sharp and catch on clothing. My question is - can anyone tell me who might be able to fix these small problems in UK or Europe (I really don't want any Customs hassles now I've got the watch into UK). I don't know what the movement is, but it works fine at the moment, and the GMT too - I might want to see if it can be changed to an ETA 2836 or 2892 if that is possible, depending on what it would cost. If anyone can help me out with some advice here, I'd be very grateful.

It might have been discussed, and I'm still searching the Forum for answers, but the problem that I have (and maybe others too) is that in my part of UK, there are only 2 independent watch repairers, and neither will touch reps. The main dealers won't, of course, so I am stuck if anything goes wrong with a watch. It might be a simple problem, but I have no idea (my technical skills just about run to lighting a match ), so what do I do - junk the watch? As a Newbie, what would help me in addition to the 'Trusted Dealer' information is a similar list of trusted watch repairers who do good work (service, relume, swap movements, etc.). There might be one somewhere on the Forum, but as I said, I'm trawling, and haven't found anything yet! Any pointers will be very welcome.

Thanks for the welcome and advice so far! I hope some Bell and Ross fundi's can help me further.

Magic, just magic! Well done.

Hi Everyone, I'm new here, although I've been lurking for a few weeks, and must say I'm impressed with the apparent quality of some of the replicas you can get nowadays, and especially with the work of some of the Forum members - amazing. I've been fascinated with mechanical watches for years now, and if I were a Millionaire, I'm sure I'd have hundreds, but if it's the choice between paying the bills and buying an IWC Navitimer, I have to pay the bills first! Like many of us, I have a few questions, and if anyone who reads this post is kind enough to answer them, I'd be very grateful: - How do you know if a site says the watch has a 'genuine Swiss ETA movement' it really has? - Which are the best sellers of high quality replicas (I'm in Europe, and would prefer no Customs hassles if possible)? - Are any of the Forum members also builders/modifiers/sellers of watches? I really like the Bell & Ross 42mm steel BRO3-92 at the moment, but the quality I've seen in the small number I've managed to look at isn't too good, and the accuracy is awful. Any ideas where to get a good one (I am already lusting after Avitt's DLC mod!)? Thanks for taking the time to read this short introduction, and thanks for having me on the Forum. Billy