automatico

I've always heard it as hoy-yer. ot... I asked a fellow from Russia at a watch show how to pronounce Poljot and he said pol-yote (two long o short e).

"I'm curious as to whether adequate quality replacement parts are available for aging Valjoux movements, especially the chronographs which appear to suffer predictable ailments, which one assumes will over time exhaust the small reserves of old watchmakers cabinets." I have gone through a few retired watch repair guys' parts and found very few V72 parts. It seems that most repair guys did not work on many V72 and waited until a part was needed and ordered one at a time. All I have left is a mainspring and they are relatively easy to find. I would guess the best way to keep one running today is to buy a parts watch.

Nice Kermit! "I like the fact that the TC case takes a 3135." +1 It would be nice if more cases were oem spec on the inside...MBK for instance. It is a LOT easier to adapt an Eta to an oem spec case than to adapt a genuine movement to an Eta/DG case.

"Its only on the new Rolexes released at Basel this year that have the cap from what I can tell..." Maybe they started using 'blind' rivets in the tubes in the ss hands instead of the 'hollow head' rivet method used on earlier models. Almost all ss hands on most brands just have the end of the ss tube turned over into a ring to hold the hand on the tube. Latest model rlx might use a separate rivet pressed into the tube like a bracelet hinge pin...they would have to be very small though. I never see the latest models because I have not been in a rlx AD for 10 years and since this is a Timex/Seiko/Citizen town, I will probably never see one in the wild.

A couple years ago it took over 2 months to get two cases from DW and by then he had paid me back (ordered them on eBay). After they showed up, I returned them but afaik they never made it back. Got more cases from DW since then and they arrived in less than 2 weeks. "Maybe the mail services are slower because of the increased risk of terrorist using the mail to ship things that go Boom! Maybe the US Customs service is in slowdown mode because of the sequestration cuts, who knows? It's just frustrating to pay more for less." Imho it is all about the $$...if shippers can get by with slow, shoddy service for the same or more $$, they will always go for it. US Customs is out to lunch, always has been, always will be because it is a government agency. 'Sequestration cuts' should make no difference, it is political BS. The 'cuts' are in reality only a small percentage cut to the proposed increase in US government funding...they will actually take in a lot more $$ than before. Four things that will never have enough $$: Colleges Hospitals Churches Governments Examples... Harvard’s endowment fund was $37 billion (billion!) on June 30, 2008 before the stock market meltdown took its toll. In January 2010, the total value of Harvard’s endowment fund was 'only' $25.7 billion. They were 'broke' and crying the Blues. Now it is back up and they are begging for money every day of the week while raising tuition. The US government is always broke. Always will be. Why? Because it is run by career politicians, the scum of the Earth. .

VRF 5-18-13 After someone said to give STM the benefit of the doubt when he recently got in trouble on VRF, all the blistered posters shut up like good little boys and acted like everything was Hunkey-Dorey. Well...now it looks like it's not. What it looks like is the blisters are coming to a head. Hunkey Dorey One of the boys am I, That always am in clover; With spirits light and high, 'Tis well I'm known all over. I am always to be found, A singing in my glory; With your smiling faces round, 'Tis then I'm hunkey dorey.

"...but by and large outside of the MBW cases for SD's and Subs, most of the other cases are pretty problematic, at least the ones on my other modded reps." My experience exactly. When using an Eta movement and dial that will fit the case...MBK/MBW cases are about as good as it gets imho. There is simply no excuse for the mistakes that keep popping up on the $500 - $1500 'supercases'. $1500 junk is still junk. I bet if the characters selling these overpriced 'supercases' lived 10 miles down the road rather than half way around the world...their qc would get 10 times better real quick. They are insulated by distance and the fact that they can 'go silent' at any time and this allows them to sell what is basically pot luck junk at astronomical prices. Here is some of what I have learned the hard way: A $50 case is as good as a $1000 case if it works just as well. Eta beats any genuine rolex movement because of cost of mvt, service, parts. Eta is more rugged than genuine 1030/1530/3000/3035/3135. Why? Because a $100 movement is always more rugged than a $1500 movement in my book. Quick set beats slow set. No date models beat them all by virtue of simplicity. Very few people need a watch wr for much more than 30 meters. You have to learn to fix it yourself or know someone who can to make the hobby affordable. etc, etc...

"...I've been doing this gold capped 1550 Date w/ an aftermarket jubilee." I like the dial! Gold caps are a good way to 'go gold' without spending a fortune. I have a 15505 with a g/f over steel stretch oyster 'hair puller' on it that will pass for solid gold as long as you do not turn the watch upside down. (15505 looks exactly like the 1505 but has a 3035)

"I would also suggest that immaterial of being vertical, horizontal or any other plane, as would have been in a 'pocket' these movements were made robustly and have not lasted for 100 years or more for nothing and were often made to time the railways and indeed used for military purposes." Most of the higher grade pocket watches were adjusted in 6 positions so the resting position is not that important imho. What is important to these movements are the shocks and knocks encountered in everyday wear. I have a friend who is a gen-u-ine pocket watch guy (50 years at the bench) and he told me he has replaced at least 500 balance staffs in pocket watches...500! Why? Because they are so fragile. Otoh... There are some beautifully finished 12 size pw movements around and almost all are stem set. The 12 size is a lot easier to find a ww case for and do not look like a 'biscuit on the wrist'. Size 12 Hamilton, Waltham and Elgin are still very affordable because watch traders do not like 12 size watches and parts are everywhere (in the USA). These movements are about the same size as the Unitas/Eta 6497 etc. Railroad watches... Railroad Approved movements are not as suitable to wristwatch conversions because they are lever set. More or less universal USA RR Specs: 18 or 16 size 21 or 23 jewels (some RR allow 19 jewels) must have cap jewels on escape wheel lever set stem wind adjusted 6 positions accurate within 15 seconds per day Must be inspected by RR Approved Watch Inspector once a year and c/o every two years (some RR c/o every year). 'Transportation Grade' watches are the same externally as RR watches but usually have a 17 or 19 jewel movement, pendant set, and are not RR Approved...Hamilton 'Traffic Special' etc. With the advent of quartz RR watches, many of the pocket watch rules are no longer enforced. I have a Hamilton 992 (made in 1907) that runs on my desk pendant up and is always 6 or 8 seconds fast per day. The pocket watch guy made it out of odds and ends and put it in a Hamilton signed model 15 stainless steel case from the 1960s, it still has the original porcelain 'double sunk' dial, blue hands etc. The 992 had screwed in jewel settings and a regular alloy hairspring until the early 1930s when they were renamed 992E (E = Elinvar hairspring), then the 992B came out 10-15-1940 with friction fit jewels and all had the higher grade Elinvar hairspring. The 992B was easier to manufacture and was made from 1940 until 1969. Some 992 info: http://www.watchtalkforums.info/forums/american-vintage-watch-forum/38272.htm What did the Conductor say after he crawled out of the train wreck? "I don't know whether to sh*t or wind my watch."

What might work would be for HiHo or someone with connections to buy case blanks and have the inside of the case C&C machined to the proper specs by a specialty shop. Blanks = oem spec 1680 and 5513 cases with bezels, backs etc finished and polished except for interior machining. Then have them precision machined for 1520/70 and 1575 while making sure the cases are machined to accept oem spec case tubes and submariner springbars. If they could find someone who makes cases with oem spec exteriors willing to sell a few unfinished cases. Most of the screw-ups with these cases is inside the case...oem spec dial will not fit, movement will not fit, stem will not line up etc, plus case tube/gasket will not fit. In this day and age, this would be child's play for a good 'job shop' type machine shop that does small projects. You would need to start with one case finished exactly like you want for 1520/1570, and one for 1575 to be used for samples. Since an Eta 2846 etc is an easy fit in an oem spec case, all you would need to make are 1680 and 5513 oem spec cases. ...and it is 100% legal unless you carve the brand name into them.

"I don't believe that any of the rep manufacturers build them." Every one I have seen was in a 36mm case with 6mm crown...should be 34mm and 5.3mm.

"The gens do that also - don't ask me why...." Because the swiss can not communicate precisely in chinese.

"What the hell??? Did the rep factories make the crown tips even longer now? It looks like you have a mountain top in between your CGs lol." It's a guide for a pneumatic lug wrench...like NASCAR lug nuts.

"Its funny he asks these crazy prices and then when you get the case, case back, bezel whatever it needs to be sent back 5 times because its not the one he showed you in QC in the begining." "For a guy that charges so much money for his stuff, i read nothing but bad stuff about his parts. I go on 4 different web forums and i read more bad than good on this guy.i dont know why you people keep buying this [censored]." I will always believe these are slightly modified $50 cases/backs etc and they just keep sending them out until one sticks. There is no other common sense explanation for all the screw-ups. Look at MBW/MBK cases for instance...they have been the standard for years at a fair price with few complaints...they are better suited to Eta movements though "please step forward Mr INGOD44, I of course realise guys that his cases doesn't have the same finese and the engravings are not the best. BUT apply a few hours of loving care in terms of ageing and softening." "I have to agree with denim, unless you are going to go the full Monty and use a genuine dial. movement. hands, crown., etc. It's pretty silly to spend that sort of money for a caseset. There are others that while maybe not quite as good as his SHOULD be, with a little work, they may end up better, probably for a third the money. If you'rd going to use a DG movement a MBW dial and Rep hands, crown and bracelet etc, what's the point?" +1 I cussed and discussed DW submariner cases until I took the time to detail a DW case and add a Clark bezel kit, now (to me) they are the bargain of the bunch when using genuine movements. It sure would be nice if HiHo could get another batch of cases made.

"the MBK not accepting a gen sized dial kills it for me, youre limited in choices to MBK dials and their red dial isnt the greatest." I posted this a while back: http://www.rwgforum.net/topic/154835-rolex-152070-into-mbwmbk-case/

"hard times will make folks do crazy things. People who would under normal conditions never commit a crime get into a financial bind, and the next thing you know they are stealing money." I believe it depends on the moral makeup of the person in question. I also believe that people who turn bad have had it in them all the time and most have pulled shady deals in the past but never got 'outed' because the victim stayed quiet or the crook made amends etc. I have known people who got in huge binds over divorce, bankruptcy, job loss etc and none of them resorted to crime or deception of any sort. Otoh, some of the internet forum characters who are constantly bragging about what they have, what they can do etc are prone to turn bad and then claim things have gone wrong in their family, business etc to escape investigation or prosecution. From reading the various stories on the forums over the years about 'good guys gone bad', I will always wonder if they were any good to begin with. For example, just how good were the 'infamous modders' etc who have gone south on RWG? Once they get busted, others always chime in with complaints, some going back to the beginning when the character in question could do no wrong. I believe many are not much good to begin with (morals or skills) but they act like a good guy and hype their skills to get a following built up before dropping the ball on the suckers. This may be harsh but it is usually the way it goes. I have been trading/working on watches over 40 years and have seen a lot of 'good guys' go bad. It is easy now with the internet. "Trust No One." Cancer Man 'The X Files' May 13, 1994 Besides fitting in with the theme of 'The X Files', it is very good internet advice.

They went that-a-way... While RWG wonders what happened to SpinMaster, VRF wonders what happened to Steve Mulholland. Looks like one guy's $15k DRSD is mia etc, etc. Read it.

"Gen bezel assembly or wire spring?" Wire spring.

Time Warp... I have a '14060' type nd submariner that I got from WLD (watchlover david) about 12 years ago and the case has 'stawless steel' and 'E 116610' on the 12 o'clock side and 'orig roly design' and no numbers on the 6 o'clock side...iirc the dial is the same size as in noob F520117 submariners. I driilled the lug holes out to accept submariner springbars and put an aftmkt tube and genuine crown in it about 10 years back (the tube/crown was removed and used in another project). It sure looks a lot like an F520117 noob case, thin 'rehaut' and all. Stawless steel beats 904L.

In defense of TC...I have had two transactions with him over the past year and both went just fine. I sent a request for exactly what I wanted. He sent the amount I needed to pay. I paid. He shipped the parts out pronto. His replies were courteous and professional. The parts are top notch. Hard to beat.

"My question is this, when you speak/post or contact another member on the forum do you base an opinion on them by how many posts they have made and/or join date, or do you first give them the benefit of the doubt unless proven otherwise?" I go by what they say and how they say it. Who makes the worst sub?

"What's special about that dial is that it's a gilt. Worth $2900? Slightly possible, if you had a correct-year 1016 with a totally trashed dial that needed replacement. But not likely." +1 Imho 1016 Explorers should be black and white...like a Tuxedo Tom Cat. ^. .^ "This dial is from mahand, off eBay. He has someone that refinishes gen dials. I have bought a couple from him. Good, not great." The one on eBay looks better overall (to me) than the Yuki dial except it is a bit too 'creamy'. What kills the Yuki dial is the imploding numbers...but the next one may be different. Buying aftmkt dials is a roll of the dice.

"What percentage of the Vintage Rolex watches out there are in fact Frankens of a kind?" Many, many more than suspected would be my guess. They would have to be so good that no one can tell after they leave The Doctor's Laboratory. We assume the best cases available come from Phong, Yuki etc but there are probably a few 'unknown' case makers who are a lot better that we do not know about, same goes for dials etc. I say this because vintage rolex watches have gone up tremendously in price and the profit margin would now be large enough for a skilled 'fabricator' to go to the effort. A skilled, dedicated machinist could make cases exactly the same as genuine...if they wanted to. All they need is a case that is very close to genuine to start with. I doubt anyone would go to the trouble to make cases from sheet metal blanks though. For example...being the Dumbass that I am, I can make near perfect 1600/16000/16200/1016 smooth bezels from bezel blanks (cut from 316L seamless ss tubing), and RWG's resident machinist can surely make them faster and better...but it is simply not worth the effort. Besides, ST now has 16200 smooth ss bezels for $15! No way I can beat that. I have seen a few high grade replica cases from the Regular Suspects and the only thing that prevents them from passing the 'genuine test' is usually the lettering and a minor detail or two. It just seems like they do not care enough to go the extra mile. Lettering/case numbers etc...many do not realise how difficult it is to match genuine vintage letters and numbers. They look like a cross between hand work and an engraving machine...very, very hard to duplicate.

"I believe that's a good trade off. The 1030's are getting so long in the tooth, I just don't think they will stand up to hard everyday use." +1 A 1520 or 1570/75 is still Ok for general use but the 1030 is over the hill imho. General use = everyday wear but no crash/bang activities. The 1570 is really not very rugged because of the ruby winding rotor jewels etc and balance staffs are fairly easy to break like all mechanical watches. I have four apart right now, one for a balance staff, one for a winding rotor axle, and two for general c/o. In reality they are 'lookers and talkers', not 'tuff guys'. I believe the swisseta 2824/36/46 etc are The Project Kings for practicality.

I like TAG Heuer watches too, but only the simple non chronograph Eta 955.xxx quartz models that cause almost Zero trouble over the years. I wear one a lot that was made in the late 1980s...a 'TAG 1000' (980.028N). I have written a couple notes about it before...paid $40 for it and fixed it up, now a little over $100 etc. Have the same watch in an automatic that is waiting for c/o and another watch that is almost the same as the quartz TAG 1000...a Zodiac 'Red Point' from the 1990s when TAG Heuer owned Zodiac for a while. What I like best about TAG Heuer is you can find them cheap in average condition and it costs very little to get one back in tip top shape, especially since ST and Clark's have case tubes and crowns for them. They are thinner and not as big in diameter as today's 'Super Sized' dive watches and you do not feel like you are wearing a 'Big Mac' on your wrist. Also have a couple 'Aquaracers' and a 'Link' but still like the older models best. The Link is between a dive watch and a dress watch (dressy diver?) with a 200 meter rating, sapphire crystal, rotating bezel etc but with a dress style clasp...no diver extension, quicky bracelet adjustment or anything. I used to wear quartz Seiko dive style watches a lot but it seems (to me) that Seiko has lost its way. They do not have many simple low profile dive style watches that appeal to me anymore...mostly just Flash! Bang! Whoppers now like everyone else. Why am I bragging on quartz watches, especially the Rodney Dangerfield of swiss watches...TAG Heuer? Because I trade and work on mechanical watches but can not stand to wear the expen$ive!, no parts 4U!, fragile!, little sobs very much. The Parachrom Blu hairspring is no match for a quartz oscillator.