crystalcranium

I specifically asked Rob this question and the answer was no. Now, this is not to suggest a simple cleaning and oiling will fix a poorly running 7750, but the damage one can do, even running a watch dry, is very limited. Someone in that thread likened a mechanical watch to an automobile, the running of which without lubrication would result in severe damage, but Rob set us straight about the role of lubrication and the loads in a watch being a completely different animal. I came away from the thread confident there was nothing permanantly damaging running a less than optimally serviced movement until breakdown.

Mine was this beauty my wife gave me about 12 years ago. A Seiko alarm chrono...I thought I had arrived. I liked watches but this one opened the flood gates. Before I knew it, I had a half dozen. Photo borrowed from the bay

According to Ziggy, there's nothing inherently damaging to letting these movements run in an unserviced condition until they show signs of needing service. I don't know how long my unserviced 7750s will run well, 1,2,5 years perhaps...who knows. What I do have confidence in is that when they do break down, they are almost always servicable and will run very well.

I disagree, not because of my personal experience with these movements but because of what Rob has disected in his break downs. A watch that is a copy of a tried and true ETA movement might have some issues with assembly QC, cleanliness, jeweled bearings are well machined if not well oiled, pallet stones are genuine rubies, if just not adequetely glued to the pallet arm. This doesnt mean that the watch movement is junk. A well machined gear is a well machined gear, a jeweled bearing is a jeweled bearing etc and this design, dispite a poor execution in assembly, has proven itself to be very reliable. Rob has serviced MANYof these movements from the base plate up and has a positive opinion of them. Yes, they are dirty and under oiled or over oiled, yes the pallet stones are not adequetely glued but just about every 7750 (without accessory gearing) is a servicable movement.

These aren't Seikos. Replacement parts are sometimes difficult if not impossible to source. You might ask the dealer if he has access to a replacement but it's a crap shoot.

I'm reminded of what happens when you step on a catapillar Bug guts yellow

Sounds like an awful run of bad luck. I'm knocking on wood frantically as I type this but so far...so good. Tag Link Chrono is about 4 months old and when I'm not wearing it, it's on a winder. The manual wind gearing is a little finicky. It's esy to wind when it's not well wound at all but a little feedback tension from the spring causes the gearing to slip a little in the manual wind mode. If I apply a little outward pressure on the crown when winding, it winds fine but since I got the winder, this is mostly a moot point. The watch was adjusted and runs a consistant 3-5 seconds slow/day which is close enough for me. I prefer a watch to run fast for ease of compensation but I didn't want to fool with regulation anymore once I got it this close. Chronos a little balky with the second hand resetting out of straight up and down 12:00 every so often but nothing to complain about IWC GST Chrono Stainless. This is my best performing 7750. Again, it's on a winder but the manual wind is very smooth and feels like a genuine 7750. I adjusted it after several months of running and it is +3 sec/day, as accurate as my SMP Chrono COSC genuine. Chronos operate perfectly. Breitling Bentley GT. Tried to sell this one a month or so ago but the buyer backed out. No matter, I still love it. Winds well in manual mode but has been finicky to adjust. Wants to run fast and as soon as I back it down to +15 sec/day and barely move the regulator, it drops through the floor to - 30 sec/day. It now runs about +15sec/day and I'm happy with that. Chronos work perfectly. Omega broad arrow with old 19,000 bph 7750. Ran out of control on delivery at +2.5 minutes/day but I adjusted it down to about +20 sec/day. Not after 3 months, it's losing about 30 sec/day so more adjustment is in order. Winds ok in manual mode. Chronos work perfectly. Now I do treat my watches like fine china and these pieces see about 1-2 days of wear per week maximum. Maybe if I wore them more I'd see more problems. They do run however constantly on a winder so the mechanical reliability of the movements seems to be good. I know from the testimony of others I have been very fortunate.

I had one on a couple of months ago. It is not cuved so on a bare wrist, it's a little like wearing a bed side table alarm clock on your arm. As a pilot tool worn over a flight suit and a glove, it doesn't look abnormal but it is a conversation piece first and a watch second if you're not strapped into an F-22. To quote my Python friends, "Tis a silly looking watch."

Yechhhhhh!!! Not even close and I'll tell you how I know. I bought one from this guy, although I knew it was a fake. Genuine leather Breitling straps will run you about $130. Croc will go for $400+.

Oh I'm sure it is. I don't think there's a genuine 2892 in any replica, is there???? From previous testimonials, the Seagul copy is a reliable movement. Not to stomp on the thread but....... With so much "style and trend" debate going on over Pams in recent threads, isn't this watch the definition of "soon to be relegated to the pet rock pile"?

2892-a2 and super luminova for $228 is a great deal. The watch is not my cup of tea but for passionate followers, Santa has arrived 3 1/2 weeks early!!!!

I think any design, be it a Hummer, or a leisure suit, or a heroin chic anorexic model, that evokes strong emotional responses, ie. people either love it or hate it, probably will not stand the test of time. The fact that Pams have passionate followers as well as passionate detractors probably doesn't bode well for the "timelesness" of the design.

Don't buy it unless you have access to additional links. It is a small bracelet it seems in every version. I have the SS version and I can't wear it after a good salty meal.

The alcohol in hair spray will damage and eventually remove it. It removed the AR from my glasses that I left in the bathroom each evening.

RRRRRRRRRRRush! Looks like Neil has toned things down since the '80s

Au revoir Neil, have a pleasant trip.

So even the owner of the genuine could make a casual identification mistake.......interesting

Fantastic post. Couldn't have said it better. As I've stated before, I find nothing interesting about the engineering of a mechanical watch that has almost limitless space in which to operate. The incorporation of pocket watch movements into wristwatches is a trend that bucks hundreds of years of holorogy engineering for finer, smaller, thinner and less obtrusive movements. Putting an accurate timepiece onto a person's wrist and have it small enough to not intrude has been the driving force behind this fantastic miniturization of these machines from the begining. I think mechanicals and those who design the aesthetics of their cases are just going through a compensation period having been left for dead by the quartz revolution. It's a case of chest thumping saying, "We're back and we're bigger than ever!" This is a bump in the road in the timeless trend of refinement accross the board in all brands. I think Panerai will always be around. I also think these chunkers will be looked at some day as curiosity pieces.

Great replica but again, obviously different from the genuine in a side by side. The funny thing is, if you asked me which one is the genuine and which one was Memorex, I couldn't tell you. There is nothing about the replica that jumps out as lower quality. The genuine crown might be more refined and the date window better milled but neither one of those is going to reach out and grab you. The lume on the markers and the metal borders are different and there are other obvious differences in engraving and color but as replicas go, it's pretty decent.

Wow you've got two of my short term goals there, the Le Locle 7750 Tissot and the Oris Titan. Do you like the Le Locle? I thought the T-lord 7750 automatic looked better with the large crown and flattened pushers. That Oris is a rock.

Talk to your wife about a reasonable allowance for your addiction. There is no recovery from this. You have to feed it regularly, like methadone maintainance, to keep it from getting out of control.

Here are Seiko's resistance ratings. Water Resistant These watches have withstood testing to depths of 24 to 30 meters (100 feet) and will tolerate splashes of water or rain, but should not be worn while bathing, showering, washing dishes, swimming or diving. Watches with this designation will have the words Water Resistant engraved on the caseback. Water tested to 50 meters (165 feet) Okay for showering, bathing, dishwashing and swimming in shallow water. Not while snorkeling or scuba diving. The designation engraved on the caseback will be Water Resistant 5 BAR (BAR is a European equivalent of the international measurement ATM, or "atmospheres." To calculate the water-tested depth in meters, multiply the BAR number by 10.) Water tested to 100 meters (330 feet) These watches are suitable for swimming and snorkeling, but not scuba diving. The caseback designation will read Water Resistant 10 BAR. Water-tested to 150 meters (500 feet) These watches can be worn for general water sports, including snorkeling. The caseback designation is Water Resistant 15 BAR. Water tested to 200 meters (660 feet) These watches can be worn for general water sports, including snorkeling and skin diving (without scuba gear). The caseback designation is Water Resistant 20 BAR. Diver's 150 meters (500 feet) Meets ISO standards and is suitable for scuba diving. Diver's 200 meters (660 feet) Seiko's diver's watches with the Water Resistant 20 BAR designation on the caseback are our most water-resistant models. They can be worn for recreational scuba diving but not for professional deepwater diving. They are an interesting take on the ISO standards. Just to hammer home a point....these are NOT all ISO rated resistances. A watch that adheres to these standards says so. Seiko's water resistance ratings are an opinion Seiko has about their product and what they are willing to support with a warranty. This is true of almost every water resistant watch sold today except for professional diving watches. The water resistant description of a Bulova or a Seiko on the product insert do not claim to adhere to international standards. The only standard they adhere to is a truth in advertising standard about not calling any watch waterproof.

Again, I have to emphasize the terminology and numbers of water resistance having nothing to do with actual use. 660 feet rated watches, although called "diving watches" are really only rated for swimming and light submersion use. They are ideal and tough enough for the tasks of work and play you are describing. If I needed to depend on my watch for my life underwater in a dive over 25 feet where I would have to be careful about decompression and rates of ascent, I would not have on a Seiko Diver. The Oris TT1 is my newest candidate for favorite paperweight. It's rated for 1000m and runs about $1700. If I went diving for a living or for pleasure on a regular basis, it would be on my wrist.

Correct,....you'll buy both eventually so either or......

Bingo!!! I can put a watch through tremendous stress at specific small points swimming underwater at 3 feet. And again......!!!!!