hackR

timeshare...great...thanks... i do see a small "slot" of sorts in the caseback's inner edge that is visible now -- and where i could insert a small screwdriver or knife between the caseback and the case...i've tried this, but didn't want to force it - especially if actually unscrewed... do you - or anyone have any advice on what tool i should use - a small screwdriver or what...and should i pry it up or twist it?... thanks...R

i need to know how to remove the watch from the utc module casing...does it unscrew like a normal caseback?...what kind of tool would open this?...not an expert, by any stretch, on tools...but i want to open the caseback, remove the stem and remove the bezel/crystal...any advice on how this works with a rep utc module would be helpful... why am i doing this?...well, at some point, i'll need to replace the battery...but moreover, i purchased the white dial 42mm fantasy skyland/chrono avenger/SA rep - which comes with the nice polished and brushed bracelet...i also purchase a cheapo brushed ss quartz white dial skyland thang with a white dial utc...the utc module and the 6 o'clock connecting link are brushed...i want to polished the utc module and the 6 o'clock connecting link to complete this "project"... i know if i'm careful i could use a dremel...put am worried that i will polish the edges of the utc watch bezel...best to take it apart...but if i can't, i'll slowly try to do this with a dremel...soooo - also looking for some advice on type of dremel bit, polishing "shtuff" and steps to make this shine!... btw -- i think it was andreww i "spoke" with about this model watch...josh has them...(pugwash and stephane have great pix posts)...this watch has the case/etc of the good version of the ti chrono avenger, if i'm not mistaken...this is an absolutely gorgeous watch...surrrrrrrre - it's fantasy...but having this in your breitling collection seems to be a must, IMO...and when i get the utc done right, i'll post pix...sharp as hell it looks now...even better when i polish it up... totally off-topic....my Hont delivered Blacksteel arrived saturday...wowwwwwwww!...unfreakinbelievable this watch is...i have resisted temptation to wear it since it's arrival, as i'm waiting to mate it with Aaron's red/black strap -- arriving this week, tooooooo...damn!...gonna be a great week... R-

I ordered the HK Tan Black/Red strap...thanks to Lani, Euno and Ronin... I plan to get a leather one, but like the dark walnut rugged look and/or dark gray reptile...(hint: Lani?!) buttttttt, the absolute best "strap" on this watch is the DLC bracelet Jake48 posted above!...(waiting on the post you mentioned on the details of this "strap")... R-

and your lume dots look good...looks like only #1 is slightly off-centered...slightly...hardly noticeable, i think, from a distance... Hont showed me 4 watches to choose from...all had 1-2 lume dots off-centered... i eventually selected one with only 1 lume dot off-centered...the #1 spot...for some reason, most of the ones i was shown have #1 lume dot off-centered... BS #695 on its way to the good ole USA...

volcanic!

@Azer -- thanks...i am searching posts for a detailed look on this keyless works problem...especially with a hand wound movement, like the seagul...if you know of a good post, please let me know...would save some time...i won't plan to do this myself...just want to learn...what's your best guestimate of a servicing/fix of this problem -- assuming a tear-down and a fixable solution...

an update...see previous post first... i decided to try the chrono as the watch has been running for 4 hours... the chrono starts but stops after 15-35 seconds...and it stops the entire watch (balance wheel stops)...i then hit the stop pusher and then reset...after i do this, the balance wheel starts up on it's own again...that's a good sign...it almost seems like the watch needs a servicing as perhaps it's dry and that's why it wouldn't start and why the chrono stops...not sure, tho... and the stem/crown is still a problem...i can't seem to get it inserted right in order to change the hands...and, of course, the stem/crown comes out... making progress...any advice is appreciated... R-

@webvan...i'm making progress...i repeatedly and gently kept moving the balance wheel this morning...at first it would run for 10 seconds...eventually it ran for a minute, then 2 minutes...finally, after repeatedly manual nudges of the balance wheel it's running...and yes - the second hand is sweeping fine...since i am letting it run - assuming it will continue on a full wind - i have not tried the chrono yet...i have been able to reset the chrono prior to it running...when i press either pusher (stop/start and reset pushers), i can see that all apprears to work fine...kinda fun to see all this happen with this seagul movement... my next challenge is the stem/crown...which holds when fully depressed into the case...however, when i pull it out, it comes out entirely...and prior to it running, it was tough to find the right insertion point to adjust the hands...i can see the stem release point on the movement...i have gently pushed this release point with a small tool, but i can't "feel" anything happening...is there any info on how this works and/or how to trouble shoot getting the stem/crown to stay put...from what i was told, the stem/crown was pulled out...so i don't know what that may have done to the inside of the movement and the release point/mechanism...any advice would be helpful... R-

i was told that the crown/stem was pulled out...but that it could be re-inserted...unfortunately i was not told that the advertised working nature of the watch was no longer true...notably that the watch is fully wound, but something is preventing the balance wheel from stayin "on"...when the balance wheel is moved, by carefully manually moving it with a toothpick, it actually oscillates -- but only for less than 10 seconds...i can see the gears moving, too... i bought it figuring i would have to have it serviced for approx $50usd...but now, i haven't a clue...

I own two Ebel 1911 BTR's -- both in quartz...these can be bought for between $65-$100usd -- depending on your source... The biggest difference I see between the quartz and automatic versions is how the ss bracelet attaches...on the quartz, it's attached via the usual spring pins...on the automatic, it's attached via screws...you can see the difference by looking at Lani's pix and By-Tor's pix... @By-Tor --> is the ss bracelet the same between the quartz and automatic versions? My two versions below...I am attaching some pix of the black dial quartz version...I haven't taken pix of the white dial, yet...Please note, I don't have nearly the photog prowess of Lani... 1) Black rubber bezel, black rubber pushers/crown heads, black dial, red hands, ss bracelet 2) Polished SS bezel, polished ss pushers/crown heads (no rubber), white dial, yellow hands, ss bracelet Of the two, i find the white dial striking...i love the black dial, too...IMO, the black dial needs the black rubber bezel...i just think it adds a level of uniformity to the look, with the bezel, dial, pushers being all black... enjoy - R

@all --> from what i can discern, Lanikai, RoninQ and Eunomians have the HK Tan red/black that Lani "introduced" with this watch...amazingly cool and sporty! @hooky, rogerthat --> love that look!...great texture... wondering if you go the Breitling strap direction, which of the croc or smooth black leather straps, both w/ white stitching, would look better...keeping in mind that you would probably want to go with a tang buckle; swapping the blacksteel buckle onto it?...anyone have pix of these combos?

I am hoping The Zigmeister would catch this post... I would love to send it out for servicing/repair... I just wanted to post this so that someone could provide me a sense for whether this might be fixable or not...and the size/scope of the problem... R-

Since ordering my Blacksteel (thanks, Andreww!), i have been searching/reading high and low for a strap... Thinking it would be great if anyone that has the Blacksteel could drop a pix or two, with info, into this thread so that we have a great post for all to review... Have seen some great combos: black/red HK Tan, black/white croc, aged brown leather, etc... Calling all Blacksteel owners! R-

@andreww...thanks for the notice on this... i ordered mine last nite!... @By-Tor...completely ignoring your price reduction comment on the Ebel Discovery... i need to add the Discovery to my April/May orders!... Has anyone looked into the various options of black/red straps for this?...in various price-points?...i love the one Lani has, but am not sure i can spring for that now....hmmmmm...gotta figure the strap thing out now...Blacksteel will be in the air soon... R-

I got this watch from a member in a trade...it is a seagul st-19 movement version with a display caseback...prior to the trade, i was told that the traders daughter was "playing" with the watch to see "the wheels"...she handed the watch back to him with the stem/crown pulled out...we both thought it wasn't a big deal (i'm a relative newbie on all this)...there appears to be more to it that that... Here goes: The movement is fully wound, but not working...the balance wheel is not bound, but something else is bound inside preventing it from moving...when i nudge the balance wheel, i can see the gears on the top/outside of the movement spin...but the movement stops after a couple seconds of movement...it is also difficult to adjust the hands unless i insert the stem/crown just so...but it pulls right out...when pushed in, it holds...i can wind the watch with the stem backwards, but can feel the tension going the "wind" direction - hence why i know it's fully wound... i brought it to my local watchsmith, who couldn't work it...why?...he said that he needed to remove the movement to take it apart...quite honestly, i'm so sure that the movement has to be removed to be worked on - but that is what he emphatically said...that said, the movement sits firmly in a solid brass spacer the cannot be removed from the back b/c it extends into the watch head casing...therefore, in order to take the movement out, the crystal needs to be removed, so the hands can come off...my watchsmith isn't "highend" so he doesn't have the means to take the crystal off from the outside...compounding this all is that, per the trader, the sapphire crystal was AR'd by Chief and put back in by "someone" who did a crappy job...the glue is visible...lastly, the crystal is filthy on the inside and there's even a finger print on the dial...because of this "sloppiness", if i can get the movement working, the crystal has to come off to be cleaned and reseated properly..i haven't a clue, but i assume the crystal has to be removed top-side using some suction cup mechanism?!?!... yikes...a nightmare... so i am trying to sort out what to do...i have "room" to spend some money on a fix, but not if it's a large amount...and obviously i can tell the crystal was re-installed -- it's amazing that whoever did the re-install left what looks like greasy finger marks, dust, grime on the inside crystal edge?!...anyhow, the trader seems to be a reputable member... if you think this watch has the potential for salvaging (i know this is hard to say without seeing it?!), i would welcome advice and/or direction... it's a great looking watch -- but is of no good if it doesn't work...but if there's a reasonable investment to get it working, i'm game for that... here's the text from the traders post on the watch... 3) Franck Muller Casablanca. Seagul ST-19 [Called Lemania by dealers] Handwound Chrono Movt. Chief's double AR'd sapphire crystal, smooth movt keeping excellent time. Not a small watch by any measure, last picture shows the size comparison with a Panerai. The only gripe I have about this watch is whoever put back the crystal did a bit of a half hearted job, leaving glue visible on the side if you look at the watch from top. Its not a hideous site, and is captured in the pictures below - thought I'd mention it in the spirit of full disclosure. I am as anal as they come when it invovles reps! This watch has close to five hundred invested into it. I am also attaching pictures of the watch from the trader... thanks...R

definitely great looking...the solid black look of this dial is growing on me... the different bezel options makes this watch that much more sporty... the black dial version with the black bezel definitely can cross into the dressy/formal category...adding the colored bezels, tho, lessens the dressy/formal capabilities IMO, but sports it up... like the PO, i think while it's probably a little more "conservative" to go with the black dial, black bezel - b/c it gives you more dress options... R-

@by-tor...geeeez...that gorgeous panda of yours for $278?!...i just saw that... heads for the panda, tails for the blacksteel!... naw -- gonna buy the blacksteel...thinkin it could be a rarer find... and since Ebel's aren't as popular (yet!), i can always get a Discovery later...and am still torn on the panda and the all black Discovery...gives me more time to decide...

@Amm --- sweet Breitling...now that's sporty elegance!...well done!...

IWC Aquatimer Slevin... i think with formalware, a sports watch needs to have a uniform, single color primary dial...and if the watch has chronos, the subdials should be the same color as the watch dial...makes for a uniform look...for chronos - the Slevin and Slask's Tag above has that look... i love the Ebel Discovery, but for formalware, i'd go for the black subdials on black version...

pls see atttached... thanks with any help on identifying the model and/or the sourcing...have seen some similar, but not this exact model... R-

tragic...thoughts and prayers to the families...and to you Rob... R-

been searching and looking at gens to find the dial/version i have and which bracelet it came with... (and i already know, i should just go with whatever i feel looks best, and is of decent quality...being anal on learning about this model) thanks!...R

here's my 6239 vintage, aged Daytona Paul Newman...poljot 3133 movement, black exotic dial...this watch actually has a 36mm case...a rare rep... other pix and info on the watch available on this thread: vintage Daytona PN 6239 poljot here's a side by side of the gen and my rep: here's the watch and dial: here's the poljot 3133 movement: enjoy -- R

took some quick pictures... especially of the Poljot 3133 movement and exotic black dial... enjoy...R

Thanks, freddy... is there a good place to get pix of these bracelets?...gen and/or rep?...a lot of pix don't reference the bracelets... curious on why riveted bracelets aren't good...is it a quality, look/feel/weight, issue?...based on the rep version i have, which one do you think would be best...you can see the one on the watch now...it's in "vintage/aged/used" condition...but i have the option on a new "riveted" bracelet and am wondering if i should give that a shot... thanks - R