NRG

Dev, any chance of a dial side pic of the movement? Lack of lubrication could also cause a small misalignment like this.

An excellent reasoned and even handed post Gio! I'm with you 100%

That's good news, 9010 is the recommend oil for the rotor bearing. It would seem the bearing is un-oiled rather than being of inferior quality.

ETA will stop supplying all movements to non-Swatch Group members in 2011. It's pretty final.

The decision that sounded the alarm

In 2002, by announcing its decision to reduce, then later to discontinue, the delivery of ébauches (movement blanks) starting in 2006, the Swatch Group provoked a generalized dread among the many subcontractors who used the ETA movement kits as the basis for assembling and finishing other movements. However, in November 2004, the Swiss Competition Commission, COMCO, refused ETA’s decision, and granted a reprieve to buyers of the ébauches. The COMCO decreed that ETA would be obliged to deliver these products until 2010. This additional time would allow various other companies (which, up to then, had been solely concerned with assembly, decoration, and movement finishing, as well as adding modules to the ETA movements) to take the opportunity and start their own autonomous production.

This decision turned out to be a huge stimulus for the Swiss watch industry, suddenly faced with the reality of its own dependence on the deliveries of a quasi-monopolistic manufacturer. As a result, initiatives of all types began to sprout up. Subcontractors began developing their own movements, while watch brands embarked on a race to progressively integrate the necessary savoir-faire, which they lacked before, into their own production.

The Swatch Group’s decision would also have repercussions in the supply of essential components needed to create a mechanical movement, such as the balance spring. Aware of being in the same situation of near dependence with the balance spring (supplied by Nivarox, also belonging to the Swatch Group), several companies came up with initiatives to create independent supplies of balance springs. (This is notably the case with Rolex [see sidebar], Parmigiani Fleurier, and A. Lange & Söhne.)

http://www.europastar.com/europastar/searc...t_id=1003535554

I probably should address that as I missed that point altogether.

If any dealer is passing off the POS pictured as a genuine ETA 2892, that's fraud -- it's completely dishonest and I would personally support a moratorium on that dealer until the ad is pulled and all watches sold like that are recalled with full credit.

It may have been clear in the posts, but I missed it. Who did that to Whom?

Bill

'Fraud' yes but it's an illegal trade anyhow! Buying the watch even with a gen ETA is _dishonest!_

I'm backing out of this now. Good luck to all in their 'crusade'.

...and misrepresenting movements is serious business. And they have, as a whole, been pushing the envelope on this recently. And as ETA's come off the market in the next few yeras, .....maybe we're just see ing the beginning of the new marketing. Calling a stepped up 28,000 asian movement an "Asian ETA" is over the line. Now if the dealer used advertising language like "ETA Asian Copy" or "ETAlike movement" or "Movement based on an ETA design" I would have absolutely no problem with that.

??? Buying a counterfeit watch *is* a serious business. ETA's aren't coming off the market in a few years the ebauche are...

Thanks for playing. I'm glad you're happy to be lied to.

Please don't call me a hypocrite. I don't appreciate it.

Anybody who wishes to participate in this "hobby" should realise they are being lied to only the noobs are naive enough to believe they will get a gen 2892 in a $200 watch. I apologise if my use of hypocrite offended you, however, I feel that anybody who partakes in the purchase of illegal counterfeit product should not get all moralistic over the description of the product.

You miss the point. They say they're replicas of Rolexes with genuine ETA movements. They lie when they think we won't notice.

I don't think I do. Josh's site may say replica on it but Andrew's dosen't and if it does it's not obvious. Click on one of the brand names what do you see? " OMG0001A - Omega Planet Ocean Black 45mm with SS Bracelet" or " OMG0001A - Omega Replica Planet Ocean Black 45mm with SS Bracelet ". This whole hobby/industry is a lie and illegal it's hypocritical to be moralistic over the description.

The language states that 50% of the COMPONENTS must be manufactured in switzerland,

The language states VALUE, see: http://www.fhs.ch/doc/osme.pdf

Finepics made a succinct comment earlier, you are buying illegal counterfeit/fake/replica products advertised as a Rolex, IWC, Patek etc. But are obsessing over the movement being genuine or not! It's not what was advertised, well duh! Nor is the watch...Now that *is* ironic!

Are you for real or just winding us up?

Today i went to a watchmaker and asked if he could press the crystal in...you know what he did? I was kicked out of his store the moment he realized it was a rep watch...what took approximately 2 seconds).

So after I was back home i tried to push it in by hand...and it cracked again. Thats 500$ paid for broken crystals...i think I will just throw this watch away, and buy the gen one, because it keeps costing me so much money (already paid over 1500$ for it) and buying the genuine is more worthwile i think.

Stone the flippin crows! Unbelievable.

Dev,

Make sure the click is fully engaged...remove the rotor...hold the crown whilst in the winding position...rotate crown to disengage the click...hold the click back with a small screw driver or tweezers...control release the mainspring via the crown...

You won't be able to let the mainspring down with the rotor attached.

Errrr...now that you have glued the dial spacer ring to the movement and the dial to the dial spacer ring with as much epoxy as you like How will you remove the dial to get to the keyless works and dial side gears when something goes wrong? The keyless works is very easy to jam up if heavy handed...

Admin, many thanks for all your hard work in keeping this site running. It's greatly appreciated!

-->

yayyy! the forum is back

i've been waiting for that so much..

i need a little advice..

i met a guy who is selling his fathers watch collections... not reps... but gen watches he had collected over years..

he has some automatic watches, as well as russian automatics..

probably most of them older timepieces.

what do you think about russian automatic movements? or overall older mechanical watches?

how are older watches? do they have the "special quality that have dissapeared through the years" like all fathers and grandfathers say?

i'm intersted in owning one or two vintage timepieces..

i must mention that these are probably older built watches from about 10-15 years ago.. more or less..

any help appreciated

have a great weekend ya all!

watchuseek.com has a good Russian and Vintage sub forum, prob best to ask over there...

This is the cream of the rep forums and I respect that, but I'm trying to get over to TRC to find a buddy who allegedly hangs out over there: could you please provide a link to the place. Thanks so much and apologies for being clueless, but guys like me give joy to guys like you who know more, if you see where I'm going with this one....

TRC

I suspect people with large collections and walk-in-closets are obsessives and would factor in the servicing cost for certain treasured pieces in their collection. Just as they factored in the cost of the walk-in-closet and (I presume) the insurance needed to cover collection.

An old, unused/unworn or broken watch still has the potential to be service and repaired even it is not currently in use. I can see the logic in not bothering with a cheap watch unless you have some strong personal attachment to it...

One solution is to learn how to service it yourself, this is what I did, with over 25 watches I felt it was a worthwhile investment in tools and learning time but of course not everybody has the ability or time to do the same.

Correct watch servicing is expensive as noted but I would never treat any watch I bought, rep or otherwise as disposable or worry too much about servicing it every 5 years whatever. I like the watches I have and spend time in choosing ones I like no matter the cost, $200 or $2000

If I wanted a disposable watch I'd buy a Casio quartz or Seiko and change the battery now and then. Having said that, many of the non chrono watches based on the Asian21J or even the ETA2824 can have the movement swapped out for a new one cheaper than many could get it serviced for. The 21J can be bought for $10 or so and swapped over in under 30mins.

It's a nice watch, I have one, it was my first rep purchase. However, it's not very accurate, compare for yourself:

http://www.ninanet.net/watches/others08/Mediums/mpateko.html

Happy New year to all the wonderful and helpful folks at RWG! Here's to a great 2007!

Another possibility is a hung up mainspring...

If the watch is consistantly that slow... beat it.

Slap it crystal first into your palm, then case back first into your palm... that will usually free up whatever kink/gunk has messed up the main spring...

Failing that..... a full service as the the others have suggested.

Really? Your more likely to f*ck it up big time slapping it around like that! Seek the service of a watchsmith for inspection and diagnosis....

I see Neil is feeling well again

QUOTE(Rob1 @ Dec 29 2006, 08:31 AM)

This is my first post here, although I've been lurking for several weeks, so I guess that makes me by definition a complete newbie! I've learned much about replica watches in the last few weeks by following discussions, reading the reviews, enjoying the eye candy, discovering who the reliable dealers are, etc, etc. I've also learned that excessive use of the formatting options makes posters look like idiots, so I'll try to avoid that in the future.

I've now placed a few orders for replica watches, so the forum has helped me make sensible purchasing choices. So, from this newbie, I'd like to say thank you as the forum has proved to be an invaluable source of information and advice, it is clear that there is a sense of camaraderie based on a shared interest in reps, and I hope I can contribute a little when my watches arrive.

Excellent first post. Way to go.

Yes excellent and not a highlight, bold, colour change or italic emphasis in sight....Welcome, hope you enjoy it here!

many years of examining thousands of replicas, that he has only run across a replica with an actual Swiss ETA movement on very, very rare occassion; and, that the vast, vast majority of replicas represented by the dealers to have Swiss ETA movements, are, in actuality, just very cheap CHINESE (not Japanese) movements.

He doesn't seem that well informed does he......

it seems to be turning freely. Is this normal? I thought that when it's bi-directional, the feel will be the same winding it both clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Yes, normal. Manual winding will wind in one direction only. The bi-directional winding on the ETA refers to the Automatic winding mech. IE the watch is wound when the rotor moves in either a clock wise or anti clock wise direction. It does not apply to manual winding via the crown.

Is it worth $50 for the training course that Timezone has to offer? Looking for advice on best course of action

to learn repair and service short of actually attending a class? Nothing here in Philly that I can find. Books?

Videos?

$50 will buy you registration to the on-line material for Level 1. Another $50 will buy you registration to Level 2.

Level 1 is basic stuff; best practices, tool use, simple movement dis-assembly and re-assembly etc.

Level 2 is more advanced; Oiling, introduction of regulation & timing basics, automatic movements and day/date movements

On top of the registration fee you will need the tools, materials and of course the watch movements.

Both courses will give you a grounding in the workings of wrist watches. If you are really serious about repair then you will need to be coached by a watchmaker or enroll in a distance learning course like the one from the British Horological Institute

Books are also good; Get Practical Watch Repairing and Practical Watch Adjusting by Donald de Carle

It is worth it? Yes, you'll know if you are still willing and or capable of intricate watch work by the end of Level 2...