jj69

Again, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there are good reasons for owning a winder, other than convenience: 1] Movements with bi-directional rotors (like ETAs) should not be hand-wound. I suppose you could shake the watch to wind it, however. 2] One thing that supposedly causes wear and tear on the movement is use of the quick date set function. Keeping the watch on a winder necessitates a date change only once a month, and only during months with less than 31 days. 3] Screwing and un-screwing a screw-down crown can lead to a worn crown tube. Leaving it on a winder means you rarely need to touch the crown to set the time or change the date (unless the movement is not very acurrate). If I'm wrong on any of these points, please enlighten me.

Thanks The Zigmeister. So, if I understand you correctly, then my original theory is correct. With a stock "seconds at 6" 7750 movement, assuming the movement is completely dry, there will be less stress on the movement if you let it run down completely. So leaving your stock seconds at 6 watch off your winder, and winding it only when you actually intend to wear it, should prolong the life of the stock movement, correct?

I understand your point, but I'd like to preserve the running seconds hand as long as possible, for the authentic look. If I wear the watch once a week, and let it run down and leave it stopped for the other six days of the week, will it last six times as long? Also, is stopping the watch by pulling out the crown the same as letting it run down completely (as far as wear and tear on the movement is concerned)?

I just acquired my first "seconds at 6" 7750-based watch (IWC Porto Chrono). For the moment, it is functioning perfectly, and it even has decent power reserve. I've done the basic research on these seconds at 6 models and I fully understand that I'll be lucky if the movement runs for another six months before failing. However, I'd like to take some reasonable precautions to get as much life out the movement as possible. My question is: Is it better to leave a seconds at 6 watch on a winder, or is it better to let it run down and wind it only when needed? My theory (which may well be completely wrong) is that these seconds at 6 models should last longer if you let them run down and wind them only when needed, treating them much like a manual wind model. My understanding is that these models are doomed to fail because the extra tansfer gears cause undue stress on the movement. This is compounded by the fact that the seconds hand at 6 is constantly running. So my common-sense theory is that there should be no stress on the movement when the watch is stopped. Is there any logic to my admittedly novice theory?

Euno beat me to it! Mine is still a work in progress. If anyone has any leads on the gen IWC parts, please LMK. I'm especially after the gen hands!

Does anyone know what is the current availability of the HBB? One dealer just told me (a few hours ago) that they have "stopped production" on the Asian version, but the Swiss version is available (at a hefty price premium, of course). Does anyone know if this is accurate? I have a feeling this is just a miscommunication between the dealer and I due to the language barrier. It's more likely the Asian version is "on backorder" or "temporarily sold out." I don't see why anyone in their right mind would stop production of such a popular model. Does anyone know if any of the dealers have them in stock right now?

I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread. I actually sent him a couple of e-mails recently and got no response. Perhaps there is something wrong with him? I'm pretty sure his name is Hannes. If anyone hears from him, please let us know.

jerouac, I think this is the same one I just ordered from AceTimer on eBay for $47 SHIPPED. See my post w/ link above.

I know this topic has been mentioned before, as these buttons have a tendency to fall off. Are replacements available from any source? Someone on RWI suggested that there are buttons available from Seiko that can be made to fit with minor modifications. However, he did not recall the Seiko model number. Does anyone know anything about this? I just a got a nice used SS model, but one of the pushers is missing. If anyone has an extra, or knows a dealer who can source replacement for a fair price, please PM me.

For those in the US, I just bought one of these from eBay on the recommendation of another member: http://cgi.ebay.com/20-WATCH-CLEAR-TOP-BUR...1QQcmdZViewItem Won't have it till next Tuesday, but I'll report back when it arrives. Just FYI, keep a close eye on the "padded" shipping charges from all of these eBay dealers.

This is a pretty interesting situation. What would happen if a consumer brought a rep Rolex to an AD, the AD sends it to Rolex for service, and Rolex sends back a letter saying "we destroyed it because it was fake." Couldn't the consumer then sue the AD for the value of a real Rolex? Wouldn't the burden be on the AD (and/or Rolex) to prove that the watch was a fake, rather than on the consumer to prove that it was real? If Rolex destroys the rep, they and the AD would have a hard time proving anything. Just to add another wrinkle, let's say our savvy consumer does, in fact, own a real Rolex, and has all receipts and documentation to show that it was purchased from an AD. If the consumer introduces that reciept as evidence that the Rolex he left with the AD was a gen, then what? Just food for thought. I have a feeling Rolex doesn't just smash watches with a hammer. I would think they would hold onto them as evidence in case something like the above hypothetical happens, in order to protect themselves and their AD. I'm also interested to hear whether Flav's friend gets his $400 back for the "service" he paid for.

I appreciate the advice guys, but you have no idea of what I'm dealing with. She's an American Imelda Marcos. You have to see this girl's bedroom. I'm not talking about 30, 50 or even 100 pairs of shoes. I'm talking HUNDREDS of shoes. You can barely walk around the room without knocking over a stack of shoeboxes. The sickest part of it is that she's never even worn many of them. I understand that most broads are a little wacky about shoes, but this girl is out of control. My thinking here is why should she pay $500 for a pair of designer shoes (that she really can't afford) to wear once when she can get a "rep" for $65? I'm also curious about the quality myself. More and more high end fashion designers are shifting production of their shoes to China. Soon only the top couture designs will be made in Europe. Much like our watches, if the Chinese are making the gens under contract, perhaps the reps are coming from the same factories and in similar quality. There's only one way to find out.

Something frightening just happened… my girlfriend just discovered that some of our dealers sell rep designer shoes! Of course, there is a pair she MUST have. My concern is customs. A tiny padded envelope from China containing a watch seems to glide right through JFK, but what about a box containing a pair of shoes lavishly branded with large insignias all over the shoes and the packaging? I’m afraid of the customs duty on a pair of designer shoes that could well be valued at $500 if it’s mistaken for the real thing. Does anyone have experiences to share about shoes getting through US customs? I suppose experiences with handbags would fall into the same category, but I think customs officers would be more likely to call out a handbag as a “fake” than a pair of shoes.

Angus, Are there any plans to correct the 3 o'clock subdial on the current version? The 10 and 20 on the subdial are printed at different heights. Will the second batch have this corrected? What about the comfort problems with the clasp that some have reported?

Angus, Are there any plans to correct the 3 o'clock subdial on the current SS Big Bang? The 10 and 20 on the subdial are printed at different heights.

Horse, What dealer is the group buy using? It's not clear from the thread. I'm concerned about QC issues.

It's funny you mention that. I watched it last night with my girlfriend while wearing my Inge rep. She couldn't stop laughing. I'm always chastising her for paying $250 for one of those goofy Gwen Stefanin "L.A.M.B." watches, and she's always bugging me for spending money on "fakes"... "At least mine is real!" "Yeah, a real piece of quartz crap!" And so on...

If Nicknoh sent his Inge Chrono to The Zigmeister already, that means The Zigmeister's seen the transfer setup on this model. I'd love to see The Zigmeister's opinion. Has he posted any thoughts on this model here?

I've been wondering the same thing. Last thing I heard was that the price would probably be too high (for me anyway).

Which watches (or, rather, which movements) would not work on the Sharper Image? It's great for my 2824s. Will it work just as well with a 7750?

I actually just got one of the Sharper Image models as a refurb. Does anyone have experience with this one? Aside from the fact that it only holds one watch, I'm pretty impressed with it. It's totally silent, very well made, and it can be adjusted to run for 3, 6, 9, or 12 minutes per hour. So far, both of my 2824 based reps only require 3 minutes per hour of winding time. I use the 12 minute setting for winding stopped watches. I wish they made a model for multiple watches, but for the price, I'll probably just buy 7 more of them.

Thanks Pugwash. So one determining factor would definitely be the cost of the rep? I assume it's safe to say that a $159 rep advertised with "ETA 2892" would, in fact, have an Asian rep of a 2892?

Okay, I admit I'm a bit of a noob here, but someone please educate me about the 2892. Are you saying all the reps advertised with a 2892 don't have a genuine ETA movement? If not, what kind of movement is it? Do any of the dealers who claim to be selling a rep with a "2892" have the genuine ETA movement? If so, what's the going rate for a rep with a real 2892?

THANKS CHIEFTANG! That's exactly what I needed, and it did the trick. It appears that the bracelet screws in the Overseas are ideally suited for a 1.2mm screwdriver. The Radio Shack comes with only a 1.0m and a 1.4mm, so I had to make due with the 1.0. Not ideal, but it got the job done. Unfortunately, the screw inside my half link is stripped, so that's not coming out easily. Any suggestions on how to remove a stripped screw?

Earlier this evening I got the Stanley Model No. 66-039 “6 piece precision screwdriver set” at Home Depot. Looks like a very nice set. Unfortunately, even the smallest screwdriver (1.4mm) is too large for the tiny screws in the bracelet links of the VC Overseas. I'm guessing I need a 1.2mm or even a 1.0mm for the bracelet. I also tried Wal-Mart, but they had only another Stanley set with the same size screwdrivers. Anywhere else I can try that might be open tomorrow (Sunday)? Options include Sears (Craftsman tools) and Ace Hardware. Would an eyeglass repair shop have screwdrivers this small? Perhaps I should have tried Wal-Mart optical while I was there!