RWG Technical

Wonderful story and fantastic work on the watch...amazing... Here is a genuine one if you want to compare, 1979 model I restored...looks damm fine to me... If you need more genuine pics let me know... RG

Beautiful. RG

Great post, so nice to see details of all the steps and easy to understand explinations... On a side note, let me know when the package arrives... Thanks for taking the time to show this process...well done. RG

I have had my share of mistakes as well, my first two watches were damaged (my own watches...). Luming is very hard to do and get no mistakes, some dials are not good quality and the rep lume comes off when you put the new lume on it...or the lume runs off the markers a bit... The fact your trying, and getting better each time, is great news, you learn to lume by luming...practice and more practice... Keep up the good work, RG

Looks good, never thought of sanding them down, good idea...nice work RG

Wonderful post, so glad to see the results of your own hand workmanship. Great to be able to do the mods yourself, and see such good - no - great results... I like your innovative crystal press...whatever does the job. Wear it well. RG

Glad to hear you enjoyed it and had good results...being able to overhaul your own watches if and when needed will pay for the course many times over... I think they start on the 2801 for one good reason, it's like when I learned Morse Code, send the letters at 15 words per minute, but space the letters at 5 words per minute...otherwise, you can't move past 7 words a minute... If you started on a 6497, it would be very hard if not impossible to move to a 2836 size movement...you would not develope the fine motor skills needed... Try going from a 6497 to a 2671 ladies size movement... RG

The screw is for fine regulation, about + - 20 seconds per DAY...you need to have a watchmaker put it on a timing machine and see what the problem is...it could be out of beat or in need of service... Fast running watches are normally those needing to be serviced, old or no oil equals friction, more friction means less power from the mainspring to the balance, less power, equals smaller swings, smaller swings equals a fast running watch... RG

If it does it for winding and time setting, then I suspect the crown is bad and needs to be replaced... RG

Interesting info from the RC Tritec web site on Super Luminova. My comments: Note that the brightness of the light used to charge the SL and the size of the SL markings you have, will determine how bright it glows. If you have a PAM 036 with big markers, it will glow much brighter and longer than a Rolex Submariner, due to the size of the markings and amount of lume applied. Also note that the SL does NOT suffer any ageing, unlike Tritium which ages and looses it’s glow, SL is the same forever… Great news for watch owners, not so good for repeat customers…if your in the lume application business that is... So SL application is a one-time requirement, once done, you never have to renew it again. Interesting… RG

You can get a stem at ofrei.com, or julesborel.com... Part number is 401. I did a detailed how to remove the stem in my subforum, it's on a 2836, but all the same principles apply, only difference is on the 7750 it's a small pin for the stem removal, the rest is the same... RG

Does this one have a screw down crown? If yes, then most likely the problem is the crown itself, not something in the movement. If you "pull" slightly on the crown does it work? How does the crown work in the winding position, can you wind without any problem, or does it slip? Unlikely that the movement has a problem, they normally break or work, not sort of work on and off... RG

This one today...probably my new Omega Seamaster Chrono over the weekend... RG

I just checked my notes, and it was from Josh... at least that is what the notes from the owner said... RG

Great story and pics... I used to work in Koh Samui (offshore Oil Helicopters) and came and went from Bangkok. Chewang beach is full of cheap reps as well...bought and threw out my share of these beauties... Thanks for the insight. RG

Rolex Submariner – Josh Works package model… Got this one in for lume work, and I was really impressed when I opened the case… Nice looking sub from the front, this is after the lume application. Even nicer (at least to me) is this beautifully finished ETA 2836-2 movement, what a beauty. Even the Rotor has been cut out like the real movement, and they added the “Red” gear as well…nice touches… Check it out with the Rotor off, isn’t this nice... So after that much attention to detail and wonderful workmanship, we get this for a case back…what a bummer… Thanks for reading. RG

Breitling with a “Glue” problem…” Got this is a while back, the owner had problems with the slipping center seconds hand during reset, so he took it to a local watchmaker (Note Local watchmaker, not a Watchmaker from this forum...) It was a real mess, as you can see here… Not only did the center seconds hand turn with the hour and minute hand the dial was full of dirt and the hands were not lined up properly… This is what I started with, not a pretty sight, and on such a nice coloured dial… I don’t think this watchmaker did well on the hand installation part of his training… Got the seconds hand off, and look at the mess I have to clean up… Looks like the tube is full of glue. Bit of an alignment issue with the hands here… Minute hand removed Still glue on the hole for the minute tube… After spending 20 minutes trying to pry the glue out from the hole, I had to disassemble part of the movement to try and to push the glue out from the back side… After trying every tool I had to push the glue out, I finally had success with a broaching tool… There is the little bastard of a piece of glue that was driving me crazy…out you come… Hole is now clean as it should be, hands were polished, and reassembled and it looks great… Anyone who would call themselves a watchmaker and do such a poor job, is not qualified to work on watches...terrible workmanship, no attention to detail, and filling the hole with glue...obviously this person is no more than a battery changer... Thanks for reading. RG

Exactly...great response... RG

In my opinion, that is a risk we have to be willing to take every time we order a watch... Canada is "supposed" to have the worse customs in the world, I have yet to loose anything, but have had to pay import duty one time... If I can't afford to loose the money I spend on a watch, then I dont' buy it...it's just how I deal with it, otherwise it eats me up inside... If I loose it, so what, I can do more harm to my budget on a weekend away, than on one watch...mind you my purchases are rarely over $300... RG

EDITED...after noting the relentless bumps for Finepics on that other thread you started...give the man a break, your emergency is not his nor anyone else's... RG

Great post... I get my jollies from tearing down movements and rebuilding them, doing lume work, etc... It's just like Randy said, as a kid the first thing I did with a new toy, was to take it completely apart, and see what made it work...including electronic toys...I just never grew up that's all... RG

Two of the three I have in house are working good now, the third is yet to get finished... We all know the issues with running seconds at 6 and a 7750...so that is noting new. Daytona's with this layout have been around for a year or more... The rest of the stuff I found could be limited to these particular watches, and the rest could be fine. I just want to share what I see and find on the bench, as it's rare for me to find so many problems with one type of watch...for the record, most every rep that passes the bench has defects of one type or another. The last problematic model I saw was the PAM 187 Submariner, pushers falling off, stopping when cased, variations in the case spacer rings (plastic, metal, separate plastic pieces) etc... The Asian powered PAM 187's I have seen are very problematic...this IWC seems to fit in that category right now... My only goal with these types of posts is to share what I see from my perspective, namely once the watch is disassembled and examined and tested in detail, what does it look like, and how does it run. I know not many get to see (or want to see) the area's I get into, these types of posts are not recommendations per se, but only "This is what I have seen, you take this information and do what you will with it..." Great comments all around...now if I can get this last one working, I'll be happy...that is until the next one shows up... RG

I would not say correct answer, but only my opinion...based on what is running or not with the chrono on or off... I leave them running for days, or off, makes no difference at all in the long run... Do not be afraid of the chrono...it is your friend... RG

Just getting ready to turn in for the night...quick update... Re-assembled another one of these tonight, and it was fine...except for the damm seconds hand touching the crystal, which will require disassembly again...otherwise it ran good. I think the problem on the other one is related to the too tight bezel/dial attachment, it's so bad that the only way it will run is with the screws all loose... Will comment on the rest tomorrow, GF is here, you can fill in the rest... RG

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