RWG Technical

I did not know who had done the relume. I know who the owner who sent me the watch was (of course) but when I looked the the lume, I said to the owner of the watch: "I dont' want to know who did the relume, I am only interested if you would like me to try and see if I can fix it and make it better..." The owner never told me who did the relume as it was not important to know. My reason for posting was to simply compare and show that indeed it was fixed up and made to look better...I had no other intentions but to show that it was fixed up. Others have sent me genuine vinatge pieces with terrible relume, and this was also to show them that I could fix their vintage pieces without runing the dials... I have always admired Tribal and the work he has done and the fact he is willing to try and do mods himself. If I offended you in any way, please accept my apology tribal, it was not my intent...until I read your post, I did not know who did the work... I have 30 years of oil artistic painting under my belt and 2 ruined personal watches that I practiced my lume on...so even with that advantage, I screwed up my first attempts... There is no shame in this at all, luming is not easy and totally unforgiving... RG

Nice to see that you did it yourself, and the satisfaction that goes with it... Great job, wear it well. RG

The lume is not applied with a brush, it's done with a fine needle. How do I keep it even and flow out nice and smooth? 30 years of painting with oil paints is probably a big part of it. That and having invested hunderds of hours in perfecting the workmanship and reluming dozens and dozens of dials... Practice, practice, and more practice...and mistakes along the way...on my own watches... RG

I have it cased now, and will take a assembled in the dark picture and post tonight...if I have time. RG

I think most will remember this dial here that I posted pics of last week. It was relumed by someone other than me, and send to me to see if I could salvage it. A real shame as it’s a “Singer” dial…here are the pics of the BEFORE Well I really felt bad for the owner and decided to see if I could improve and salvage the lume and try and fix the damage on the dial… Here’s what I managed to do…not perfect, still some damage visible, but overall I am pleased with my workmanship. I removed the bad lume, reworked the dial where it was damaged, and relumed it with a custom colour I mixed up to replicate a vintage model. I just finished restoring a 50 year old Doxa with nice aged lume, and used that colour as my guide for this one… AFTER Re-Work And a bit of a glow shot, not as bright as normal untinted lume, but in this case, being a vintage piece, probably more realisitic. I think the owner will be pleased with the results. Thanks for looking, RG

Well before I answer the question on putting oil into the oiler, it's important to note that there are more than one type of oil needed when oiling a watch. I have 4 types of oils and one grease that I use when servicing watches. I am not sure what type of oil you have, or the type of oiler you have. At $2 for the oiler, I doubt it will have the required accuracy for dispensing a accurate amount of oil. The automatic oiler I use cost $80 and it is the only one I know that is accurate. Filling my oiler is done with removal of the resovoir and filling it up by dipping a screwdrive in the oil, and letting it run off into the oiler resovoir. I recommend you get hand oilers, a black and yellow one, these two will cover all your oiling needs...but oiling in itself is an art, and requires precision and knowing the type and quantity of lubricant depending on the load and size of the pivots and the stress they are under...I can't teach you that part, but if you are interested in learning it on your own, the Time Zone site has an excellent course you can take... RG

Ok on the crystal, it's done... 2. No idea how long these models will last, a lifetime I think with proper regular servicing... The question is not how long will the movement last, but one of how long will the movement be able to keep turning all these extra gears... There is a difference between the two. Keeping any movement lasting a lifetime requires only two things 1. regular maintenance (every 3-5 years) and 2. keeping the movement clean and sealed and not contaminated. No 1 you can take care of by having the watch serviced. No 2 you can't do much about as the servicing should make sure all the seals are in place, and lubricated to prevent entry of dirt and contaminants. You can make sure the crown is always screwed down, and that you dont' expose the watch to water... 3. Since I feel that the Asian NEW 7750 is on par with the ETA one (my opinion only, and until others tear one down and provide their comments, I guess the only opinion...) then it's down to money. ETA $$$$$ ASIAN $$...just because the ETA is not needing service right away, doesn't mean it's better in the long run. They are both basically the same. Biggest issue is that some parts for the Asian 7750 are not interchangeable with the ETA ones...so if you need a new balance wheel for your Asian 7750, you can't get one... Hard decision, and no easy answer. I am not a big fan of the daytona with running seconds at 6 as I can see how it affects the movement having to turn those extra 5 gears...it's a big load... But, if your wondering about Asian 7750 quality, I have an OLD crappy (according to some) Asian 7750 in my 14 month old PAM 188, and it still works great, all the chrono's work, and reset to zero, and I use it all time, use the chrono's all the time, and have never had a problem. OLD Asian 7750 is a Yugo. NEW Asian 7750 is a Mercedes. Old still working after 14 months of me abusing and working the chrono's all the time...so the new should last a long time... RG

I have heard of some that were loose as well, and on all of these that come in for work, I check them. So far, I have not seen any firsthand that were loose... Don't confuse the fact that you can turn the pushers with the screws being loose, the two have nothing to do with each other. These pushers are not splined, they are smooth sided. So the pusher will turn in the case even with the screw tight...the screw does not stop the pusher from turning, it stops it from falling out. So to check if the screws are tight, you have to remove the caseback, and remove the movement and then hold the pusher on the outside with your finger, and with a screwdriver on the inside of the case, tighten (if needed) the pushers holddown screws. I have not had any with loose screws, so it seems to be a isolated problem... Thanks for the question. RG

I guess you could glue the hand to the dial face as someone suggested, although I don't recommned this...unless you have done this type of work before, it can end in disaster... and there is the risk of the glue getting somewhere it shouldn't and causing problems... If it's running all the time, then the plastic break lever is not working. To get at this lever requires disassembly of some of the movement. If your willing to live without the 12 hour subdial, then freezing the hand is an option, but doing it will require some careful work so as to not damage or mark the dial face. If you have a loupe and the tools, then give it a go. Otherwise, the only option is to disassemble the movement and see what the problem is, and if it can be fixed... RG

Your welcome... RG

Flush cutters, snip them off as close to the dial as you can. Then take a fine Swiss flat file, and file the remaining part flush with the back of the dial... RG

Well tough question, given that I fix and service watches...it's like asking your car mechanic if your car needs work... All I can offer is my observations, based on what I see when I open these and inspect and service them. I have serviced 6 or more of the new Asian 7750's, not one was oiled correctly, especially the balance cap jewels...but that is typical for most movements, except the ETA 7753's... I have 6 of these in house right now, waiting for service, and I suspect that I will find similar issues on these, as I have on the past ones...dry and little oil... Everyone who knows me (on the forum or personally) knows I tell it as I see it, good and/or bad (check my subforum for the reviews). Consider this comparison, a 7750 has many gears and pivots that are all spinning and turning as it runs, these are designed to run on a film of oil suspended and held in place in the jewels. No oil, means metal pivot on sapphire jewel... the longer it runs with no oil, the more wear it will have, very small wear, but the pivots are wearing out. How long before this wear gets to the point that the watch stops running and the parts have to be replaced? I couldn't tell you... A watch - like your car - needs to be serviced at some point, all watches, even the $100K ones... If I sold you a new car, but only put a bit of oil at certain places in the engine, would you drive it until it stopped working, or get an oil and filter change done right away? I keep my car's till they die an old death (last one was 17 years and had 530K on the odometer), I plan on keeping my watches for a long time, I change my oil regularly, and I service every watch as soon as I get it. It's cheaper to service a watch, than to service - and - replace parts, and keep in mind, you can't buy parts for this model, some of the ETA ones will fit, many won't... I have a Daytona here now, damaged balance wheel, can't fix it, no parts (dropped or banged hard, bent pivots...). If you own a mechanical watch, it will need to be serviced, sooner or later, it's your call...I can't say much more than giving you the facts, and let you make an informed decision. RG EDIT: Thought I would add this trivia info: This model beats 28,800 times per hour, that is 8 swings of the balance wheel back and forth every second. In a day, the balance will swing 691,000 times back and forth... In one month, the balance will swing a mind boggling 21,427,200 times, that is 21 million ticks and tocks per month...

I handle hundreds of watches a year, in the last week alone, I have gotten 18 different models in for service and upgrades. As with anyone who works on watches, I probably get to see more watches than most people do, all types and models, all versions, and all price ranges. And luckily I get to tear them apart and have a close look at them...a really close look... Have I ever noted any noticeable difference between a ETA and an Asian powered watch? Apart from the movement itself? In some cases - Yes, there is a difference, in some cases - No, I couldn't see any difference. I have seen Asian powered ones, that were "cheap" looking and an inferior quality, I have seen Asian powered ones that were basically identical to ETA powered ones...except for the movement of course. From what I could gather, in my non-scientific observations, you get what you pay for... whereas a $200 model and a $100 model of the same watch is a double price difference, the quality of the $200 one can be 10 times better than the $100 one...case, dial, hands, crown, etc.... That holds true for most models I have seen, there are exceptions here and there, but overall, that is my impression (and only mine, based on my observations). Asian does not mean "cheap quality" in all cases, there are options available if the movement fails, such as replacing it with a genuine Miyota (in the case of automatic models), if the case/dial/hands/bracelet are all of good quality. On models with complications, or power reserve indicators, or running seconds at 6 etc, there is no replacement movement available, so if it breaks, your out of luck... it's a paperweight... The other thing to consider is this, ETA replacement parts are available and abundant everywhere, Asian parts (even Miyota) are not available at all..if it breaks, your options are to install a new movement... I think best value for the money is to get the best you can afford from someone who is trusted and well respected here. I would not stay away from Asian for the sole fact it's "Asian", but I would not go cheap and expect to pay minimum dollar and get the same quality as a identical watch for twice the price (identical type, obviously quality differences...). Consider also the fact that most of the ETA powered watches contain surplus movements, so even if it's ETA, it could be old and worn out when you get it. I have had brand new ETA powered watches delivered to my door, that the movement had to be replaced in them right away...... Some contain new ETA movements, but some contain used old ones... Asian is always new, brand new... confusing isn't it???? These watches are novelty items, and clones of the genuine ones, there are some excellent buys out there, but you have to choose who and how much your willing to spend, if your expecting an $80 watch to be as good quality as a $250 one, your setting yourself up for a letdown... Choose a dependable well trusted seller from here, and get the best you can afford. RG

The regulator on the balance wheel arm is one difference, the other very noticeable difference is the finish, the new ones are all flat or not chromed finish which is very easy to see, the OLD 7750 is chromed and very shiney and like a mirror... The picture you show is of the new Asian model, but keep in mind that these daytona models with the running seconds at 6 can have problems, see my review in the above section on the New Daytona model and all the extra gears... Glad to help, RG

Super Luminova – What it is … and what it isn’t… I have relumed dozens and dozens of watches, all types, all models, and all sorts of finishes, satin, glossy, vintage, etc. I use genuine Super Luminova from RC Tritec in Switzerland, the same stuff the Genuine watch manufacture’s use. I think it’s a good product, and given what most watches are delivered with, a huge improvement over what is already there. When it comes to options on Re-Luming a watch, you have only one – use Super Lume. Other lume products are not available or illegal (Tritium, and Radium being two examples of impossible products to buy (in Canada at least)). Super lume works by absorbing photons from a light source, storing them, and releasing them over time. The lume is actually transparent to some degree (otherwise only the surface would absorb light). There is however some misunderstanding about what Super Lume does, or how it works, and under what conditions it should be visible. I thought I would clear up some of these misunderstandings. What Super Lume is - not Super Lume does not create it’s own light, it needs to be charged, 30 seconds under a bright light (incandescent or halogen or sunlight is best) is enough for about 8 hours of visibility. For it to work, you have to charge it up, if your watch is sitting in a dark drawer, don’t expect it to glow…the lume absorbs light, and then re-emits it over a number of hours so you can read it… So without a charge from a strong light, you wont’ see the Super Lume glow. Super lume is designed to work in the dark if you can see the watch with ambient light, then the lume is not going to be visible. I have had comments that the Super lume was not glowing bright green in direct sunlight…it’s for reading the watch in the dark, not during the day…during the day you can see the watch and there is no reason for the lume… If your expecting to have the lume glow bright green for longer than a few minutes, you will be disappointed. It glows really bright for a few minutes, and bright for 30 minutes or so, but after that it only glows if your in a really dark room…which is normal and to be expected. What Super Lume is Super lume performs based on two factors: 1. Amount of lume applied…the more lume you have, the more it will glow, less lume = less glow… 2. Light charge is proportional to the amount of glow you will have, bright light for 30 seconds will produce a good charge, dim or some fluorescent light will not charge the lume… So a 196 PAM with small markers and thin index marks, will have less glow and visible life than a sandwich dial PAM with lots of lume applied. Because Super Lume is designed to work in the dark, if you charge it before bed, and sleep in a dark room, 8 hours after a charge, it will still be visible. If there is light in the room, you will not be able to see the glow, it only works properly in the dark. The Super Lume from RC Tritec is expensive and does a good job, as good or better than some genuine ones with SL (at least from the feedback and comments I have received). If your expecting a green nuclear glow from your SL watch at all times, even in sunlight, your going to be very disappointed. If you want to be able to stand near a window, and then walk to a darker part of the room and see a nice glow, or if you charge your watch and go to bed in a dark room and expect to be able to read the time till you wake up, then you will be happy with the work and the product. I only apply the lume, I don’t make it or control how it works. The picture comparisons I have done were all with charges under a special fluorescent light I use for watch repair, you can easily see the differences between the original and the Super Lume… Hopefully this will clarify what you should and shouldn’t expect if you get your watch relumed at some point. If you are expecting something the SL can’t deliver, then don’t waste your money on getting it done…but if you know what and how SL works, then you will be pleased. Personally I have relumed all my watches, and I like the product and think it performs very well and does what it is supposed to do. Thanks for reading. RG

Beautiful pictures, absolutely no color problems at all, looks perfect to me, great photo job and really nice watch, thanks for sharing and posting this... RG

See the two gears where the stem goes into the watch, above the top one, the small pin, this is the stem release. The rust is not due to water, it's because whoever installed the movement did not use watch paper to protect it during installation, and they touched the rotor screw with their fingers, the salt and moisture on your finger is enough to rust the movement...if water had gotten in the movement, it would not be running... RG

Here is a genuine ETA 7750, a watch with one of these is going to be $500 or more… Here is the OLD Asian copy, any watch under $500 probably has this model, look at the finish, it’s very shiny and chrome looking…Asian is the one on the right, the ETA is on the left OLD Asian on RIGHT Here is the NEW Asian 7750, note the finish is close to the one of the ETA 7750, but there are some differences, the balance wheel hairspring is attached with a stud and there are no markings on the movement. NEW Asian 7750 This is an ETA movement, balance hairspring is attached with removable stud, and there are markings on the movement and the fine regulator is there also on the balance [censored]… ETA 7750 And this is the NEW Asian copy, compare the two and you can see the differences… Asian 7750 The real test is to ask the dealer if the movement is new or old asian, if it’s a ETA, then the price should tell you, your not likely to get a real ETA 7750 in a watch under $500… RG

Agree with nanuq, some fit, some dont'. But I am not sure if I would want to swap out the bezel insert on a regular basis, it's not designed to be removed over and over (the bezel has to be removed to get the insert out). Eventually it's going to either wear out, or not fit anymore, meaning the bezel, or the insert, or both, due to repeated disassemblies... RG

All I can add is that the 7750 series are all the same when it comes to hand sizes. So they will fit, as to the astetics of the hands themselves, I can't comment as I haven't seen them. RG

Looks great, well done... RG

Thanks for the question. I have not tried to do this type of swap between these movements so I can't say for sure if it's possible. The biggest issue is going from 18,000BPH to 21,600BPH, the gear train and balance etc are not interchangeable between these models, but I am not sure if the locations of the gears are the same. In other words, can you take the guts from the 21,600 model and put them into a 18,000 movement... Although I have worked and serviced both types, the only way to know for sure if this is possible, is to give it a try. If you have the movements and are willing to give it a go, I am willing to see if it can be done. RG

I agree with ubiquitous, I would clean any remaining glue from the case and the bezel, and mix up some 5 mintue epoxy, put some on the case (not on the bezel as it may touch something you dont' want glue on while installing it) and use a toothpick to put a thin bead of glue, line up the bezel and install it and wait...5 minutes or so... RG

Finally got it to work, thanks for the help.... RG

I have followed all the instructions provided, even switched to IE instead of Firefox, and it's still a no go, I can't log onto TRC anymore. Meaning I get an error page "www.replicacollector.com NOT found..." I can't even see the main page of TRC, let alone try and log in... I am at a loss as to what to try next, any idea's, it's been like this for 4 days now...am I stunned or what (ok don't answer that one...). What am I missing? I have a D- Link router at home if that makes any difference to this problem. Thanks, RG