RWG Technical

This is what comes up when I click on the RWiki link.

ETA and Asian parts are not interchangeable. ETA parts from different caliber movements are not interchangeable. RG

Hand sizes are one of the easiest things to overcome, I do it all the time when I install ETA's in place of the A7750's. RG

No bad blood at all. The way it was written told me that you sat down at the bench the other day, trying to come up with a special mixture, and over the next few days, messed up 70 dials...which is why it seemed so unbelievable... 70 dials over 6 months is understandable, although that is a lot of dials... Yes there is a lot to luming, my only advantage (and only a slight one at that) is that I have been painting with oil paints for almost 30 years. Oil painting and luming (although on different scales) is sort of the same. BUT, I ruined my share of dials, from my own watches, when I started out. And, 2.5 years ago, there were no suppliers of spare dials, or spare anything else for that matter. Luming is an art, watchmaking is a skill. Movements can only go together one way, either you get it right, or you don't. If you get it right, no one can tell that you may have messed up along the way (even if you break something, since you can replace it). Luming on the other hand, is totally unforgiving, and you get one shot, get it wrong, and your screwed, there is no way to make up for the mistake. You can't replace or correct many of the errors, except by replacing the dial with a new one. If your buying dials for less than $10 each, your getting a hell of a deal, I can't buy them for that price. For me though, using the plain RC Tritec Super Lume is all I will do, since I have not found anything that performs better. Sometimes it's better to just stick with what works. RG

Well said. There is something to be said when new modders charge twice what experienced modders do, for the same work. Normally when someone first hangs out a shingle offering services, they realize that they are new, still learning, and would be expected to charge less than the fellow down the street who has been at the same work for years, and has developed the skills and experience that only comes with time. Price does not always indicate quality...especially when mods are concerned. Modding seems to have attracted it's share of bad apples over the years, money speaks louder than integrity to many folks, a real shame that this is the case. RG

No pissing contest from me either, however I do have a lot of experience with lume, especially Super Lume and it's qualities and application. I have been using it for close to 3 years now, and I like to think RC Tritec has done their homework. I have yet to see anything that comes close to SL for glow brightness or quality. Yes everyone wasts dials while learning, but your already a competent lumer aren't you? which is why the 70 dials seems a tad excessive. Why not just scrape the old lume off and re-apply your test lume instead of wasting dials? Yes other modders have come up with monikers for their lume, but why can't we just get back to calling a spade a spade? I am sure you can recoupe some of the dial spoilage by selling them off to the members on RWG. Cheers RG

Without a watch analyzer, your only guessing at what is being adjusted. The beat is the most important adjustment, and the only way to check it and adjust it is with a timing machine. You can move the regulator arm and make the watch run faster, but again, you have no idea what your adjustments are, since you don't have anything to tell you how fast or slow it's running. If you have a loupe, a good light, #2 tweezers, etc, and some experience working carefully, you can move the regulator arm on the balance, but its attached to the hairspring and you have to be very careful. THe regulator arm is in between the stud arm and the center of the watch, you move it CW looking at it. RG

And sometimes the secret ingredients, are nothing more than marketing hype... RG

Well considering that the genuine manufacturs use Super Lume, simply because it's the best there is, it continues to amaze me that people can mix up super lume, with other secret ingredients, call it a special name, and come out with something better than the scientists can, who work at RC Tritec in the lab. Wouldn't you think they would have come up with it already? Wasting 70 dials (at $30 or so each would be $2100), and $400 of lume, sounds a bit far fetched to me, but then again I have always been a bit of a skeptic when something is claimed to be better than what companies like RC Tritec have spend Millions developing. RG

Your kidding right? 70 dials, and $400 in lume... It looks like Tritec C1 and C3 mixed together, I must be missing something... RG

I should buy one of these for myself, and lume the orange and the white on the bezel, that would look so cool...but it would take forever to get done, not to mention the shot nerves when I was finished. RG

I created that list a long time ago, have a look here... Link to RWiki section RG

Here's what mine looks like... RG

Great story, nothing like setting someone in their place. RG

Ok on everything. If you do remove the balance, here is what I would do. Put the stem in winding. Remove the stem. Remove balance. Once balance is out, look in and see the end of the hack lever, push on it towards the stem, and try and get it to seat back into the clutch gear, it should be able to get wiggled back in place (after all it did come out). Once you have it back where you think it should be, reinsert the stem while pressing on the release to lock it in place, test it and see what you get, it may take a few tries...but if it's in place, you'll see it pop out when you put in the time setting position, and retrack when you go to winding. Good luck. RG

Since Omega is part of the Swatch group, and so is ETA, I would think the only correct date font would be on an ETA. It doesnt' make a lot of sense to me to replace a faulty DG with another DG...if the Miyota fits, then that would be my solution. I have never tried to replace a DG4813 with a Miyota, so I can't say if it's possible or not. RG

A great way to show appreciation for the help you got, is to do up a post on how you fixed your problem. Since you could not find a post on the keyless works, but have come up with a solution and fixed your own, what a better way to help the forum but by sharing and giving something back to it. If you can add pictures all the better. Looking forward to seeing it. RG

I think a DG8413 is the same as a Lemania 1874, there ain't none... The best option is to either buy the ETA powered model, or if you get the Asian one and aren't pleased with the movement, try replacing it with a Miyota 8215. Asian powered watches can't be upgraded with ETA movements, nothing fits...hands, dial, datewindow, case ring etc... RG

In reality this is not new or unheard of. ALL of the movements in our reps are SURPLUS ones, heck even poor old wacked out Bob Frei can only buy used surplus ETA movements... The degree of used varies a lot, from pristine NOS, to been around the block and then some. RG

You did not mention what position you had the stem in when you took it out. I know the mainstream TZ experts claim always remove the stem in the time setting positon, but in my opinion this is the worse possible position to remove the stem. I only remove the stem in the winding position, on all movements and have never had a problem. Your problem is most likely the hack lever having slipped out of the clutch wheel. Getting it back in place, is not easy, or possible without some disassembly. You can verify that this is the problem, by gently trying to swing the balance back and forth, if it doesn't swing feely and keep moving, your hacking lever is out. If you have the skills to remove the balance kock, you can peer in and see the lever... RG

There is a procedure that works, I came up with my own. The only procedure I have posted for Omega crown replacements, was on my SMP Chrono. Just this past weekend, I did my first UPO upgrade to a gen crown and tube for someone, as well as a Omega Seamaster GMT crown and tube. I have done a lot of research and experimenting to come up with a solution that works and is permanent, on the UPO I install the tube like the gen, it's pressed in place. On the GMT I had to come up with something different. Finding these solutions has consumed many hours of my time (I experiment on my own watches, until I find something that works) and I prefer to keep some of my hard found discoveries to myself. RG

Is it normal...no, is it unusual for this model or any recent Omega to have a loose crown, not at all. This is a common problem on many Omega's lately, the only solution is to replace the crown and tube with geniune parts. RG

If you pushed it in too far, you have to get at the keyless works by removing the dial and hands. It's quite a complex procedure, and beyond what I can put into words, or take the time to do a how-to pictorial on... @L-dizzle Yes it applies to all movements, no matter the manufaturer... RG

Pushing the button with no stem in place, is no different than pushing it with the stem in place, as long as you use a correct sized screwdriver, nothing will happen. My initial guess is that your not pushing the stem in far enough to engage and lock it on the set lever. On this model, you DON"T press the release when installing the stem, insert the stem carefully and slowly, turning it as you push it in, it will seat quite far, and then you press and it snaps in place. Give that a try, remember, no pressing the release, and you should have removed it in the normal winding positon, not in the time setting one. RG

I have done a number of these up, and the problems are normal when trying to piece together these watches. I have another on the way next month for the same mods, it's never simple or easy getting these custom jobs assembled. RG