fraggle42

I ordered this from a M2M over on RG who was selling two highly skeletonized Omegas. This one depicts a traditional German village with a small castle, church, castle walls, houses, with flags, and even a waterwheel. Great thought gone into how to incorporate everything into the available front and back main plate. Arrived no problems, running a bit fast (5 mins an hour) but that's easily sortable. One loop spring needs refreshing again as it's rather weak and doesn't hold the gear against the others when winding the watch so I've got to be very careful at the mo. The main spring is hellish hard to wind, must have been replaced at some point with a modern, tougher one that needs a lot of power to wind it, that will have to be sorted or it'll strip the other gears in no time at all. It's got an original Omega silver case with double back. On the outside of the inner case is "MR" "5 June 1927". The case serial number and the movement serial numbers don't match sadly, but they're only out by a few so I'm happy the case is the one the movement would have come in. Now the dial has gone the hands are blue against light gold of the movement so they'll need adapting a little so they're easier to see, you could completely miss the seconds hand at the moment! There's a bit of dirt on the main spring and bits of dust and tiny strands of fluff but in a watch that you can open the back with your fingernail I don't expect it to be perfectly clean I really like it Apologies for a lack of pictures but I'm too tired to take any decent pics tonight, but it's a nice, old, big bruiser. A few small things to sort out and it could even be a daily watch for another 87 years!

The cheap Chinese movements are made with poor tolerances and this really shows in the second hand, the gears don't mesh properly and there is lots of slack in them which results in the uneven sweep that you have noticed. The better quality movements are better and better at this, Asian movements are still rough but better than Chinese. Old ETA repaired with Asian parts are, well, old and will be worn, so will be as good as new Asian movements. New ETAs are great, and I think the closest you will get to a new ETA is a TC movement unless you get lucky and find a genuine NOS ETA movement. I've got a couple of gens with new ETA, one with 2824, one with 7750 and I've also got a omega PO rep with a TC 2824. In my opinion the TC movements are as good as the ETAs.

If you must have that watch the only way you are going to get it is to buy a gen. I strongly advise you NOT to send any money to ANYONE saying they have a replica of it, they are lying.

The search functionality sort of works here, but I've found that sometimes it just doesn't find anything, even when searching for my own posts I know I've made. So don't be afraid to ask.

Stuart it was a lightly used one I bought on M2M at RG. I first tried to buy one from a seller on WUS but he sold it twice and refunded my payment and basically made a complete [censored] of the sale (so I wrote it up exactly as it happened in the review forum, got to let other potential buyers know what these people are like) Mine came without the box (that would have added a LOT to the postage) but came with the spare links and booklet, I certainly wouldn't pay the stupid UK prices for one! Almost DOUBLE the US price Take Mikes offer up and get one cheap - even if the UK customs add the import duties it'll still be loads cheaper.

Enjoying this start of summer we're having at the moment.

I suppose you could pick up a second hand pocket watch minute repeater like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Henry-Sandoz-5-Minute-Repeater-Chronograph-Hunter-Pocket-Watch-Serviced-/151254577805 And recase it as a wrist watch. Bit more than your budget but I can't think of another way of doing it mechanically and "cheaply".

Mike mine is the 96B175, this one http://www.ebay.com/itm/331088836043 $425 that one is. IIRC I paid $350 or something for mine from a seller on RG. In the UK they're £500 ($830) on EBay, and £550 ~ £600 in the shops. Stupid prices!

Good point, is it just the crown itself that wobbles around on the end of the stem, or the crown AND stem that are wobbling around in relation to the rest of the watch IYSWIM?

One thing to remember is if you use grease or suchlike to make it smooth, remember to always remove ALL of that grease (after you have the action lovely and smooth) and put fresh grease on. The reason is that the first lot of grease now has lots of tiny bits of metal in it (that were causing the roughness) and if you left that grease on there it will act as a cutting paste and make things looser and looser until the threads crumble to nothing. Remove it and put new grease on and it'll be lovely and smooth for a long time to come.

Cheap movement I'd say. One of the reasons they can be cheap is the tolerances are no where as tight as more expensive movements, resulting in this kind of problem. Or if it's an old watch or movement it may be wear on the stem, or the parts of the keyless works that hold other parts in have lost some of their spring or been bent back slightly? Difficult to know without more details really (how old, what sort of movement (Chinese, Asian, Swiss) been serviced, etc)

I'm surprised you say that this smaller one is more comfortable on you. The chrono is a lot bigger and weighs a fair amount but it's not noticeable on my wrist really, the bracelet is also very wide which helps a lot, I'm surprised how comfy to wear it is, Did you try one on? (They are a lot more expensive though, about $600 IIRC)

Oh I think you'll like it very much Mike! I don't know how the watch size of this one compares to the Precisionist I have (the one with the chrono) but mine is huge and has that lovely curved crystal & bezel. I was on the fence for AAGES deciding if I wanted to buy it, eventually did and as soon as I put it on I knew immediately it's a keeper and I love it. Plus it'll come in handy if I get into bother - it's like having a brick strapped to my wrist - plenty of weight behind a punch

And if you really shook up the watch would the liquid and air mix / break off drop of liquid, giving you little droplets of the coloured liquid round the tube?

Ah, gorgeous. I so wanted to do this but my eyesight put a very early end to my hopes. Might be different now but I'm 32 years older as well A motorbike with almost 1000bhp/ton is as close as I'm ever going to get to it. Respect.

A gen spy trying to gather info on who to prosecute?

Nice

A KFC? Ewww! Gimme a Burger King Double Whopper wiv Cheese meal any day

You're teasing us! No photo showing the polished bezel edge (unless I've understood you wrong?)

Ah, I understand I used to have a job where I had to be suited and booted and was expected to climb into hot safes that were an inch deep in dust, just big enough to contain an ATM machine (that needed fixing). I did get an allowance for having to wash the trousers and shirts, but not so I could buy them every time I ripped something. Timex cheap watches was the daily beater then - I could give them a quick rinse over at the same time I had a wash or shower

Big Dazza have you been on the wobbly pop? If not, what are you on about?!?

You appear to be getting yourself mixed up. First you say that this information is "one discrepancy", so you are admitting it was an issue, and then you say it's "unfounded" and "not true". As it is true, as you admit it, it is neither unfounded not "not true". So removing your conflicting statements, what we are left with it "Fraggle, do not buy from me." which I have absolutely no problem doing at all.

If that is indeed the case he can carry on and have fun taunting them. There is another group of people who deserve even more exposure, those who sell reps as genuine watches and do their best to rip off innocent people. If FWB targeted those I'm sure basically everyone here would genuinely welcome him, we buy reps and sell them as reps and admit to anyone who asks that they're reps and hate those who rip others off. The only problem I've got with FWB is his attire and language. Generation and continent difference maybe, but he does his credibility no favours with how he comes across.

I guess you have a long trip to work, or maybe use the tube or other public transport? And have nice business lunches out? I've downsized my job so I only have a 10 minute drive to work, and my lunch is a drive to the local sandwich van and back and eat it in the canteen or my desk. I hear about people working from 7am to 7pm and wonder why? Even more so if they've got a family. I guess it doesn't help me that I'm not good with dealing with the public so have to be hidden in the office somewhere Plus the fact I love what I do (software engineer) and I'm happy with just enough money to keep me in gadgets and toys. Too old to have big career ambitions at my age and health!

These were $20 straps from Ofrei in an order with loads of other stuff including the case, so it wasn't the end of the world if I got it wrong