stang

I was just reading the thread about He purge valves on diver watches (in the Knowledge Base forum) and it got me thinking about the value, if any, of high water resistance. Although most "diver" watches will probably never see debths greater than the deep end of a swimming pool (and many won't even see a shower) ... can the debth rating be used to judge the relative build quality of the watch? I don't think a human can dive beyond 250 feet using scuba tanks and 250 meters is probably the max for saturation diving. (I don't really know) so watches H2O resistant to 300, 600, 1000 meters or more don't seem to make much sense apart from marketing strategy. Even for professional divers. OR, does it?..... I assume that a watch has to be assembled with greater precision/tolerances/machining/skill to withstand 500 meters of pressure than a watch resistant to 100 meters. Therefore, can the water resistance rating be used to assess the build quality of a watch even though it will never be used at its max debth? I'm curious what people think about this since I consider the WR rating a fairly good indicator of build quality. (probably why there aren't too many 300M Timexes).

RE: RATE ADJUSTMENT Found an excellent article by Gioarmani on how to adjust the rate of a mechanical watch (w/ pictures specific for the Asia 7750 movement). Was in the "Knowledge Base" forum. Click link below for article if interested. http://www.rwg.cc/members/How-To-Adjust-Yo...eat-t19163.html

Scoobs, I have similar results, although the clockwise (CW), winding, direction doesn't give very strong resistance. I would classify it as moderately firm. Meaning, it turns w/o much effort but there is definitely some resistance. I figure it's about as firm as removing a sparkplug from an engine head after just loosening it w/ a wrench (able to accomplish by hand, but not just spinning out ... a little force is required). CCW gives same audible clicking & no resistance. My A7750 seems to be working fine so far, maybe I'm just lucky. With the chrono running constantly I gain about 30 sec/day ... so I reset the time every 7-8 days. I don't know if this is too often. I try to go VERY slow & gentle when setting the time/date. I'm going to do more research and see if I can adjust the hair-spring tension to make it run a bit slower. I believe there is a lever leading to the balance wheel which can be moved up/down to apparently change the hairspring tension (thus modifying the beat rate(?...)) I don't know how much (sec/day) adjustability the balance spring tension adjustment makes. I do know the balance spring will break if you look at it the wrong way so I'm trying to be very careful. Hopefully, I can get the average daily variation to less than 15 sec/day. I'll review The Zigmeister's posts again and see if I can find a section on rate adjustment. We'll see. Good luck, Jeff

The Zigmeister, You RULE brother! For real. I'm so glad you're a member here, I would have surely damaged (or outright mangled) my watch if not for your experience and direction with respect to mechanical movements. (For example: I would have reset my chrono near the 30 sec mark, shaken it to "fix" a problem and frequently reset the time and/or date) Thanks for taking the time to reply to my newbie questions even though you've probably answered them dozens of times before for other members. Mine seems to spin quite freely in either direction, although it typically spins w/ some resistance after 40-50 revolutions. Clockwise or counter-clock yields the same results for some reason (?). Oddly, I can sometimes hear/feel the rotor (apparently) make a full revolution or two after just slightly tilting or moving the watch a bit. Almost like the mainspring was powering a brief burst of energy to move the rotor. Strange. Also, another member mentioned that the new Asia 7750 was an exact copy of the ETA 7750, which is bi-directional. I'm assuming he's mistaken. I've gone up to 100 turns, all with the same resistance(?). Maybe I simply can't feel the change in resistance after 30 turns. It's always a moderate resistance going clockwise and no resistance & a clicking sound when going counter-clockwise. Fair enough ... you can't know *everything*! Good, now I don't feel as stupid. I either get no hits or 4+ pages when I reduce my keywords to just "chrono". Thanks again The Zigmeister ... You Da Man. Deltatahoe, Thanks for the search utility hints. I didn't realize that I had to include the word "and" to have it look for each word individually. I'm used to Google which looks for all the keywords individually unless you enclose them in quotes. The "&" sign will require Google to find all the keywords but not necessarily together or in the order typed. RWG's engine apparently works very different (differently(?) My grammar stinks :yucky: ). BTW, do you live in Reno (Lake Tahoe)? I went there on vacation years ago ... just a gorgeous area. Skied Heavenly & Squaw Valley for 5 days, right after a 2 foot snowfall. Probably the best skiing I've ever experienced (I'm a NJ resident and the Appalachians don't compare w/ the Rockies for skiing). IM(LTH)O, the Lake Tahoe area is one of the best vacation spots anywhere (skiing, powerboating, dirtbiking/ATVing, casinos, etc). You're a lucky guy if you live there...

Guys, I must be the dumbest scientist in the world.... I read all three of The Zigmeister's Asia 7750 articles several times, plus his Watch Basics 101 & 102 a few times. I've searched the Watch Repair & Upgrade forum and the Technical Info forum (both the Reviews and Q&A sections). I used keywords like chrono running constantly, chrono always on, keep chrono on, keep chrono running, chrono always running. (using both chrono and chronograph). I use the search field at the lower-left side of the screen to search within the sub-forum but always get the darn: "Sorry, but we did not find any matches to display. Try again and broaden your search criteria. If you were searching for new posts since your last visit, it's possible that there are none to show." Best I can determine (from The Zigmeister's Asia 7750 3-part series) is that it is OK to keep the chronograph ON all the time. Here are some selected excerpts from the articles which lead me to that conclusion. For his: "which position causes the most wear to the 12 hour wheel & clutch, and has the most drag/friction on the basic movement:" question... Note: I believe he meant "3" in the first answer since 2 would seem to contradict the article's info plus the answer just below it saying "1 and 2" were OK. Also, part 3 of the article series poses the question I ask, but refrains from providing the answer. If I misinterpreted his explanations please let me know because I'm about to leave my chrono running. Thanks for trying to help a complete idiot who can't seem to work a simple search engine properly. The articles are superb (shameless flattery to elicit assistance) but don't give the punchline answer to the part 3 "Is it OK to leave..." question. Regardless, thanks for your replies and attempts to aid the "thinking impaired". Sincerely, Jeff

The Zigmeister, Thanks, again, for your assistance. I need to remember that I'm a VIP member and can do a search more than once. I do try to search for information before submitting a new topic but I seem to have trouble selecting the right keywords for the search. I typically get either dozens of hits, or none, ... not sure why. Maybe I am a bit lazy since I give up after 30 - 60 minutes of data mining through verbose posts. However, it's easier to search for my answers than type out a long post and check my grammar, spelling & syntax before I submit my new topic. As usual, your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks for all you've done to help me and others. Regards, Jeff P.S. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

More mechanical watch newbie questions I hope someone can answer. 1) Is it OK to keep the chronograph running for extended periods of time? One thing I hate about chronographs is the "small seconds" display. I prefer to have the large, center seconds hand moving ... which can only be acheived when the chrono is running. On my quartz watch, I don't keep the chrono running because I think it will drain the battery quicker. Since my mechanical chrono is an automatic I don't have to worry about draining the power. Can I keep the chronograph running for long periods of time (a few hours or all day) w/o damaging the movement? 2) sometimes when I gently "swirl" or "shake" the watch back and forth to get the rotor turning (to wind the watch following extended inactivity) the rotor keeps spinning in the case long after I stop moving it. I've heard it spin about 4 to 6 revolutions after I stop moving it!! I thought the spring's resistance would make the rotor stop spinning quickly. Is this normal and/or OK? 3) how many turns of the crown does it take to completely wind the mainspring from a complete stop (fully un-wound)? Similarly, how many turns of the rotor does it take to wind the mainspring completely? Please reply if anyone knows the answer to any/all of these questions. Thank You, in advance, for any insight and knowledge anyone cares to share along these lines. I'm sure there are other newbies who have the same or similar questions. Sincere regards, Jeff

Tim, I had this experience with my SMP 300M Chrono w/ the Asia 7750 movement. After winding it via the crown when it had stopped completely, the seconds hand wouldn't move, even after dozens of turns of the crown (tried turning the crown in both directions since I didn't know which way was correct. Apparently, clockwise is the correct direction to wind). After approx 40 turns of the crown (both directions) I tried winding the watch using the rotor by "swirling" the watch (short circles in the air to get the rotor turning via inertia). This caused the seconds hand to start running immediately. Later on, I was able to get the watch running from a dead stop using just the crown ... but sometimes I have to "jiggle" it a bit to get it going. Not sure why(?). Jeff

Jdavis, The ZigmeisterZumba, Scoobs, Awesome links guys!! . Thank you very much for relaying this information. I never could understand why ETA makes such a big deal about hiding the details of its better movements(?) from the main page (password required). I figured they would *want* people to know this stuff ... you know ... show off their technology. Strange. Thanks again guys, much appreciated!! Jeff

Who, Great information. Very good to know, thanks for submitting your experiences using this form of payment. I will definitely look into the "one-time-use" CC number from my bank if available. Sounds like a great option for purchases, especially since WU has gotten so expensive (quoted $24 for a $54 money transfer!!!!. Unreal.) Used to be like $14 for a $250 transaction, now, it's so much more. Too bad ... I liked WU. Regardless, thanks for the information. Jeff

By-Tor, Thanks for responding to my question. I did find and read the above link (post) but I thought you had another post specific for the SMP Chronograph model's bezel which, apparently, is harder to remove than the std version. I also vaguely remember someone posting that they had to wrap a screwdriver w/ scotch-tape and pry off the bezel on the chrono version (?). Does the "hairdryer" technique actually work? I don't have a hairdryer but I'll buy a cheap one if this technique will work, since I'm worried about "locating" the bezel properly upon reassembly (i.e. getting the bezel "points" to align w/ 12-O-Clock position). I'm also worried that I'll have trouble getting the bezel back on. Someone at RC.com said he ruined the crystal & bezel trying to put it back on (?...). Regardless of my concerns, thank you very much for replying to my question and for all the great info you've submitted already. Great job!! Pugwash, Thanks for letting me know that the "...." means that information is missing and won't work as shown. I tried the link by right-clicking on it and selecting open link in new window. Worked like a charm. I appreciate you refraining from a justified "DUH, stang" response! Sincere regards, Jeff

Anyone know where I can find By-tor's SMP 300M bezel re-alignment guide? I've already checked... By-tor's guide to best Omega Replicas (+ all relevant links in that post(s)) I also found & tried to follow these posts... & I even registered for replicacollector.com just to view these posts, but the (above) links don't work, just error messages when clicking on them or cut&paste into address bar. I found info on heating the bezel w/ a hairdryer for 2-3 min then turning it while wearing gloves (mixed results, apparently). One member destroyed the bezel while trying to remove it. By-tor indicates that the 300M chrono SMP bezel is a lot harder to remove than the std version. I don't want to ruin my bezel or insert and I would like more specific info than the sotirisip pictures/guide contained in the "Complete OMEGA Seamaster "Bond" Modding/Adjustment Guide..." by By-tor. Please help and THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! (I *did* search a lot. I viewed all By-tor's posts back to March 17th 2006. ... not just being lazy)

forgot about this thread.... Thanks for the link tourbillon. That site has a lot of movements listed. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have the newer ETA movements or the high-end ones. Specs are minimal too. I was looking for the 7750 - 7754 models, the 2892, the 251.272, 251.262, 251.265 or 251.242. The thermocompensated ones (used in Breitling) aren't listed either. Thanks for the link though. Your reply was appreciated.

geekybiker, Didn't know the movement was that sensitive. I have the same movement and avoided doing this for the same reason, but it really shouldn't be *that* fragile with just one infraction screwing up the watch... Try setting the date just *slightly* off of the 1st position (call it positions 0.8, 0.9, 1.1, 1.2 for lack of accurate nomenclature) and see if this makes a difference. Or, maybe it will fix itself after the watch goes through a couple "normal" date changes (i.e. following 24-48 hours time) allowing you to set things properly. Of course, The ZigmeisterZumba seems to be the resident expert on replica mechanical movements around here(although there are others). Hopefully, he will see this post and respond. (maybe he'll see my Asia 7750 questions in the Q&A as well ....) Best of luck w/ this issue, Jeff

epitome: typical of or possessing to a high degree the features of a whole class (synonym: embodiment, model, quintessence). Often mistaken to mean the ultimate or best ... which is what I thought it meant Dictionaries rule. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my watch. Prepare to die .....

CrystalCranium, Thank you very much for replying to my post. Your experience & insight is very much appreciated. The Zigmeister wrote an article (mechanical watches 101, I believe) where he mentioned that the Swiss ETA 7750 was a bi-directional winding arrangement, while the Asia 7750 was uni-directional winding. Not sure if he meant the older A7750 and/or the new A7750. Bi-directional meaning that the rotor will wind the mainspring whichever direction it turns (clock/counterclock). He said the A7750 rotor only winds in 1 direction(?). Basically, I take the watch off, hold it in my hand and make short circles in the air (swirl?) to get the rotor to spin around in the case. I'm using inertia to make the rotor turn but I didn't know which way to make the rotor turn to wind it. I don't know what "regulation" means & I don't want to mess w/ the beat rate. I was referring to the arm which adjusts the balance spring (hairspring?) to (hopefully) make the movement run a little slower. Right now it's running about +2-3 min/week off ... so, I'm resetting the time every couple weeks when it's about 5 min off. I read that it's not good to set the time too often, thus the desire to adjust the rate. Again, thank you very much for the advice and link. I didn't want to screw up my watch through ignorance + enthusiasm which is why I asked. Good to stuff know... Sincerely, Jeff P.S. how often is *too much* for resetting the time or date? The Zigmeister said to avoid doing it w/ the Asia 7750 cuz of the "clutch" arrangement connecting the crown and hands/movement.

Omeega, Very slick looking watch, even w/ the missing 3 o clock marker. The ZigmeisterZumba can probably paint the marker on for you at a reasonable fee. I know he will completely re-lume the hands/dial of a watch with real Superluminova for a just $100. I'm planning on sending him my watch as soon as I can bear to part with it for a couple weeks. I also purchased a SMP from Josh and am very happy w/ the watch and ordering process (received watch in 6 days). I got the 300M Chronograph version which is also a superb reproduction (except for the bezel misalignment and screws). Unfortunately, one of the screws got bent/jammed and I spent 2 hours carefully cutting off a link w/ a hacksaw to get it off! All is well now though. I plan on putting a tiny drop of a silver colored glue/epoxy on the ends of the screw to make it look like a pin. Hopefully, this will give me the desired effect. I also plan on adjusting the bezel insert once I read a bit more so I don't screw it up. There is an excellent "Bond SMP" modification guide by By-Tor in the "repair & Upgrade" section which has the details. Tee Jay, Thanks for posting the additional info on adjusting the bezel insert since I wasn't sure how difficult this mod was. Your feedback is appreciated! Regards, Jeff

Interesting, but I don't think I would actually wear any of them. Although .... The Futara Zero-G actually looks somewhat classy and fairly easy to read. Not bad. Maybe it's just that it's 3 in the morning and my brain shut down hours ago.

jdavis, Nice avatar! Yeah, WU was $14 to China the 1st time, but $34 to China just 3 weeks later! Not sure what the deal is with WU... Same place, same amount, big change in fee(?) Maybe they spin a big casino wheel every week to decide what the amount should be. Strange. Still, for a large money transfer, I would still go w/ WU. Not sure what Moneybookers or Moneygram is like. Anyone have experience w/ MB or MG transactions?

Apologies if this belongs in the "Repair & Upgrade" section, but it's not technically a repair or upgrade Question. With regards to the NEW Asia 7750 movement .... 1) How do I adjust the rate of the watch? I believe there is a lever attached to the balance wheel which can be used to adjust the rate. Is this true and how do I adjust to make it run faster/slower? 2) Which way does the rotor rotate to wind the mainspring? With the dial facing up ... does the rotor wind in a clockwise direction or a counter-clockwise direction? I often wind the watch following inactivity by "swirling" it clockwise for 40-50 rotations, then counter-clockwise for the same amount. Which way is actually winding the spring? 3) How quickly can I "swirl" the rotor to avoid damage (I swirl very quickly, approx 2-3 rotations per second) 4) How often can I set the time/date without damaging the movement. The Zigmeister wrote that the crown is connected to the gear train via a "clutch" which can get worn by setting the time on the Asia 7750. (This will (apparently) cause the time to be displayed incorrectly even though the gears are moving correctly). 5) Is there a way (fast, medium or slow speed. smooth or abrupt motion. long turns or short turns) to operate the crown to prevent damage/wear to the movement? I often have to reset the time or date and don't want to damage the movement. 6) Is there a way to oil the movement without having to disassemble it (i.e. a few tiny "." size drops placed strategically after removing the caseback? Also, is this required for a new Asia 7750 movement? (do they come sufficiently oiled?) Thank you very much, in advance, for any feedback experienced members care to share. Sincerely, Jeff

I had very good luck using Western Union to process my last purchase. Unfortunately, WU seems to have gotten a lot more expensive since the first (only) time I used it. I was charged only $14 for a $250 "money-in-minutes" transaction the first time I used WU. However, I recently checked the fee for a $50 payment and the estimated cost appeared as $20. The $250 amount (placed less than one month before) is now appearing as a $34 fee!! I'm not sure why the cost has gone up so much(?). For a $250(+) order, $34 isn't too much. A $20 fee for a $50 transaction is outrageous. Besides the fee, I was very happy with the Western Union payment methods. I used my VISA debit card and the online (web/internet) service. What I like about Western Union is... 1) Very quick and easy to process (unlike Paypal's endless setup screens). 2) I didn't have to provide a lot of personal information for their files. 3) WU provides extensive online details regarding the status of the order. Thus, easy to track exactly what is happening. 4) WU is a well established, reliable, secure and reputable company which has been around for many years. I trust them as much as I would trust any online transaction. 5) I could use my VISA card for payment (and not worry *too* much about the info being stolen/abused). What I don't like about WU are the (currently) high fees they charge for this service. Not sure why they went up so much. For $200 or more, it's reasonable. For less than that amount it seems excessive IM(LTH)O. I hope this information is helpful. BTW, I ordered from Joshua and was very pleased with his service (replied to my emails on the same day I sent them and I received my watch six days after the WU payment was submitted). with regards, Jeff

The Zigmeister, I didn't see your service guide, as you predicted. Now I have. I think your prices are very reasonable and will probably (90%) try to contact you for Superluminizing and/or service in the not too distant future. (As soon as I can bear parting with my new toy for a couple weeks or more...). Thank you very much for providing these valuable services to us RWG members. Your service to the replica watch community and owners of all mechanical watches is truly valuable and important. Same goes for the knowledge and experience you freely share with everyone. Much appreciated!! Pugwash, By WMD, I assume you mean Weapon of Mass Destruction.(?). If this is what you mean, (and is in fact what the US government believes & their reason for banning tritium imports/service), it's yet another example of how unbelievably ignorant and clueless our (USA) leaders are. Note: I'm not doubting what you say about the reasons are true. This would not be the first time the government made ridiculous regulations based on a complete lack of scientific knowledge and fact. Why tritium paint *is not* (and probably never will be) a WMD is almost too numerous to explain completely. 1) Fusion bombs (which use tritium to increase yeild), utilize pure, elemental tritium. The tritium paint in watches uses molecular tritium ... i.e. a compound (polymer) which has hydrogen in it, some of which is tritium hydrogen. Just like there is tritium inside me and you. I guess we are WMDs and need to be banned. 2) Hydrogen bombs utilize a very pure, very concentrated, very radioactive form of tritium. This is millions (billions) of times more radioactive per gram (specific activity) than tritium paint. It is probably easier to harvest this grade of tritium from water than it would be to remove the hydrogen from polymers and concentrate it to a useable form for bombs. 3) A hydrogen (fusion) bomb has to be "ignited" with an atomic (fission) bomb. An atomic bomb is *already* a WMD all by itself. Sub-critical levels of tritium won't do much, if anything. (I'll have to double-check this) 4) The tritium in the GTLS (gaseous tritium light sources) is a much more "useable" form of tritium for making fusion bombs since it is already in the pure, elemental state ... just not "active" enough for fusion. However, these GTLS's *are* available in the USA I think(?)(Luminox, etc) 5) Radioactive hydrogen is the weakest of all radioactive compounds. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make even one person sick just through the radioactive emissions of this radionuclide. (A person would have to EAT all the tritium paint from dozens/hundreds of watch dials to get sick or die). 6) The Beta particle (electron) emitted by tritium can't penetrate a piece of paper or your skin ... thus the eat reference above. I'll admit that I don't know everything and that all my science courses (many, many years) may be wrong. I'd have to see a credible, scientific-journal paper indicating that the low-activity, non-elemental, tritium in watch paint can be used as a WMD for me to believe otherwise. IMO, this is yet another "one-size-fits-all" mentality of truly ignorant officials. Like comparing a lady-finger firecracker to a truckload of nitroglycerine. "But their both explosives. They're the same. Ladyfingers should be banned!!). Pugwash, again, I believe you. Which is why I get so pi$$ed off with the govt sometimes. Sorry for ranting so much. I'm mad that I can't get a tritium watch because of stupidity.

Dak244, I purchased my watch from Joshua using my VISA debit card and Western Union. I liked the fact that WU has been around for a while and has a good reputation. The ordering process was very easy (MUCH easier than trying to set up a PayPal account!!) and gave me good confirmation info for my records. Plus, tracking info, pickup confirmation, etc. All things considered, I would use my debit/VISA card and Western Union again in a heartbeat. I definitely recommend this route if you are very nervous about using your credit card online (Like I am). Something to be said for a well established, long standing company (i.e. WU). I also signed up for the "verified by visa" service from my bank (BOA). BTW, I received my watch from Josh 6 days after placing the WU money transfer. Very good IMO. His prices were a bit higher than some other dealers but I have absolutely no regrets about ordering from him. He also replied to my emails very quickly, usually the same day. Regards, Jeff (stang)

To all, Does anyone know where I can purchase the typical accessories which come with genuine Omega watches? I would like to buy the red box the watches come in, and also the instruction manual and polishing cloth, if available. This is my first replica (probably not the last....) and I didn't realize they didn't come with the usual accessories. Finally, I did a search for replacement Omega rotors for the automatic movement since I was considering attempting to replace the steel Seamaster caseback with a see-through crystal back. I really like the way mechanical movements look and want to be able to see it in action! I don't care that the real SMP doesn't have a crystal back as I'm not trying to pass it off as real. I just want a nicer looking rotor that says Omega to match the rest of the watch. Unfortunately, I can't find one anywhere. Thanks, in advance, for any assistance you can provide, especially w/ the box & instructions/cloth! Jeff

I don't mean to hijack this thread but can anyone recommend a reasonably priced place to get a single watch relumed. The ZigmeisterZumba, You mentioned RCTritec as a Superluminova source. I know them from a search on SPO-Tritium paint years ago. Is there anyone who can/will do a re-lume job using tritium paint as opposed to superluminova. I would pay a few hundred dollars to get some real tritium applied to my watch!! Thanks, in advance, The Zigmeister for any assistance you can provide! (Superb articles, BTW! Truly top-notch stuff The Zigmeister!)