EMM

Yep, pivots are missing top and bottom. Far as I can tell, the new one came without them. Second question - is that vertical gear with the pivots removable from the wheel part as in ceejay's picture? If so, how do they "stick" together?

I took the pallet fork out and it looks fine. Here is the wheel: Here's the pallet fork: Here's the bridge: Anything looking broken? Is there a chance this is a 6497-1 escape wheel, so it won't work in the Noob movement?

I have an escape wheel that is just flopping around when the second wheel turns. It does nothing at all when the balance assembly turns. Here's a video http://vimeo.com/98872604 What's the problem and how do I fix it? Thanks!

Well, it looks like that part I circled in the last pic is the problem. It pivots around the red dot. If I put it in the right place, everything works for one push. Then I have to pivot it around to the right place again each time. It's really loose - does something hold it in place or is it just worn out?

I was wondering if any of the experts could instruct me as to what’s going on with this Corum America’s Cup chrono. It’s an A7750, and simply put, the chrono doesn’t start. The 1:00 pusher also doesn’t have a “click” to it. The 4:00 pusher actually feels fine, but unless the other one works, AFAIK there’s no way to tell if the 4:00 pusher works. Anyway, I took some crappy iPhone pics of the movement to hopefully help in the diagnosis. Here’s the area where the 1:00 pusher does its thing. Really nice that it’s 48mm – lots of room to see. OK, I think part of the problem might be with this thing in the pic below. There’s a piece that straddles the side of the movement, and it’s what the pusher hits when you press it. There are some odd things going on here. First, the circled portion in the pic below pivots around the place where it attaches to the rest of the piece – you can turn it back and forth. It’s got a notch cut out of it on the other end. Don’t know where it goes, and don’t know if the piece is even in place, although it looks like it. Next, there’s a spring I drew in green that sits next to and underneath the piece. It seems to be part of what the pusher is hitting to start. I tried pushing it with a screwdriver but I never got the chrono to start. Here’s a blow up of the area if it helps: Any thoughts on the problem? Thanks!

I guess it depends on how big a hurry you're in. The ZF has been in my hands for more than 6 weeks already, and the KV is still not out. The current KV prototypes didn't impress me either, but hopefully that means nothing.

Yes. With the Halios as stated above. It was a disaster. Really ugly looking - like there was yellow soap foam dried all over it. And, just like this, it wouldn't come off - there were spots all over it that turned white and wouldn't turn back. I had to Cape Cod it shiny and then rebrush the bezel to fix it. The good thing about this deal is that I wasn't trying to achieve anything - I was just seeing what happened. Thus it bothered me a lot less when what happened wasn't all that great.

Just for fun, tonight I decided to try fumigating my two bronze watches, the ZF 382 and the Halios Tropik B, in ammonia. I read about this on the internet, so it must be a good idea. Anyway, the instructions said to take the watch and dip it in a heavy saltwater solution (50/50 salt and water). Then get a small container and fill it with about ½ inch of ammonia. The watch then sits above the ammonia and the fumes, well, fumigate it. I set the watches on this little medicine cup. Then I sealed the container. I did the 382 first. I forgot to take a picture of it beforehand, but I had just lemon juiced it to like new. The internet article said it might take overnight. So I walked by about 30 minutes into the process and from outside the container the watch looked black. I took it out. This is what I got: So we learned a few things here. The article said CuSn8 bronze would turn grey with blue highlights. Check. Second, as many posts have stated, there’s something going on with the “REG. T.M” on the CG, because it still looked pristine. Third, this was a pretty bad idea after all. Undaunted, I tried it with the Halios. As you can see, it was pretty much looking new – a result of my last failed patina experiment (hard boiled eggs). The Halios is an Aluminum Bronze – a different alloy than the 382’s CuSn8. And it reacts a differently than CuSn8 to patina-ing. A LOT differently. It sat for 30 minutes initially, and looked basically untouched. So I went a full 90 minutes with it. I got this – black. Slightly green, but mostly dark grey and black. Looked like an old door[censored] that had been outside for 20 years. Not to worry, I thought. Lemon juice to the rescue! In about 30 seconds, the lemon juice had taken nearly all the patina off the 382. As well as one (and ultimately two) of the painted hashes on the bezel. Not so for the Halios. Nothing worked. Not lemon juice. Not ketchup. Not salsa. Not even concentrated citric acid-based coffee maker cleaner. Moreover, the lemon juice just kind of stalled on the 382 also. Ketchup helped a little. But nothing really got it past the picture above. So I got some really weak silver cleaner and polish. That did the rest. Back to nice and clean on the 382, minus two bezel hashes. Not so with the Halios. I stopped before I removed brush marks, and we still have noticeable patina: So there you go. If you decide to do this kind of thing, here’s what you should expect. CuSn8 reacts faster, but is easier to bring back to its original state. It also seems to have more interesting and colorful patina – at least with ammonia. Aluminum Bronze just turns black, but it takes forever to do it. Experiment away! I may try vinegar next. Anyone know how to paint the bezel hashes?

www.rayprodotti.com

Here’s a post that’s long overdue. About 4 months ago, I saw Akira post something (no idea what), and in the pic was a tropical-dialed, explorer-dialed (3-6-9 dial) 6538. I immediately PMed him and he offered to make me one. He slowly gathered up parts (rafflestime case and dial, sternkreuz plexi, athaya “brevet” crown, etc.), never asking me to pay him a dime. Then I sent him an old cartel 2846 I had lying around, and it arrived dead. So he had it serviced (for next to nothing), and got it running smooth as butter. Still nothing out of my pocket. I literally paid nothing until I approved the final product. And the final product is really something. Akira reshaped the case to have soft angles typical of a 50-60 year-old watch, with a few dings and scratches that have been polished over for good measure. The dial is a nice shade of dark umber, about the color of dark chocolate – not that brown-crayon tropical look you often see. There are lots of subtle variations in tone and shading, along with a nice muted gilt to the dial text. And, in what turned out to be a happy accident, Akira overbleached the insert and ended up with this really neat ghost effect where at some angles the insert is fully black, and at others looks completely silver. It’s really something to see in person. And not only does it look so nice, it runs silently, smoothly and accurately, with awesome power reserve. Anyway, I got the watch about two weeks ago, and I waited so long to post because I wanted to put it on the right strap. I tried it on the bracelet, but the ghosted bezel just sort of washed out. I then tried a Donerix leather NATO, which looked good, but the extra bulk under the watch bothered me and the look was little too casual for the office. I ultimately decided on Donerix’s cracked leather, which arrived today. It looks fantastic on the watch, and really brings out the bezel and the tropical brown on the dial. A few of my iphone shots. Here you can see the bezel has the slightest tropical brown to it: And a wristie with it's new strap: Check out all the shades on the dial: And here are some much better shots Akira took of the watch on a folded 7836.

I looked at his site and only saw 15mm and 20mm.

I'm looking for a couple of 16m SS buckles with the coronet on them. They are rarer than I thought, and, if eBay is any indication, a LOT more expensive. Other than the really horrible looking ones, the cheapest I've found was about $35 plus $14 shipping = damn near $50. That's crazy. Is there a good source for these? Thanks

Bumping this. Anyone care to explain zeleni's method? His pics are gone from his post. Thanks!

But why only when it's on my wrist?

Nope. No shocks and no magnetic fields.