TAKA's 2Geek.Net 3717 AR Crystal

[ck986]

I recently purchased on of Takas 3717 crystals as I was unhappy with the rep AR on my otherwise perfect 3717. I drove down to harbor freight and bought a crystal press, case opener, and precision screw driver set for $25 (I could have saved another 15%, but forgot to bring my coupon). The press worked great and the crystal popped right out. The new crystal went in easier than I would have thought. There were a few setbacks though. First the crystal kept attracting dust onto it. Make sure you have some Rodico to clean it thoroughly. I did a good job cleaning it, but if you look really closely I am sure there will be some dust spec. Second, My watch had 3 little clamps holding the movement holder in place. Make sure to remove all 3 when removing the movement. I removed two and the movement came out, but it did not go in well. Also make sure you have the right screw drivers, I bought cheap harbor freight ones and even their precise set was not precise enough. You need quality prcision screw drivers for the job. Otherwise, all in all it came out great. It took about 3 hours (I could probably do it in 1 hour or less now), but it turned out well. I wore the watch all day and it keeps good time just as well as before, I was worried that I might have inadvertantly damaged it. I just held the movement by the sides when it came out of the movement holder. Just be carefull not to touch the balance wheel.

The new crystal is much nicer when comparing both crystals side by side the rep crystal was yellow, causing the dial markers to appear offwhite. The AR is much better than the rep, not as good as my V1 HBB, but I think accurate to the gen. The rep AR was too blue. It wasnt clear enough.

This is a great mod as its not very expensive about $40 and you dont have to send out your crystal and wait months to get it back.

I have attached a few comparison shots. The watch has the new double AR crystal on it in all the pics. The rep crystal is on the Ipod and on the white paper showing its yellow color.

[ck986]

By the way the dust particle between the 7 and 8 is on the outside. I have a hard time finding any inside.

[homecd]

Is it $40 or 40 euro?

[trombone]

as i know, it is

[ck986]

I apologize, It was 40 Euro.

[mikellem]

Are these crystals available?

[Guest techlogik]

Head over to RWI...takashi has a section where he sells these and offers aftermarket AR service. I am going to send the guy a bunch of crystals to do just to see how he is.

Most of mine are IWC reps, so his AR is geared towards Gen AR, that has a slight blue tint. Chief on the other hand makes it transparent, which on many, are not Gen. Personal choice though.

[ck986]

The rep crystal always has a blue hue. One of my friends asked if the dial was blue when he first saw it. It only looks clear in certain angles and lighting. The 2geek.net crystal is clear, but has a blue hue in certain angles and only when is reflects light. The hbb v1 is always clear. It's a nice upgrade if the rep AR bothers you.

[repfreak]

Seen his work, amazing! He customizes the AR as close as the gen...