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ETA 2678 TC Submariner


tc670207

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Part I of II

A member asked me if I could cost down a little bit as spending $500 plus for a rep watch is extreme. While I was at my seller's place I turned this question to him and I got an answer to this. See gen ETA 2824 is retailing for $180 nowadays and the price will only go up. Gen ETA 2678 is only retailing for $80. This is a lady's size automatic movement that functions all the same like 2824 or 2836. The power reserve is 38 hours, but it performs nothing less than its bigger brothers.

So I brought back several 2678s and the movement retaining rings that is designed dedicated to house the small movement into a gen construction TC Sub watchcase.

Here are the parts: we've got the watchcase, the case back, the bezel assembly, crystal, dial and hands set, the bezel insert, gen ETA 2678 with the movement retaining ring a.k.a movement holder, and crown/tube set.

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The movement holder is of an ingenious design! It secures the 2678 movement by movement's own screws that were used to secure the clamps. The assembled movement and movement holder works like a full size watch movement that flushes into the watchcase. Then the screws fastened the whole gut to the watchcase like a gen 3135 does to a gen watchcase. Notice there's no clamps here whatsorever. This is by far the most advanced way I have seen to house a movement, only seen in a Rolex. No big brands, not even Omega or Pams have adapted such an ingenious way to house the movement in their watchcases.

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A side note on observation, this movement holder is made of a chunk of solid bronze. It feels quite heavy. When assembled with the 2678 movement, the whole piece weighs very similar like holding a bare gen 3135 movement. I will ask the seller if they have made this particular movement holder out of gen 3135's weight or if the weight of the complete watch ever considered when they first designed it.

The movement holder costs $20. It comes with 2 generic Rolex style screws to mount holder to watchcase. My seller offers a collections of movement holders, for 2678, for 2000, for 2824, for 2834, for 2836, and for 2892 and etc.

Let's take a look at TC's date wheel overlay (DWO). I was told to place double sided tape on the ridge of the movement holder on dial's side. By doing so, it'll give enough room for date wheel overlay to jump through just beneath the dial. This is what I did.

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I fixed the DWO to 2678's date disc also by double sided tape. At date 30, there is a printed indicator. All I have to do is to align the indicator to the stem of the 2678 movement then press down.

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Let's take a closer look at the DWO. Notice how each date is finely printed the Rolex font date is raised high gloss like gen. The DWO costs $15. The maker of the DWO has a MOQ of 200. I got this DWO through my case seller's connection.

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I then installed the dial. There is no cutting feet, no modding needed. I just installed the dial and made micro adjustments by gently tapping the edge of the dial so the date is positioned in the center of dial's date window.

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Let me show you how good this DWO is:

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End of Part I

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The movement holder is what makes even more intersting, this method is better than using the normal eta method to secure the movement, I wish your dials have ETA feet that there will no need to glue the dail to the movement holder. That will be a plus.

Regards

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Is TC going to sell these watches or is it going to be a long process to get one? I read somewhere he only brings back 5 watches at a time, that will take ages to satisfy the forum members needs! Years, I mean.... I would love to have one but I don't want have to wait a couple years to get it. The factories are finally getting better Rolexes reps w/superlume etc. so maybe they will eventually get the cases right?

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The movement holder is what makes even more intersting, this method is better than using the normal eta method to secure the movement, I wish your dials have ETA feet that there will no need to glue the dail to the movement holder. That will be a plus.

Regards

I don't think the dial is glued in. The holder has placement for the dial's feet. The tape is there to give the dial and DWO spacing.

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I don't think the dial is glued in. The holder has placement for the dial's feet. The tape is there to give the dial and DWO spacing.

I think you are right I did not s that before. definetely a plus as is better when installing. no worries about positionig the dial

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Looks the same like WM9 construction with the Eta 2876!

This was installed in my V2.

There are holes in the holder to hold the Eta Dial in place.

You must notice that the Hands have different size to fit on the 2876.

I reviewed it in the past.

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very nice TC. youre making me think crazy thoughts... like just sucking it up and getting that engraved rehaut V serial. ARRRGH

+1...if I wasn't fairly certain the engraving on the rehaut was too deep to remove and not affect the seating of the dial I believe I would suck it up and jump.

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Guest zeleni kukuruz

I hade two wm9 v2 subs in the past.

I asked TC to build me this watch with this movement just becuse i know that its a real workhorse. This movement never gave me a hard time and it wotks great best acurate movement i ever hade, thats way i asked him about to put this one in my watch!

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+1...if I wasn't fairly certain the engraving on the rehaut was too deep to remove and not affect the seating of the dial I believe I would suck it up and jump.

+1, same for me.. and 2678 works great.

Why don't we organize a group buy for the non engraved version (Z serial) in order to reach factory's minimum order requirement?

Just my 2 cents ;)

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+1, same for me.. and 2678 works great.

Why don't we organize a group buy for the non engraved version (Z serial) in order to reach factory's minimum order requirement?

Just my 2 cents ;)

+1, would love to do that, I am in! AFAIK, MOQ >500 : (

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+1, would love to do that, I am in! AFAIK, MOQ >500 : (

500, that is way too high, I was thinking it will the same process just skipping the engraving, but I guess the machine has to be reprogram, I would assume that will simple, is just a computer program. I ordered one of these I prefer no engraving I can always sale it and get one with no engravings when is available.
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Why don't we organize a group buy for the non engraved version (Z serial) in order to reach factory's minimum order requirement?

Just my 2 cents ;)

YES! i am angling for that as well ! already told TC im in 100%

Guys are you referring to the rehaut engraving? If so why do so many people dislike that is it purely to do with incorrect alignment? Think it looks pretty good on the tc sub :)

yes, whether it is replicated correctly or not thats not the point for me, IMO it looks too gaudy, it detracts from the tool diving watch that ive come to love.

just stare at it for a while, you have a purely functional watch black on white stainless steel almost utilitarian appearance, then all of a sudden "ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX" *shudder* ive held many gens and even on these it does not belong.

again, others may feel differently, hell some people even like the gaytona.

since it takes one step more to add the engraving im thinking the factory can just not do this extra step

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Rehaut engraving....yes...that's a deal breaker for me.

It seems the factories haven't ever got it right (though the Milgauss is close) but this engraving looks much too deep to remove.

Once removed the risk of the dial not fitting becomes an issue.

It would help to know the ID of the rehaut and the OD's of the dial and crystal.

Removing too much of the rehaut (and that engraving looks "very" deep to me) cxan affect both dial and crystal seating surfaces.

I've owned both the WM9 v2 and v3 versions...the v2 was always my favorite but at that time I wasn't aware of the hand size difference.

The 2678 with that brass adaptor ring certainly does eliminate any rotor/winding noise...at least it did on mine.

This case takes a gen Cal.3135 leaving the crown position exactly per gen.

Will the 2678 adaptor leave it at the same height as well ??

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