gwatch Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 (edited) I have had this for more than a day, so I'll give initial impressions. Since this rep is priced high, I'll be a bit more anal: Good: - Dial looks good (no imperfections under the loupe). Lume is uniform. Hands look symmetric. Pinion thing in the middle is flush and polished. - Case is polished nicely. CG and CB looks good. - I have not removed the CB to look at the movement, but it is running at +2 sec a day! Bad: - There is a super tiny speck of dust on the second hand. It is very tiny and I would not do anything. - There is a hairline gap halfway around the circumference of the bezel, where the bezel thing is pressed on to the case. There is a little notch (presumably to pry out the bezel+crystal) but this is not what I am talking about. The bezel thing is snug against the case for halfway but not so snug on the other half. I tried to press it with a press (I have teflon dies of right size) but no difference. This tells me that either the bezel or the case is not manufactured to tolerance. This is unexpected given that Noob case is supposed to be one of the best. Even cheaper reps have perfectly fitting bezels. See pictures below. I inserted a red sewing thread to give you an idea. Edited June 9, 2012 by gwatch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalengkong Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 wow, looks like Noob creation is not always the best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarface Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Could be a one off issue because never seen a problem like this! Sent from my Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jynl Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 It's a one off, mine is perfect with only a service gap between10 and 11 o'clock. The quality of this rep is amazing and it is much better than the H factory IMO (I had both, sold the H) I can only point out the followings: - Lume slightly too green when uncharged, then again I don't have a gen to compare So I might be wrong. - Shape and thickness of 6 slightly off (too thick) - LSML a hairline to close to 6 And that's about it! the CG is unbelievably good, the crown excellent, I can 't see anything wrong with the case, the case back is the best I have seen in a rep: the engraving is superb! Crystal is very clear (single AR as per gen) with good cyclop and DW The big plus for me is the polished and flush cannon pin. Mvt keeps excellent time and rotor is very quiet (nice change from previous A7750 I've had) Even though it has its imperfections, this watch feels gen and that's due to the high overall quality and finish of the watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnosis32 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 where did you get your 104n? and how much was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwatch Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 This indeed seems like a one off problem. I am going to contact my TD. I was playing with a gen yesterday, and I noticed the same things about number 6 and lume color. But very minor gripes indeed. P.S. It is from puretime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w0lf Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 5 bucks says it's a pinched bezel gasket. Remove the bezel with a case knife, inspect the gasket for a crimped flat spot, then use an exacto knife very carefully to cut it out. You can then reuse the gasket without the flat spot getting caught under the bottom of the bezel. If the flat spot is too large or the whole section is crimped - you will need to replace the gasket. Get one from a dealer or take a regular rep crystal gasket (not a C3 or any of H-Factory gaskets as those are too thick) and stretch it out very carefully to match the OD of the midcase bezel mount. When stretching, don't use too much force on any one section of the gasket, instead go around the perimeter of the gasket while stretching so you do it evenly. Fit the gasket onto the case frequently to make sure you don't overdo it and when the fit is nice and tight- press the bezel back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwatch Posted June 13, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 I took it to two reputed watch repair shops, and they both told me that it needs a new gasket. Apparently it is not a good idea to reuse them (considering water resistance). I contacted puretime, and it took a while to explain the problem to the lady. I sent it back as she requested. Something tells me it's going to be a long wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w0lf Posted June 13, 2012 Report Share Posted June 13, 2012 The bezel gasket has nothing to do with the watch's water resistance, it's a means of press-fitting the bezel over the midcase and keeping it secured. The crystal gasket, crown and crown tube gaskets along with the caseback gasket are what's keeping the water from getting in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwatch Posted June 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 You may be right. The watchmakers I consulted didn't actually say water resistance except one hinted that moisture resistance could be an issue. But they didn't want to touch my watch without a new gasket. I didn't want to work on it myself because I just broke my cheapo press (doing something else). Oh well, let the elves in China do their magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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