pjl Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 A lot of people talk about getting their watches serviced and modded shortly after they receive it. What does that mean exactly and who would I take it to, to do this work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlydog Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Servicing refers to a full tear-down, cleaning, lubrication and timing adjustment of the movement. Modding requires changing the cosmetic imperfections in the watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 As a replica watch arrives, the movement inside is not "factory fresh." It is either used or has been stored for an extended period in a non-sanitary factory environment. All mechanical watches require a complete dis-assembly, cleaning, examination for worn parts, re-oiling (in the proper amounts!!) and final assembly, and testing for water tightness every five years Why? The oil inside every mechanical watch slowly evaporates and turns to gum over time, if you use it or if you do not use it. This does not matter. Now, knowing the replica watch you just bought has a dirty or dry or possibly over-oiled movement your first job is to protect your investment and have it serviced. When that is done, you will have a watch which keeps excellent time and is good to go for another 5 years. Modding is done by a skilled craftsman who can do any number of things to a watch. Scrape off the poor Chinese luminous material and replace it with genuine Swiss lume. Re-shape the basic case of the watch to make it appear more genuine. Add swiss-quality anti-reflective coatings to the watch crystal. Remove Chinese parts and replace them with genuine parts from the actual watch the replica is trying to emulate, like dials, hands, straps .. etc .. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjl Posted June 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 AWESOME explanation - Do I contact any watch repair company or should I look for someone more specific? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Many watch repair shops are afraid to touch replica watches, believing them all to be shoddy junk. That is because it used to be true! For a few years now, replicas have become increasingly gen-like and can come with actual Swiss ETA or Swiss Selitta movements. The replica watch forums maintain a stable of trusted watch repair people. Some are heavily loaded with work and can take 2 months to turn a watch around, and others can normally get you sorted in a week. Where in the World are you, so we can suggest the closest watch modder or repair technician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjl Posted June 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 In the USA on the East Coast. If I have to, I will ship it out as long as it come per your recommendation... Thank you for all your assistance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Is it a chronograph or a normal 3-handed watch like a Submariner? There are a few watchsmiths in North America. Some will accept chronographs and others will not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjl Posted June 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 Chrono - its the APP ROO@12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 OK that's going to have to go to Vaccum in Florida or George in Texas. George is a straight-up watch technician who specializes in 7750 and Vac is a tech/modder who does first-class lume work as well as servicing. Both of these people have a two to three month backlog, so be patient if you send it out to them. Modders who have to answer piles of follow-up mail don't get actual work done. VACLUME@GMAIL.COM or MeFixWatch4U@yahoo.com Both these guys have their own sub-forums .. Vaccum's is Vac's Modification Shop here on RWG, and George runs 14060 or 16610? Watch Repair over on the RWI replica forum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjl Posted June 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 THANK YOU!!!! I WILL FIND A WAY TO REPAY YOU FOR THIS INFORMATION! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 9, 2012 Report Share Posted June 9, 2012 You're very welcome. You can visit their sub-forums and look at their work. Just remember .. be patient and don't go crazy during the long wait time! Vaccum had my Tag 500m for almost three months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stilgar6 Posted June 10, 2012 Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 Look at this man. I can recomand it;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAM1962 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hello! I am looking for a source for a very simple mod-changing the bezel insert on my UPO 45.5 from black to orange. Thoughts? Best, CC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankt Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Another alternative: Buy yourself a few nice reps, and wear them.....If perchance one of them breaks, get it fixed if not, take all that money you were going to spend getting perfectly functional watches serviced and buy some more reps...Works for me!! :pimp: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pjl Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 You're right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hello! I am looking for a source for a very simple mod-changing the bezel insert on my UPO 45.5 from black to orange. Thoughts? So where are you in the World, so we may recommend the closest modder? Oh ... Can you source the replica parts or do you need a genuine bezel insert to fit? I understand this is tricky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAM1962 Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 So where are you in the World, so we may recommend the closest modder? Oh ... Can you source the replica parts or do you need a genuine bezel insert to fit? I understand this is tricky. Thanks for your response! I am in the good ole Southeastern USA. I have the bezel insert (sourced from eBay) but might be interested in also finding a genuine dial if this will require me to send the watch away to a modder. Best, PAM1962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 You could shoot an email to GKLONER at GMAIL dot COM ... he's up in MN, and is a trusted watch technician on RWI. He's professional, well-mannered and good at what he does: servicing, repair, and light modding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Carl Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Good advice but if you are looking to get that rep you bought for two - three- four hundred dollars "serviced" for a similar amount, why not consider buying a gen and having the same repairman set it right? A rep serviced with six or eight hundred dollars in it is worth maybe two hundred when you get tired of it. Maybe less. Personally I know it's possible to buy a chinese made Venus 175 chrono watch new for less than a hundred bucks. Mine keeps time to five seconds a day and doesn't need service. I guess that when I came to rep watches seven or eight years ago I was looking for something I could wear without having to mod or service it beforehand. If information toward that end is gone here for whatever reason, why don't we just rename this the Modding Watches Group ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Not all reps need modding and I have personally had reps for years that have never even had a service. I know there seams to be a train of thought that thinks that a rep is no good until it has been modded. I know because I am one of those people but then I can't leave any thing how it comes from the factory. Not my car not my Harley, nothing if it can be customized then it will be but the question is "is it really necessary" an I know the answer in most cases is no. But I still do it because I can. If I had to send it away and pay some one else for a large part of that work I don't think I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAM1962 Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 You could shoot an email to GKLONER at GMAIL dot COM ... he's up in MN, and is a trusted watch technician on RWI. He's professional, well-mannered and good at what he does: servicing, repair, and light modding. Thanks so much and will do! Best, PAM 1962 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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