bwhitesox Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 And not to mention how wonderful J is to deal with as well, They will be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 All i know is that Ziggy retiring will leave a mighty big hole on RWG, it is nothing to do with his repair work but more the fact that no one has done more to educate us about our watches than Rob. Ken 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Oh my god, I might have to go gen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Oh my god, I might have to go gen. I was thinking that too. Although I would want him to take care of those for me also. All i know is that The Zigmeister retiring will leave a mighty big hole on RWG, it is nothing to do with his repair work but more the fact that no one has done more to educate us about our watches than Rob.Ken Definitely. He was a large part of my inspiration to adventure into repairs and such. An incredible source of knowledge, skill and artistry that he was willing to share with our little community. We wouldn't be where we are now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krustybrand Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 He's taken care of a few of my vintage gens. I always compare watches with my dentist when I go in 3x per year. He has someone local that he trusts. I may have to seek him out, but apparently he is very old and headed for retirement too. Where are all the young people who need careers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielv2000 Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 He's taken care of a few of my vintage gens. I always compare watches with my dentist when I go in 3x per year. He has someone local that he trusts. I may have to seek him out, but apparently he is very old and headed for retirement too. Where are all the young people who need careers? Unfortunately, the watch maker profession is not being replenished. The only school left in Canada is threatened every year of closing down. I think this year might be it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Same here... Only 30 yo but I know more of watchmaking than most hacks in my country Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 Good to see the new generation stepping up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted February 3, 2013 Report Share Posted February 3, 2013 I'm truly glad that you guys are stepping up to the plate. We need new young guys to take over the reins when the older watchmakers retire or die off. From what i see around here, especially in rural areas lie whereI live, there just isn't much business for watchmakers. We have one guy in a small town about 12 miles away, he isa second generation watchmaker, Omega trained and certified, probably in his early 50's. i have taken a couple of watches to him for repairs, and he's OK, but he isn't doing enough work to keep his certifications up and/or replace old equipment. His biggest source of revenue is changing watch batteries. I'm sure if he was in a bigger town he would probably do alright, but here, most folks wear Quartz watches they get at Walmart, and when they quit, if it's not the battery, they throw the watch away and buy a new one. I asked him about pressure testing, he told me he had and old pressure tester, but it had been so long since it was used, all the seals and gaskets were dry rotted!! I was probably the first person to ask about a pressure test in 20 years!! It makes me sad just to go in his shop, it has the aura of death around it. like a lot odf small businesses, it's just withering away. One problem with this fellow, he doesn't strike me as someone who has a lot of initiative either. I bet he could spend a couple of days a month going around the area and to some of the bigger towns and picking up broken watchs from jewelry stores, pawn shops etc. and either buying them for practically nothing and then fixing them up and selling them on Ebay, or charging the store for repair.. I bet he could make 10X what he's making now if he did something like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielv2000 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 We just need a new young gun in Canada! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 We just need a new young gun in Canada! FInd a guy in the US if there is no one in Canada. I have sent hundreds of packages back and forth to Ziggy without incident including many high end gens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deandavis Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Now i know why he's retiring, he's going to be the full time Dos Equis man!! Seriously, I'm going to miss him. I get nice email from Jennifer a few times a year, We sort of compare the extremes of weather in the Canadian maritimes and the tropical south. The Zigmeister has probably done more to keep me interested in reps than anyone else. He has done some wonderful work, and his lume jobs are better than the factory lumes!! Another thing that I like about The Zigmeister is he will tell you if something isn't going to work. I sent him a GMTIIC several years ago, along with a new 2893-2 movement. I really wanted that movement in that watch. Well long story short, he emailed me that it just wasn't going to work. too many compromises, too much chance of problems down the road. Now some folks would have cobbled it together and sent it home. Probably working fine, and might work for a long time, but it might start having problems when you wind it the first time. Just not his style. The only thing I'm not going to miss is Canadian Customs!! It takes packages longer to get to Nova Scotia than it takes to get to Eastern Europe. Never lost anything, and never really had any problems, but you darn sure better fill out the customs declaration correctly or The Zigmeister would end up either having to pay duty or refuse the package. I wish him well in his future travels along life's highways. He is a genuinely good guy, and he is going to be really,really hard to replace. Hey Panerai153. You mentioned The Zigmeister lives in the maritimes. I also live in the maritimes and have a Navitimer I'm hoping he can service. Any idea as to whether I can drop it off to him? It would be amazing if he could service it because then I would know it wouldn't have to travel far! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Hey Panerai153. You mentioned The Zigmeister lives in the maritimes. I also live in the maritimes and have a Navitimer I'm hoping he can service. Any idea as to whether I can drop it off to him? It would be amazing if he could service it because then I would know it wouldn't have to travel far! You really did not read did you?.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 Hey Panerai153. You mentioned Ziggy lives in the maritimes. I also live in the maritimes and have a Navitimer I'm hoping he can service. Any idea as to whether I can drop it off to him? It would be amazing if he could service it because then I would know it wouldn't have to travel far! He is retiring. I'm quite certain he is not taking any new customers, one reason being he has a finite timeline that he is working with. He is not accepting any new work after June, probably to give him time to finish up everything before the first of next year.He will probably be inundated with requests by old members that have sent him lots of work in the past. Also he has a Day job that requires some travel, so he doesn't have a lot of time to do watch work. i wish I could be of more help to you with your watch problem, but unfortunately I can't. Why don't you give MD2020 a shout if you are having moverment problems, he's your man.. He's a good guy and does very good work, well recommended by members here. He is in the Chicago area, so you would have to ship across the border, unless you have friends or family in Maine who could send your watch off for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted February 4, 2013 Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 (edited) In the USA, I know we have Vaccum in Florida, The Katt in MN, George in TX, and now MD2020 in IL ... who else? And Im talking about Forum people here, not a "shop you trust" Edited February 4, 2013 by Jkay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I had JustAsGood work on my Frosty Flake and his work was absolutely impeccable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legend Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Never had the honor of working with the Zigmeister, I am sure I missed out a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Legend, let me put it this way... Ziggy is the only one that I've ever had rebuild my vintage Submariner 6536. He'll be sorely missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmtlover Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Zigmeister modded watches will become collecter items 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 In the USA, I know we have Vaccum in Florida, The Katt in MN, George in TX, and now MD2020 in IL ... who else? And Im talking about Forum people here, not a "shop you trust" I'm in Europe doing only movements and small mods. No reluming! In my opinion only a couple of people really master it (e.g. Vac, The Zigmeister) the rest is just pretending and practicing along the way... Delivering crappy work for a lot of $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I'm in Europe doing only movements and small mods. No reluming! In my opinion only a couple of people really master it (e.g. Vac, Ziggy) the rest is just pretending and practicing along the way... Delivering crappy work for a lot of $$. +1 to that!! The only other good lume job I have gotten here in the USA was Jack Alexyon (Jack@IWW) and he only works on genuine watches, but I promise you he is really really good. I would have to add mymanmatt to the list of watchmakers who do modding and movement work. no re luming though.He has done several watches for me including my wifes genuine Rolex Lady Datejust. he has done very nice work on all of them.Not sure how much work he is taking in, but he's a member here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Edit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14060 or 16610? Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Just noticed this now. Sad. The Zigmeister sent me my first Asian clone 7750 and the ETA instructions on a CD many years ago. I still have them in a box somewhere. This was back when all I knew was the boring world of gen watches. If you work on one 3135, you've worked on them all. The rep world, to me, was like the wild West. People were modding their cases, swapping movements, using datewheel overlays. I found it fascinating, exciting, challenging! The watchmaking community in general will lose a very skilled master. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 The watchmaking community in general will lose a very skilled master. George, since I do not frequent other replica forums, I don't know ... are you still in business as a chronograph technician for the forums? If so, that's good news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14060 or 16610? Posted February 6, 2013 Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 (edited) George, since I do not frequent other replica forums, I don't know ... are you still in business as a chronograph technician for the forums? If so, that's good news. Funny, I do not frequent this forum or RG, usually just RWI. I was out of commission for a while due to some health reasons. I only announced my return about a month ago. And yes, I am still working on A7750s, though I do more gen activity from local sources these days. Edited February 6, 2013 by 14060 or 16610? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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