Escape wheel replacement ? Do you also replace pallet as a pair?

[horologist]

Got out my  eta 2824-2 for a total disassembly until I dropped my escape wheel on the floor somewhere in the abyss!   By the time I found it, it was crushed by someone in the household as it must have been stepped on , possibly even me?😒

 

now these are near impossible to replace as the parts policy we all know!  Don’t want to buy generic as I agree with Automatico that when you mix generics with genuine you can get more problems!  Been there and done that!

 

for those of you with more experience, if I were to get lucky and find a genuine one for sale, am I out of trouble or do I also need to  buy a matching  pallet for it as the stones may be slightly off or not work at all?  🙄

[automatico]

As long as it is a genuine ETA part it will work Ok.

Eta 2801, 2824, 2834, 2836 all use the same escape wheel -- P/N  00705.2801.112

Sometimes you see them listed as PN 705.  eBay has a few...item number  173890516630 etc.

 

It's crazy...not many new swiss ETA 28xx movements are listed on eBay for less than $200 now.  There were dozens of them for $125 or so a few years ago.

I can not remember for sure what the least I paid for a new swiss ETA 2836 was but I still have some marked $65 for one or $59 each for three.  Bought some nos Jaques Prevard submariner style watches with swiss ETA 2846 for $75 about the same time along with some new JW Benson watches on leather straps with ETA 2892-A2 for $200 each.  Now a new 2892 A2 is around $325 from ST and others.

Forgot about another bargain in ETA 2824/2836...new Gruen 'swiss' steel automatics for around $75 (or less) from a Walmart blowout 8 or 10 years ago.  They went to wholesalers and I snagged a few.  It turned out Walmart shoppers were mostly quartz watch buyers so they unloaded them.

 

Back when 'ABAY Paul' was selling replicas with swiss ETAs for $99 during a Crazy Sale! I bought a few and all except one had a new swiss ETA 2836 in them...one '1655' had a used swiss ETA in it.  This was 2003 or so and I wonder how much new ETA 2836 were going for in quantity back then.  I heard $35 or less but do not know if it was true or not.

 

I am reading that interest in mechanical watches is dropping off and it may be true but parts prices are flying over the moon.    

[Timelord]

My commiserations!!  
 

I had a similar event 18 months ago, with a seconds wheel!  Try getting a seconds wheel for the day date version -34 or -36 and you never need to chop onions ! 
 

This is not advice. But my opinion only!   I would not bother looking for a spare as you would pay almost one fifth of the value of the movement!   Better to replace the complete movement with a new one without tags if you cannot live without a 28xx series or it is the only movement that fits your project!   Keep the other for spares as it will be handy!  Surely lightening will not strike twice with the same thing happening to the escape wheel next time you service your own movement!  You will be more mindful of the last event!  
 

You may be better off buying a non working movement with some parts already on it for possibly a fraction more than the cost of the one wheel!  Maybe someone on this forum may have one for sale!   
 

I replaced all my projects with the 27xx series as it is easier to find parts or at least until the market dries up.   The cheapest escape wheel delivered to your door will set you back easily over USD20 plus tax, I am sorry that it happened because parts prices are absolutely ridiculous which is why I am slowly getting out of this hobby!  
 

good luck!   

[automatico]

"I would not bother looking for a spare as you would pay almost one fifth of the value of the movement!   Better to replace the complete movement with a new one without tags if you cannot live without a 28xx series or it is the only movement that fits your project!"

 

Good point.

Then maybe put a clone escape wheel in the original movement just to see how it runs.

 

"...parts prices are absolutely ridiculous which is why I am slowly getting out of this hobby!"

 

Me too.

My rlx Divorce...

First...stopped buying or trading for later model rolex watches after their 'NPFY' ruling in the mid 1990s...got rid of all cal 3035 and 3135 date models.  

Second...stopped taking in any outside rolex work at all because of NPFY.  Already had quite a few parts for cal 1530/70 so I went to vintage models with cal 15xx for my 'collection'.  Also have three old models with cal 1065 that I would not wear on a bet because one might quit running...one from 1956 and two from around 1959 iirc.  Have a few 'hand crankers' too.  'Collection'  Ha!  More like a buncha damm junk. 

Third...stopped wearing genuine rolex watches at all and started wearing replicas or F-steins when I wanted to wear a mechanical rolex type watch.  A Personal Protest.

Sold off almost all vintage omegas at the same time for the same reason but never cared much for them anyway.  Might still buy one at a bargain price because they are good for 'boot' in trades. 

Now ETA is closing the door on parts but I have some news for 'em...I have enough 28xx ETA junk to last three lifetimes. 

 

I consider mech-auto watches to be a hobby.  Wearing them to keep them running is NOT part of the hobby.   

I usually wear a SS Bulova A-tron II Moonview or 96B210. 

 

 

[Timelord]

Very valid points!!!👍

 

when you think of it, any product that does not have a parts availability is disposable!  Period!!

 

A perfect example from the early 1990s was those no name electrical appliances found in Aldi or disposal stores that although seemed to be good value, served their purpose until they broke down and the whole item needed to be replaced as there were no parts sales!  We labeled them back then as pure

JUNK!

 

At least their prices reflected their strategy!  Here instead we have expensive junk!  The Swiss industry have done this as a clever marketing strategy to protect an anachronistic product by making it hard to get to lift demand!  Old marketing tricks!

[horologist]

Thanks guys!!!

 

Very inspiring to read your input!!!  I do agree that it is expensive junk, but that is the law of demand and supply!!!   With marketing, if you cannot sell, then try to sell by raising the prices and restrict supply at the same time, then we all rush to the sales before they keep rising!!!   Common psychological reaction!!! 

 

Anachronistic ?  Yes, that too!!!  it is an incurable disease I have!!!   Keeps this Swiss industry afloat!!!

[mymanmatt]

I think the 2824 escape wheel is different than the 2836 and 34. I agree with everyone, if it’s a gen eta, pallet should work great

[Timelord]

7 hours ago, mymanmatt said:

I think the 2824 escape wheel is different than the 2836 and 34. I agree with everyone, if it’s a gen eta, pallet should work great

 

Good point to investigate before purchasing !!!!  I myself discovered a while back that apart from the obvious differences between the  28xx  ( : |  xx := 24 , the 34 v 36 )    is that the hour wheel and seconds wheel come in different heights!! However the other parts in which the escape wheel as catalogued by eta packaging is only one according to the following website;

 

https://evergreenparts.de/spare-parts-for-ETA-2824-2

 

quotes also that the part number  #  ETA 2801 #705 (176027)  is interchangeable with 

2801-2
2804-2
2824-2
2834-2
2836-2