What's the average lifetime of an Asian 7750 watch?

[marinlicina]

Hi all, I'm new to the whole replica thing, and have a few questions:

1. It seems a lot of people agree that watches with the Asia 7750 mechanism will break down after a few months of use. So why give 250 bucks for a watch that you can be almost certain of won't work in 3 months?

2. Why is it better to have your watch on a winder (except it keeps the mechanism ticking, of course )? Does an automatic replica have a better chance of survival when kept non-operating, except when you wear it or when on a winder?

3. Are there any accurate quartz replicas of automatic watches (I like the IWC Portugese and TAG Links a LOT)? Do these have a better life expectancy?

4. If I want my replica to last over a year, which movements should I look for?

Thanks to all who take the time to reply.

[who]

After you finish reading this Post, you will have some idea.

[watchman12345]

In my experience its a good movement, and if it does give trouble can be serviced. Could last 50 years with appropriate care.

[pubus]

my pam manual 6497 is running for mroe than a year for me now without anywhing ever went wrong. My other cheap replika with some crappy auto movement runs for 2 years already, also no problems. I quess its more about the way you treat your replica. And its commonly known that its better for your watch to keep running that stay stopped for any time. Thats why ppl use auto winders. Read some The Zigmeister posts about movement treating and carring on. Properly used watch mechanizm should last for more than 3 months unless you know how to keep it.

[crystalcranium]

A mechanical watch movement that is well designed will last for decades or more. I have a 1909 Hamilton Railroad Grade Pocket watch with a 21 jewel 992 movement in it that was recently serviced (disassembly, cleaning, oiled and regulated) and it runs +- 5 sec/day. The Asian 7750 is an accurate copy of the ETA version with some minor differences, (one jeweled bearing less I believe) and in reviews, is mechanically sound. It's the assembly and manufacturing process that's dreadful in these movements. They are dirty, over or under oiled and contain the occasional cockroach leg. Once serviced by a reputable watchsmith, a $200+ investment, they appear to run well. Jeweled bearings last hundreds of years and pallet stones have a similar life expectancy. Don't expect any mechanical watch, genuines included, to be service free. All will require maintainance and service at regular intervals.

If your Asian 7750 is going to fail, it will usually do it in the first few days or weeks of continuous running. Failures in the 3-6 month range are rare.

Keeping your watch running does not affect long term performance or wear. Oils in the bearings dry at a predictable rate that's independent of use. Your watch movement is not subject to the same forces that other mechanical devices are like an automobile engine. Running your watch until it stops and requires service is not the same as driving your car without oil until you throw a rod. A mechanical watch will stop from an accumulation of friction in the moving parts long before any physical damage is done to the watch. Of course, this friction is reflected in accuracy so many gat their mechanicals serviced before this point.

Genuine ETAs are usually the best runners out of the box but be aware, the "Swiss ETAs" in our replicas are produced by the Chinese for the Swiss company and are obtained by the replica manufacturers before they go off to ETA for their final Swisserizing. The consensus is that this is no more than a legal formality having little to do with performance.

[b16a2]

How long's a piece of string!

I have one that hasn't been serviced, that is the still going after 12months.

I have two others that work perfectly after 4months. All a game of chance, if you get them serviced, there is no reason why they shouldn't last a long time with care.

[RWG Technical]

Like anything mechanical, with proper care, correct service (clean and lubricated) your Asian 7750 will last a lifetime...

My oldest A7750 is 28 months old, keeps great time, all the chrono functions work as they should, and starts running within a few seconds after I put it on.

It's not so much the movement itself, as the care and upkeep that goes into it.

RG

[crystalcranium]

4. If I want my replica to last over a year, which movements should I look for?

If you want your replica to last for more than a year, don't forget it's a replica. These watches look like the genuine article but the beauty is skin deep only. Treat them with the up most care with regard to shock, water resistance, dirt accumulation etc. An ETA or Asian 21j Submariner, for example, should give you several years of reliable use before you need to ship them off for a service. As long as you are willing to put up with +-30 sec a day performance, an ETA powered replica might go 10 years before it needs a cleaning and oiling. What's much more likely to go on a replica are repetitive use elements like screw down crowns and case tubes or bracelet screws falling out. Water resistance is an absolute, non guaranted crapshoot. Remember, your Omega SMP chrono replica might look like a tank...but you really don't want to take it into battle.

[freddy333]

My oldest A7750 is 28 months old, keeps great time, all the chrono functions work as they should, and starts running within a few seconds after I put it on.

Ditto that and mine (also about 28 months old) is one of those famously unreliable secs at 6 Daytonas. Keeps nearly perfect time and the chronos work. The watch is not a daily wearer, but it is wound at least once every month.

But on the other side, I would also say that next to one of the silky smooth Venus chronos, the 7750 feels cheap and flimsy in comparison. Really cheap and flimsy! And if it suddenly locked and died while I was winding it, it would not surprise me.

To lessen the chance of problems with any watch, as soon as you receive it (even before you remove the wrapping) carefully pull the stem out and slowly wind it (in one direction) about 40 turns. Then set the watch on a table and let it run for 48 hours. If the watch has a chrono, I would start the chrono after the watch starts running and test it by stopping, restarting, stopping and resetting it once or twice. Then return the watch to the table and let it continue to run for the remaining 48 hours. If the movement has any inherent manufacturing problems or issues resulting from shipping, these should become apparent during this time. It is probably also a good idea to let the watch completely run down (which should occur at our around the 48 hour mark). Then wind the watch 40 turns again and if all is well, you can be pretty sure you will be ok. But remember, like other people have said, reps do not receive the same QC that gen watches get. So breakdowns can and do occur more frequently. This is part of the price you pay for buying a rep. And regular servicing is a requirement of owning a mechanical watch, regardless of the movement's country of origin.

[2sweetau]

For me this movement is sold to you faulty ie: not ready for use... all my watches with the "new and improved" A7750 movement have not even lasted a year and that is with infrequent use ( i only wore this kind of watch at special functions and treated the watches with care ).

i would not read in to the hype about the wonders of the A7750. Its more risking buying this movement then any other movement in any replica.