Amplitude Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Got my 3717- It is definetly gorgeous. The dial and case are beautifully done, with a few minor finish flaws between the lugs that I'm correcting with a stoning and some 400/2000 grit paper. Otherwise the watch head is very close to perfect. Very impressive for a fake. I gave it a light polish with Flitz along the grain, and stoned some sharp spots and I'm completely happy with the result. The false links on the endlinks on the bracelet are a little too rounded, as I noted in my previous thread about the bracelet accuracy. The sides of the clasp hinge were a little rough, but I've corrected that with a bit of work with swiss files and sandpaper and polish. The perlage is not perfect, but looks nice in a cursory exam. It appears to have been done after the latch stud was added, as it's missing a bit around it. I'm slightly concerned about the method of attachment used for the clasp hinge, I'm not sure if it's soldered, glued, or laser welded. I have access to a laser welder so I'm going to make sure it doesn't go anywhere by giving it a few zaps. The movement isn't working properly, the minute register does not function on the chrono. The hands are beautiful, but the chrono second hand bumps the minute hand at around 9 o'clock and stops it. A light jolt gets it moving around again, the standard quality control issues with hand fitting unsurprisingly strike again. It's running a quite a bit slow, too. 4 minutes a day. So, the asian 21k 7750 lives up to it's reputation. I'm personally not put off by these operational flaws, (I expected it.) I'm going to tear it apart and service it tomorrow and add the ETA day/date wheels and give it a bit of c1 lume to perfect the dial & hands. But, non-watch tinkers may want to opt for the higher-beat movement that has recived better reviews here as far as proper operation out of the box or swap it for a swiss 7750. Plan a trip for your low beat 3717 to The Zigmeister if you have one coming and don't work on your own watches. Out of the box it surprisingly water tested to 5 atm, so the seals seem to be well fitted and all there. The crown threads feel OK, but I'm going to take a fine platinum polish disc and smooth them out too to improve their feel. I just worked on a gen IWC quartz yesterday, and the crown threads felt so nice in comparison...gotta get that feel. The stem is also fitted slightly long. Easily fixed. All in all, it's the best rep I've ever seen or handled, and with a bit more careful finishing under the loupe I'm confident I can make it feel and appear 99.1% gen even under a critical eye. It's -so- good I no longer want a gen. Recommended! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rckh Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 (edited) Hi! It's a nice review! BTW, what mean by "the standard quality control issues with hand fitting unsurprisingly strike again" ---->Slipping hand or anything? Also, I got low beat 21.6k from Angus. Which dealer u got yours? Best Regards, Raymond Edited June 28, 2007 by rckh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 BTW, what mean by "the standard quality control issues with hand fitting unsurprisingly strike again" ---->Slipping hand or anything? The hands aren't very well put on, so they can jog loose in transit and cause problems. The 28k 7750 is much better than the 21k, and I'm rather perplexed that the Chinese version (as opposed to the Taiwanese version) uses the 21k version. ps. Good write-up, Amplitude. Please show us photos when it's all done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Great write up and information. I am surprised to see the older 21K 7750 still showing up in reps...I thought there were all surpassed by the newer version. Can't wait to see the pics. RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I suppose the one "benefit" though is its easier to swap the movement over to a swiss one as the hand sizes will all be correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amplitude Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Great write up and information. I am surprised to see the older 21K 7750 still showing up in reps...I thought there were all surpassed by the newer version. Can't wait to see the pics. RG Pics aren't my strong suit. All I have for a digital camera is my phone, but I'll try to get some up. Also, it does a have decent AR, but I still think Chieftangs would look miles better. It's going in his next run as soon as he has one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Amp do youwork on watches as a job? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amplitude Posted June 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2007 Amp do youwork on watches as a job? Yes, part time at a local jeweler. I don't take any outside work though if that's what you are getting at. The Zigmeister is the man you should talk to if you need one of your reps fixered up. And, although I can do lume, especially on simple markers like the 3717, The Zigmeister is an artist. There is no way I could pull off some of the stuff he has posted here. (Like the tiny Ingeniuer numerals, or the Cousteau inner bezel.) If you want this stuff done, go to him. If I end up with a watch that needs extremely detailed lume work like that, you can bet I'm sending the parts to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amplitude Posted June 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2007 (edited) Update- Got her back together and running good. Now my chrno functions work and it's keeping good time. Interesting trick they pulled with the movement spacer and pusher extensions. Pretty well made. The inner diameter on the ETA datewheel is ever so slightly larger thsn the rep wheel, but all works well. In comparing the day/date in the watch to photos with different days I grabbed off the web, it looks like IWC used the standard ETA font. It is identical. The IWC logo on the clasp is definetly ever so slightly larger. That seems to be the only real flaw, and it's a very minor one. I still have to finish the crown serrations nicer, and I havent gotten around to the threads or the endlinks yet. I also didn't lume it yet, I got excited and just put it back together so I could wear it. Oh yeah, when I was finishing it up, I blew the 9 o'clock marker off the dial with the blower and had to reattach it. So check your markers too when you do the swap if you are doing it yourself. GS works ok, but it's too stringy for me. I use krazy glue to attach loose markers- but don't screw up if you try the same. GS is forgiving. Krazy glue is not. I LOVE this watch. It does the impossible with hardly any mods- actually fools me! Those wacky Chinese are really improving. Edited June 30, 2007 by Amplitude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosk Posted July 2, 2007 Report Share Posted July 2, 2007 Seems Josh has just released the high beat version of the 3717 for the same price.. ~268. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cskent69 Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 Got my 3717- It is definetly gorgeous. The dial and case are beautifully done, with a few minor finish flaws between the lugs that I'm correcting with a stoning and some 400/2000 grit paper. Otherwise the watch head is very close to perfect. Very impressive for a fake. I gave it a light polish with Flitz along the grain, and stoned some sharp spots and I'm completely happy with the result. The false links on the endlinks on the bracelet are a little too rounded, as I noted in my previous thread about the bracelet accuracy. The sides of the clasp hinge were a little rough, but I've corrected that with a bit of work with swiss files and sandpaper and polish. The perlage is not perfect, but looks nice in a cursory exam. It appears to have been done after the latch stud was added, as it's missing a bit around it. I'm slightly concerned about the method of attachment used for the clasp hinge, I'm not sure if it's soldered, glued, or laser welded. I have access to a laser welder so I'm going to make sure it doesn't go anywhere by giving it a few zaps. The movement isn't working properly, the minute register does not function on the chrono. The hands are beautiful, but the chrono second hand bumps the minute hand at around 9 o'clock and stops it. A light jolt gets it moving around again, the standard quality control issues with hand fitting unsurprisingly strike again. It's running a quite a bit slow, too. 4 minutes a day. So, the asian 21k 7750 lives up to it's reputation. I'm personally not put off by these operational flaws, (I expected it.) I'm going to tear it apart and service it tomorrow and add the ETA day/date wheels and give it a bit of c1 lume to perfect the dial & hands. But, non-watch tinkers may want to opt for the higher-beat movement that has recived better reviews here as far as proper operation out of the box or swap it for a swiss 7750. Plan a trip for your low beat 3717 to The Zigmeister if you have one coming and don't work on your own watches. Out of the box it surprisingly water tested to 5 atm, so the seals seem to be well fitted and all there. The crown threads feel OK, but I'm going to take a fine platinum polish disc and smooth them out too to improve their feel. I just worked on a gen IWC quartz yesterday, and the crown threads felt so nice in comparison...gotta get that feel. The stem is also fitted slightly long. Easily fixed. All in all, it's the best rep I've ever seen or handled, and with a bit more careful finishing under the loupe I'm confident I can make it feel and appear 99.1% gen even under a critical eye. It's -so- good I no longer want a gen. Recommended! Amplitude - i just got mine with the 28K beat. I agree, as I was examining it, the bracelet is a very good attempt at a copy - but to your point - the clasp attachments seems to be the weak point. It looks as if it is glued on. Did you ever electric weld yours? How hard is that to do. I am afraid that it is going to snap and that i will be left with a useless bracelet. How has your held up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMK000 Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 The movement isn't working properly, the minute register does not function on the chrono. The hands are beautiful, but the chrono second hand bumps the minute hand at around 9 o'clock and stops it. A light jolt gets it moving around again, the standard quality control issues with hand fitting unsurprisingly strike again. It's running a quite a bit slow, too. 4 minutes a day. So, the asian 21k 7750 lives up to it's reputation. With all these issues I would have send it back. BTW, I was not aware that they were doing them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surpur Posted March 1, 2008 Report Share Posted March 1, 2008 I suppose the one "benefit" though is its easier to swap the movement over to a swiss one as the hand sizes will all be correct. Totally agree with that - why on earth did they have to change the hand sizes on the 28,800? It would be the perfect movement otherwise. But for quality - the later 21,600 are just as well made as the 28,800 and everything fits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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