Is the Navitimer A7750 better than the stock A7750?

[crystalcranium]

Decorated bridges...blued screws...decorated and beautifully engraved rotor...I know it's a 7750 but why all of the high class touches? I wonder if Ziggy has any experience servicing this Asian movement vs other A7750s. I looked around with a loupe inside the movement and case and saw none of the crud I have seen inside other 7750s. This one is very clean. Any reason to hope for better performance or did they just put earings on the same old pig?

[RWG Technical]

Not sure about the earings, but there are traces of lipstick...

The old 21.6K 7750 was prone to being dirty, the newer version, of which I have seen a few, are very clean as far as crud goes.

The new 7750's however are not oiled for the most part, and the mainspring barrels tend to be filled with some oilly crud which leaks everywhere inside the movement.

If they took the effort it took to fancy up the bridges, and serviced the movement, then we would have progress...

RG

[lysis]

Not sure about the earings, but there are traces of lipstick...

The old 21.6K 7750 was prone to being dirty, the newer version, of which I have seen a few, are very clean as far as crud goes.

The new 7750's however are not oiled for the most part, and the mainspring barrels tend to be filled with some oilly crud which leaks everywhere inside the movement.

If they took the effort it took to fancy up the bridges, and serviced the movement, then we would have progress...

RG

The Zigmeister,

Are most movements found in reps "dirty" -- including the stock real ETA movements in some of the more expensive

reps?

And on that note, if you bought a sourced out Unitas or Valjoux movement from a supply house like Ofrei, would you still need to send it through the ultrasonic cleaner and re-lube it before placing it in a watch?

[RWG Technical]

Ziggy,

Are most movements found in reps "dirty" -- including the stock real ETA movements in some of the more expensive

reps?

And on that note, if you bought a sourced out Unitas or Valjoux movement from a supply house like Ofrei, would you still need to send it through the ultrasonic cleaner and re-lube it before placing it in a watch?

Some background is needed to fill in the blanks...

Asian movements overall lack general servicing, normally they are dry or flooded with oil and grease, especially common on A7750 models, automatic models seem for the most part to be quite good.

ETA movements vary from pristine new, to very old and tired. Why? Simple, the ETA movements are all SURPLUS, including the ones from Ofrei, or any other supply house. Ofrei does not carry any factory movements, they all come from supply houses, the only factory ones are in sealed blister packs, everything else, is surplus. Which means condition varies, a lot...

I have bought new (?) movements from Ofrei, only to have them so old and gummed up that the pivots broke off when I tried to disassemble it.

There is no way to know what your getting, except by taking the movement apart and looking at it. Short of a poorly running movement, which tells you it needs servicing, your guess is as good as anyone else's as to what you have in your watch.

The only guarantee you have that your particular movement is clean and correctly serviced, is to send it to a watchmaker...unless you purchase new ETA sealed blister pack movements, I can get these, but prices are double the surplus ones, a factory 6497 is over $200 each...

Now you know as much as I do.

RG

[lysis]

Some background is needed to fill in the blanks...

Asian movements overall lack general servicing, normally they are dry or flooded with oil and grease, especially common on A7750 models, automatic models seem for the most part to be quite good.

ETA movements vary from pristine new, to very old and tired. Why? Simple, the ETA movements are all SURPLUS, including the ones from Ofrei, or any other supply house. Ofrei does not carry any factory movements, they all come from supply houses, the only factory ones are in sealed blister packs, everything else, is surplus. Which means condition varies, a lot...

I have bought new (?) movements from Ofrei, only to have them so old and gummed up that the pivots broke off when I tried to disassemble it.

There is no way to know what your getting, except by taking the movement apart and looking at it. Short of a poorly running movement, which tells you it needs servicing, your guess is as good as anyone else's as to what you have in your watch.

The only guarantee you have that your particular movement is clean and correctly serviced, is to send it to a watchmaker...unless you purchase new ETA sealed blister pack movements, I can get these, but prices are double the surplus ones, a factory 6497 is over $200 each...

Now you know as much as I do.

RG

Thanks, The Zigmeister.