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Some 3717's made of cheap aluminum?


chad

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My watch was just finished by the great k2222 for a double AR and someone he works with said the watch is not steel but aluminum?(he did great work)

It is one from Andrew.

Are there variations in these watches?

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This is very soft case, very easy to scratch, I have my Ingenieur over 8 months now and looks much better than my 3717 after a month of use, it look like PA6 PA7 - the hardest type of aluminium but maybe somebody will get more info about it, i'am not an expert but it does not look like High quality steel, i seen 8 of them and all are the same.

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True, K2222- at least some stainless steels are not magnetic.... see:

http://www.aalco.co.uk/technical/stainless.html

I don't know of a simple nondestructive test that can certainly tell aluminum from stainless steel- but the weight sure is a lot different.

Aluminum is usually a "whiter" metal than SS, too.

I'am useing alluminium PA6 for coating process, this is the hardest alluminium, it stays in over 300c for many hours , it's quite havy, same color, but it's soft, not like a steel. It is very easy to scratch my 3717. If it's not alluminium it's some cheap shity mix of metals.

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LOL!! I've been ccoking with aluminum pan for....uh...never mind, I forgot what I was going to say.

@ k2222: There is some kind of shittty metal used sometimes in reps--I've run into it many times in low end muller reps--the $60 specials you buy for a crown or crystal. It's definitely not aluminum but it scratches easily, doesn't shine as much or hold a polish as much as SS. I always figured it was some scrapheap grade of steel.

I know there's nobody cheaper than a chinese repmaker, but I'd be shocked if any of them were that cheap. The steel has to be the cheapest component of a saphhire crystal watch and w/ CNC probably the cheapest component to produce. If some a**hole really saved $.38 buying some low grade metal (probably because it causes less wear on the tooling) it certainly doesn't do much to dispell the stereotype of chinese business people. It would be great to know what other cases came out of that factory.

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Here is an attempt to put this issue to bed. IMHO, there is no question that the case of the 3717 is steel - not aluminum. This is based on conversations with a certain materials expert with a lot of experience with steel, aluminum and other materials used in the aviation industry. ;) . Beyond that, the weight is consistent with the gen based on my running over to an AD and trying it on having worn the rep on the way over :lol: - seriously. So I cannot attest that the weight is exact but there would be a big difference if a significant portion of the watch were aluminum. Aluminum is a lot lighter. Second factoid, Aluminum does not allow for the same level of polish as stainless and when you do get it to a highly polished form it will show every scratch. Although there is a finite amount of polished surface on the watch try the polished ring on the case back.

If you still are not convinced feel free to try this test. Screw off the case back and either apply a dremel or put it on a grinding wheel briefly (the inner surface please as I don't want any "I ruined my watch and it is all your fault!" :bangin: ). The sparks on high quality stainless steel will be a bright white. Lesser steel should send of a yellow color. Aluminum will not send off any sparks.

And no a magnet is not helpful. Ever tried to stick a refrigerator magnet on a high quality SS refrigerator? :)

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I've heard of Aluminium, but what the hell is Aluminum ??? :bangin:

;)

If anyone sends anything for a test, it's best to take the dremelled out fragments (as kruzer00 mentions above) or send a link from the bracelet - assuming the bracelet is made of the same material.

Good luck!

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There's lots of funny things I can say about how our friends across the pond say certain things :D

And I know that an old timer from the old world could say the same about us...

But last time I checked, Aluminium was not on the Periodic Table, just Ai (aluminum).

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