Diy Ikepod!

[rmcsherry]

I know most of you guys seem to hate these watches, but here goes.

I can't really justify the cost of a genuine Ikepod right now, so when I saw the case go up for sale on ebay, I thought it would be a good idea to see if I could source all of the parts. Little did I know how much work and money that would be...

So far, I've only got the case and strap - I'm taking my time and buying things at bargain prices (both items came to under £100, the strap alone frequently sells for more than this on ebay). I've been in contact with a really friendly guy who is now in charge of Ikepod - he thinks I'm mad, but is encouraging. I can get everything I need from him, but it'll be expensive - I'm hoping that if I get the face, crown and pushers from him, I can source the crystals and movement elsewhere. The case is for an Ikepod Hemipode Grande Date, and there is a little confusion about the movement - some places claim it's a Dubois Dépraz 4500, some say it's a 7750, and others state it's a 2892.

If it's a 7750, there should be one at otto-frei for a reasonable cost:

I assume the Dubois Dépraz will be very difficult to source, and the 2892 is easy but I won't get the engraved rotor without a lot of luck! So, can anyone help me to identify the actual mechanism in the Grande Date? The display window is very small, but if anyone knows about movements I hope it's easy enough to say what it's not...

Any ideas? I'd rather source original parts and not have to modify any movements - so do you think this project is realistic? I have never done anything like this before, so I am missing something - are there going to be many more components I need that will end up costing the earth? Genuines sometimes go for as little as £1,000 - the reason I am doing this project is partly to learn more about watches and partly to spread the cost over a long period to make it seem as though I've not really spent anything! Any advice will be greatly appreciated - I'm at the point where I can put it up for sale and walk away with a profit, or continue into the unknown...

[r11co]

The rotor bearing fitment looks very much like a 289x series.

The extra pushers are probably what will confuse most people and make them think a 7750 is being used, but the 289x movements have had add-on modules designed for them to add complications such as chronograph, calendar etc.

Edited June 15, 2006 by r11co