Daytona service?

[tootall]

A while ago I bought one of my all time favorite watches, a 2005 Daytona. For the first few weeks it ran like a champ. Then I put it away for a while, due to wearing my PAM's. But now it is running very poorly. I can hear the rotor whining (like when metal squeaks on metal). So I know I need to get it serviced to have it running properly again. So the question comes to all of you. Is there anyone who is reliable who works on these Asian 7750's BESIDES The Zigmeister? I know The Zigmeister could do it, but I am looking for someone stateside or at the very least a little more price reasonable. I know in the end I may just have to bite the bullet, but for now I would like to see my options. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[POTR]

For the service which The Zigmeister provides, I can think of no one with a more reasonable price.

Unless you have the same opinion as me... It is my own personal opinion that "a more reasonable price" would probably be a couple of hundred dollars higher.

[tootall]

For the service which The Zigmeister provides, I can think of no one with a more reasonable price.

Unless you have the same opinion as me... It is my own personal opinion that "a more reasonable price" would probably be a couple of hundred dollars higher.

I know The Zigmeister is the man, but there is the issue of customs both ways. Furthermore, I know that a gen 7750 can be service for almost half of what he is asking for his Asian 7750 service. So "more reasonable", would mean less.

[RWG Technical]

... but there is the issue of customs both ways.

Care to elaborate on what this customs "issue" would be??

I know that a gen 7750 can be service for almost half of what he is asking for his Asian 7750 service.

If you know of someone who will fully service a 7750 for $100, why not use their services? That is a great price, especially when most shops start at $450 and up for a chronograph movement.

RG

[tootall]

Care to elaborate on what this customs "issue" would be??

The issue of sending it past customs. I have sent many an item out of the country and (knock on wood) only one had any problems. But there is always that chance, and even more so when dealing with replica goods.

If you know of someone who will fully service a 7750 for $100, why not use their services? That is a great price, especially when most shops start at $450 and up for a chronograph movement.

RG

That's the problem, they won't touch an Asian 7750. Furthermore it's like $150. Which is around half of what you charge when you figure in shipping. I am very glad you posted here and I would like to use you. I just can never "get in" to your limited time frames for open business. Plus I just wanted to see my other options. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me here. You don't have PM status, so on top of not being able to "get in" I can't even get started.

[RWG Technical]

The issue of sending it past customs. I have sent many an item out of the country and (knock on wood) only one had any problems. But there is always that chance, and even more so when dealing with replica goods.

There is always a chance, but honestly I have never had any issues with customs. Once in a while they don't read the customs form and levy duty on the declared value (thinking that I have bought the item), and with most everyone using "reasonable" amounts in the value ($300 or less), I end up paying the duty (13%) out of my own pocket, and the customer never knows the difference...

That's the problem, they won't touch an Asian 7750. Furthermore it's like $150. Which is around half of what you charge when you figure in shipping. I am very glad you posted here and I would like to use you. I just can never "get in" to your limited time frames for open business. Plus I just wanted to see my other options. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to me here. You don't have PM status, so on top of not being able to "get in" I can't even get started.

I am always looking for a better price also, $150 to service a 7750 is one hell of a deal. Considering the amount of time that goes into the servicing alone, and the skill level necessairy to dismantle and reassemble this movement, $150 is a fantastic price. With the known problems and issues the Asian 7750's have, my guess is that the $150 would soon turn into $200 or more (known issues include: bad cannon gears that need to be staked, chrono levers and springs that are not aligned, escape pallet stones that are not secured in the pallet fork, and recently all A7750's have had pallet stones positioned incorrectly which requires me to move them to get the escapement to work, moving them in increments of 100th of a mm each time), all of which takes time, and is out of the "norm" for shops not used to these particular movements. They are basing the price on a known entity, the A7750 is no where near as simple or straightforward to service at the ETA 7750.

It takes me 4 hours for the basic servicing, add another hour or two for the fixing of the known problems and testing, then add the disassembly and re-assembly of the dial and hands (and the invariable problems with defective hands), and your easily into 6-8 hours per 7750 service... which realistically works out to $25 or so an hour. Good rate given the expertise and tooling needed for the job.

As for postage, I have a long time USA based customer who only ships to me airmail, postage runs $1.96 on average. When his parcel arrives, I will check the ship date, and it will be the same as another USA based parcel that arrived the same day, but sent via Priority at a cost of $25... It all depends if tracking is important or not...

I wish there were more options for USA based members for servicing, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

RG

[tootall]

There is always a chance, but honestly I have never had any issues with customs. Once in a while they don't read the customs form and levy duty on the declared value (thinking that I have bought the item), and with most everyone using "reasonable" amounts in the value ($300 or less), I end up paying the duty (13%) out of my own pocket, and the customer never knows the difference...

Yeah, like I said, it's not an everday event, but there is the chance. That is all.

I am always looking for a better price also, $150 to service a 7750 is one hell of a deal. Considering the amount of time that goes into the servicing alone, and the skill level necessairy to dismantle and reassemble this movement, $150 is a fantastic price. With the known problems and issues the Asian 7750's have, my guess is that the $150 would soon turn into $200 or more (known issues include: bad cannon gears that need to be staked, chrono levers and springs that are not aligned, escape pallet stones that are not secured in the pallet fork, and recently all A7750's have had pallet stones positioned incorrectly which requires me to move them to get the escapement to work, moving them in increments of 100th of a mm each time), all of which takes time, and is out of the "norm" for shops not used to these particular movements. They are basing the price on a known entity, the A7750 is no where near as simple or straightforward to service at the ETA 7750.

RG

I think you misunderstood. I said that the shop will not touch an Asian 7750. The price was for a genuine 7750. I agree with you again, that you are probably the best person for the job. I just wanted to know "other" options. I thank you sincerely for all the help you have given to the rep community.

Sadly, it still remains that I cannot contact you, or get in to the limited time window for you to service my watch. If that were not a problem, then I wouldn't need to look elsewhere. But those two things alone, nevermind price, have me looking elsewhere. My PM still works and I would love for you and I to talk about getting my Daytona serviced.

[POTR]

$150 sounds like a "dip-tank wizard" to me....