kasigi Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 I was sitting on the toilet earlier, minding my own business and I heard a sort of pop sound, and not the normal sort of pop sound one associates with sitting on the crapper! I thought it was unusual but wasn't able to immediately work out what it was. When I stood up, I heard a thunk and spotted a large round piece of glass on the floor. I picked it up and couldn't work out what it was. It looked like a lens, but there was nowhere it could come from. So I showed it to the family and none of them could identify it. This was about 4 hours ago. Just now I looked down at my watch and I noticed what looked like a small piece of dust on the face up between the 12 and the 1. I stared closely at it for a good few seconds before I noticed something was wrong. I've known since shortly after I received my fiddy that the crystal is likely to go. I've had it for over a year so I think it's done quite well considering some others went after a few months. So it's now sitting in the watch box looking all sad and broken. I'm now looking for someone in Europe who can supply and fit a replacement crystal for me. It has to be sapphire and it has to have good AR. This one had excellent AR and I'm not prepared to go back from that. Is there anyone who fits that bill? Any recommendations? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeeyejo Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 What did you pay for your Fiddy? Might be cheaper to replace the watch! Picked up mine in China Town (USA Canal Street) for $80 - see below: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasigi Posted March 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 A lot more than that, it's one of EL's 'ultimates' and has had the canon pin mod and been serviced and lumed by The Zigmeister. I just checked and I've had it for 20 months. I don't really want to replace it, just make it whole again. This watch gets a lot of wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sssurfer Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 kasigi, was it sapphire? @geeeyjo: @80 USD your 127 hardly is sapphire -- hence also hardly going to break / pop out / explode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeeyejo Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 Pays to fix it then - love those super lume mods... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasigi Posted March 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 kasigi, was it sapphire? Yup. Hence why I want to replace it with sapphire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeeyejo Posted March 7, 2008 Report Share Posted March 7, 2008 kasigi, was it sapphire? @geeeyjo: @80 USD your 127 hardly is sapphire -- hence also hardly going to break / pop out / explode. No, pretty sure mine is plexi - are they subject to the breaking/popping/exploding problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dluddy Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Davidsen has AR coated 127 Crystals.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sssurfer Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 No, pretty sure mine is plexi - are they subject to the breaking/popping/exploding problem? Definitely not. Breaking/popping/exploding prevalence (not tendence): Sapphire 90-100% Glass 0-10% Plexi 0% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeeyejo Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Definitely not. Breaking/popping/exploding prevalence (not tendence): Sapphire 90-100% Glass 0-10% Plexi 0% Scratching prevalence about the opposite: Sapphire - o% Glass -? Plexi - 100% lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sssurfer Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Scratching prevalence about the opposite: Sapphire - o% Glass -? Plexi - 100% lol Exactly. That is because of sapphire crystal structure vs glass and plexi amorphous structure. Higher surface hardness, but higher internal rigidity too, that makes it easier to break under high enough stress. Btw, even sapphire is not 0%. Carborundum and diamond can scratch it. It happened to member Victoria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geeeyejo Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Makes sense - have saphire on my gen Omega SMP and haven't had a scratch in 6 years - then again no loose diamonds or diamond rings around to cause a problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavidoc Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 What is the cause of all the exploding PAM Fiddy crystals? I've been thinking about a mini-fiddy but don' tknow due to this exploding crystal thing. What's the cause? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce79 Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I know this question has been asked a million times but is there a way to tell (without any sort of machine or sensor) if a crystal is sapphire/mineral crystal vs. glass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fendushi Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 I know this question has been asked a million times but is there a way to tell (without any sort of machine or sensor) if a crystal is sapphire/mineral crystal vs. glass? There are a few ways... the water drop test for instance, but I can never be sure sometimes doing that test. The way I check mine is to tap them (gently) with my fingernail. If it's sapphire... it will make a low pitch "thud" compared to a much higher pitch "tink" if it's mineral glass. (Sorry, I dunno how else to describe the sound without using "thud" and "tink" ) Those of you who have a Fiddy with DSN sapphire crystals.... tap the front crystal, then tap the caseback crystal. See what I mean? Yep, for those of you who doesn't know.... the back crystal of most Fiddys is mineral glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sssurfer Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 What is the cause of all the exploding PAM Fiddy crystals? I've been thinking about a mini-fiddy but don' tknow due to this exploding crystal thing. What's the cause? Already addressed here. The minifiddy's crystal is glass, so it won't explode -- other than under exceptional circumstances, obviously. I know this question has been asked a million times but is there a way to tell (without any sort of machine or sensor) if a crystal is sapphire/mineral crystal vs. glass? Posted something here. Also the fingernail test so well described by fendushi is surprisingly quite accurate. Just, you must have good ear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerwine Posted March 8, 2008 Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 It is the mineral crystals that explode not sapphire crystals. This was a big deal in the fall of 2006 when Andrew and El were selling their Ultimate Fiddy 127 with "glow torch" lume and swan neck "Swiss" e movements and "sapphire crystals (They were not). Most of those, including mine, had their crystals break. Most had DSN real sapphire crystals replaced and they have not exploded (Including mine). There were many claims of real sapphire crystals, but were mineral crystal instead. Rogerwine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasigi Posted March 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2008 Is that definitely the case? I was under the impression this was sapphire, it's certainly never scratched and I've not been exactly kind in my treatment of it. I guess it could be mineral and I've just been lucky. It was around mid 2006 that I bought it from EL so I'm sure it was from that batch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzanooo Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 A lot more than that, it's one of EL's 'ultimates' and has had the canon pin mod and been serviced and lumed by The Zigmeister. I just checked and I've had it for 20 months. I don't really want to replace it, just make it whole again. This watch gets a lot of wear. I have the same watch as you, along with identical mods from The Zigmeister. Mine does have the sapphire crystal, and just gave it the finger nail test also, it passed. That`s a new one for me, nice tip. David does have a crystal to fit, but it has a blue tint to it the gen does`nt. This old model from El had the right ar with no color, maybe the best 127 with mods done. An option would be to have chieftang recoat a new crystal, his newest coatings are virtually color-free and outstanding looking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sssurfer Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 It is the mineral crystals that explode not sapphire crystals. This was a big deal in the fall of 2006 when Andrew and El were selling their Ultimate Fiddy 127 with "glow torch" lume and swan neck "Swiss" e movements and "sapphire crystals (They were not). Most of those, including mine, had their crystals break. ... There were many claims of real sapphire crystals, but were mineral crystal instead. Sorry, but it is incorrect, more of an urban legend. I already showed it here, here, here, and here. Your watch is on my list too. You -- and all others who got their Fiddies from that batch -- uncorrectly assumed that your crystals were glass just because they exploded. Noone had his crystal professionally tested to tell whether it was glass or sapphire. If you had your crystal professionally tested please tell me and I'll remove it from my statistic -- but sapphire will remain absolutely prevalent as exploding. You and the others have not been scammed by EL and Andrew because they sold you glass advertised as sapphire. You have been scammed because they sold you thin sapphire prone to explode. Most had DSN real sapphire crystals replaced and they have not exploded (Including mine). Yes, that was because DSN sapphire is thicker than EL's, Andrew's, etc. Not because his is sapphire while the others' was glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasigi Posted March 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Noone had his crystal professionally tested to tell whether it was glass or sapphire. If you had your crystal professionally tested please tell me and I'll remove it from my statistic I'm quite happy to post that chunk of crystal to anyone who has a tester to check and see what it is. Bottom line here, if I get one of David's sapphire crystals, what are the chances it'll pop again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 I had a DSN installed about 15 moths ago by finepix and it has been fine, i have never heard of a DSN popping either! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peepshow Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 (edited) kasigi, what is the serial number of your Fiddy? IIRC, there were far more crystal problems with the 05xx (0581?) serial number than the 0117 case. Some people were theorizing that the different cases exerted different amounts of pressure on the crystal and that the design of the 05xx case made it more prone to broken crystals. Edited March 9, 2008 by peepshow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kasigi Posted March 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 0581 The top part of the crystal which was uncracked yesterday has now cracked and broken off, that's happened while it's been sitting in the watch box overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted March 9, 2008 Report Share Posted March 9, 2008 Mine too is a 0581, and no problems with the DSN crystal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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