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How to tell if the ETA you bought is new and serviced


RWG Technical

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Many members have been purchasing various ETA's for upgrading their watches.

As has been mentioned and proven on many occasions, ETA's in general are used surplus movements and their condition is unknown.

There is only one guaranteed package you will receive a ETA movement in, that guarantee's your particular movement is NEW and is correctly Serviced.

This is the packaging as delivered from the ETA factory to the end user:

4.jpg

5.jpg

If you see or buy an ETA and it's packaged in anything OTHER than what you see above, you have bought a USED, Surplus, Unknown condition movement, no matter what the seller my otherwise claim or state.

I just got this ETA 2893-2 in for a upgrade, no need to do anything but install it in the watch...

RG

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so the 28xx movements in the round plastic holders that state they are new, are complete BS.

I think you have to know your seller. The only way you can 100% know that your movement is factory fresh is if it arrives sealed with genuine swiss air, as shown in the picture.

Some of the bulk movements are not even opened or taken out of their plastic holders and are in NEW untouched condition. You just don't know for sure, and the only way to be sure is to buy a sealed movement.

Good post The Zigmeister!

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What prevents counterfeiters from replicating this packaging to be used in scams (ie: selling pre-owned, dubious quality movement as new)?

I think a trustworthy supplier (alongside correct packaging) is an important piece of the puzzle too.

Edited by Corgi
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i wonder what the gas is that's used in the packaging? if i had to guess it would be one of the noble gases like argon or even nitrogen. argon would probably be "better" as it should prevent corrosion or any kind or any breakdown of the lubricants. i doubt we will ever know ;)

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this post is just the kind of thing RWG was created for: helping protect people from getting scammed as a result of asymmetry of knowledge. thanks ziggy :victory:

@longshot, interesting you mention the gases, as sinn seals their cases filled with argon gas :g:

btw, if argon gas prevents any breakdown of the lubricants, does this mean i never need to get my sinn serviced? :lol::bangin:

deltatahoe

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One way of knowing if Your eta movement is OK ( perhaps not PERFECT ! ) is to listen to it ( by Your ear ! ) in different positions and IF it "ticks" "exactly" the same then it should be quite OK I think! but that is my opinion.

When the oil in the movement ( specially by the balance caps ) is getting dry You here it "singing" different than when fully serviced ( oiled ! )

My Genuine sedweller "ticks" exactly in the same way in ALL positions and is running perfect BUT when it is lying on the side compared to with the dial up and that IS the case with almost ALL my genuines as well as my replicas !

For ex. my Ingy with 2824-2 movement ( incablock ! ) is running perfect when the following steps is taken :

If I see that it is running a little bit to fast when I go to bed then I put it on the side and in the morning it has slowed down a couple of seconds during the night.

In this way it is running +- a couple of seconds in a month!!!!!!

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Okay....good to know....but one question....If I buy an ETA movement from Ofrei or Jules Borel will it come in this special packaging?

Only if they specify that it is sealed.

I don't think that Ofrei carries sealed movements, only bulk. I haven't ordered a movement from JB, so I don't know.

The last sealed movement I bought was from my local supply house. They are a small company, so they only get sealed movements and don't have the buying power to buy bulk.

I don't know where The Zigmeister picked up his movement, but I occasionaly order from a company called Perrin in Toronto, and they have both sealed and bulk movements. The last price I got on a 2892-A2 was $260. Definitely not cheap anymore. I think the bulk was $230, but I can't remember for sure.

I was told the majority of bulk and overstock movements are bought by Witschi in Switzerland and then resold to supply houses around the world. So again, know your seller and you shouldn't have any problems.

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Good to know this Ziggy, but now that you have posted the gen packaging, it will be repped!

:lol:

While that may be true, they won't be able to use the ever rare "Swiss Gas" to fill the bag...and no, don't even ask if I am going to smell the gas when I open the package...

On another note about ETA movements, I just got the third price list in as many months. Until this past February I got a price list every year or so.

The prices for ETA's has gone up - AGAIN...a 2824/2836 Swiss (sealed pack) is now over $200...a surplus one is over $150...6497 is over $100 as well. The 2893-2 I just received is now over $350...

That is a doubling in the price of ETA movements in the past 6 months.

Spare parts are doing the same thing, through the roof...

RG

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jajaja no rare at all they use helium to fill the bags, is a non reactive gas that keep the internal enviroment safe for the oils and parts = )

just my 0,00000002 cents ;)

While that may be true, they won't be able to use the ever rare "Swiss Gas" to fill the bag...and no, don't even ask if I am going to smell the gas when I open the package...

On another note about ETA movements, I just got the third price list in as many months. Until this past February I got a price list every year or so.

The prices for ETA's has gone up - AGAIN...a 2824/2836 Swiss (sealed pack) is now over $200...a surplus one is over $150...6497 is over $100 as well. The 2893-2 I just received is now over $350...

That is a doubling in the price of ETA movements in the past 6 months.

Spare parts are doing the same thing, through the roof...

RG

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excellent post rob

I remember seeing a website once selling ETA movements and you could either get the ETA new but non-packaged (surplus) for say $150 and the same guaranteed serviced/oiled ETA movement individually packed like in that picture would be about $50 more. I guess the cheaper "bulk/surplus" ones are going to the be the ones shipped to china anyways.. so just becasue your watch comes with an ETA, doesnt mean its fully serviced and reliable. It could have been sitting in a bin somewhere for 3 years and all dried out and rusted kinda like the day-date i bought new last summer from a trusted dealer.... even the replacement movement i finally got was just packed in a little plastic case and not sealed at all.

If i was going to order a new ETA movement i would definatly spend the extra $ and get the sealed one.

dizz

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