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Silverspeed

Tips on how to do a Quality Check upon arrival

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hemipower

excellent info

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ticktime

Dumb question but what are some must do's when first getting a rep? Some suggest using a mineral oil bath to smoothen the movement? Anything else?

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GenTLe

a mineral oil bath to smoothen the movement?

 

WHAT? Drop oil in the movement and you'll need to throw away the whole watch (or do a deep complete service to it).

What to do is all written in the 1st post of this thread. I also add: grease the crown gasket (but you must be able to remove and reinsert properly the stem without fuck up the keyless) and Timegrapher assisted movement timing.

For the ones that I plan to use a lot I also do a complete movement service.

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dappel08
On 7/21/2011 at 06:47, Silverspeed said:

Doesn't it suck when you get a new rep and after a couple of days it stops, the clasp breaks, you loose a bracelet screw or even worse the bloody thing falls of your wrist.....Especially losing parts is very annoying as these are often very hard to source.

 

With a few basic tools, which are all avialable in the RWG Toolshop btw..., you can prevent in many cases these annoying issues.

 

Tools I use to do a quality check when a new rep arrives are:

* a decent screwdriver set

* An eye loupe

* Sticky ball to open just about any screwdown caseback

* Rodico cleaning putty

* Tweezers

* Springbar tool

* Quick caseback and O-ring creaser

 

IMG_5467kopie.jpg

 

The first thing I always check is if the screws are screwed down tightly, in this case it's a Rolex which has screws on the bracelet, but in case of a Panerai be sure to check the Crown Guard screws!

 

IMG_5456kopie.jpg

 

Next is the rezising of the bracelet, be sure to keep the removed links....if at a point you want to sell the rep it's best to have the bracelet complete with all the links

 

IMG_5457kopie.jpg

 

With Rolex reps the bracelet is often quite dirty and the links can be a bit stiff, to make the bracelet smooth WD40 is great for cleaning and making the bracelet feel smooth....be sure to keep WD40 away from the movement! Just let the bracelet soke for a couple of hours in WD40 to get rid of any debry stuck inbetween the links. After that rinse the bracelet with warm water and it will feel much better.

 

IMG_5466kopie.jpg

 

After that it's time to have a closer look at the movement, to check if the rotor is screwed down, movment tab screws and to see if the inside is clean.....sometimes there're undeifined pieces of lint, dust, hairs floating around..... :P

 

IMG_5458kopie.jpg

 

There are many caseback openers available but the sticky ball works perfect for 99% of the caseback...just press it down firmly on the caseback and unscrew....Often the caseback is fairly loose upon arrival, so it should be coming off without any difficulty

 

IMG_5459kopie.jpg

 

I then grease the caseback seal....often they are very dry and creasing it will improve the water resistantcy of the watch

 

IMG_5462kopie.jpg

 

Now it's time to check the movement tab screws, a check if the hairspring isn't tangeled and quick look with the eye loupe for dust, pubichairs etc.....

 

IMG_5463kopie.jpg

 

Small dust pieces or any other undefined crap are easily removed by tweezers or rodico putty....it is also a good idea to swipe the caseback threads....9 times out of ten the thread is filled with debry.

 

IMG_5464kopie.jpg

 

When this is all done place back the caseback seal, screw down the caseback tightly, refit the bracelet and your new rep is ready to be worn.....and most likely the chance of screws falling out or movements stopping etc, etc.... will be very unlikely!!!!

Where is the RWG toolshop?

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nuk

A question that could complement this thread (as well as a new set of pictures btw :) ), is there any basic test/s you may ask the dealer to do to the watch before the delivery takes place? 

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Daffy
3 hours ago, dappel08 said:

Where is the RWG toolshop?

Long gone, unfortunately. 

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Montyb82

Any chance of a repost with working pics?

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spacecat

yeah that would be really helpful, photobucket sucks balls

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spacecat

do you literally soak the whole bracelet in wd40 rather than spraying it on?.. no images makes this hard to tell. 

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Hinclimincli
On 10/10/2017 at 00:26, spacecat said:

do you literally soak the whole bracelet in wd40 rather than spraying it on?.. no images makes this hard to tell. 

Exactly that. Soak it and leave overnight. Clean with a cloth and wear, you.might have some more dirt coming off but in a couple of days it'll be perfect.

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spacecat

cool - thanks i'll give that a try

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Mbnafees

Excellent advice. Thank you! 

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replicawatchman

This is a very good basic check to protect oneself.  This is why I thing with noobs in particular its better to order from someone like BK.  Until they are able to bring their visual skills up to par to be able to decipher for themselves.

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Robse1

very good, thanks :)  It is also good to put some locktite on the bracelet screw‘s. I nearly lost one on my new pelagos. 

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mwcool728

Great post ! This helps for newbies like me !

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mysterio
On 12/28/2017 at 06:20, Robse1 said:

very good, thanks :)  It is also good to put some locktite on the bracelet screw‘s. I nearly lost one on my new pelagos. 

Make sure to use a weak threadlocker. You don't want to find out later that you've used something similar to super glue. Loctite 243 is a popular choice (also recommended for CG screws and lug screws).

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Robse1
2 hours ago, mysterio said:

Make sure to use a weak threadlocker. You don't want to find out later that you've used something similar to super glue. Loctite 243 is a popular choice (also recommended for CG screws and lug screws).

Yes, thats a good point :)) thanks :)  i used a middle one like 243. 

haha superglue like loctite 480, it would be like melted together :D 

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Jimzkie

Learn the hard way, QC can be tricky . 

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Jimzkie
On 12/21/2017 at 14:10, replicawatchman said:

This is a very good basic check to protect oneself.  This is why I thing with noobs in particular its better to order from someone like BK.  Until they are able to bring their visual skills up to par to be able to decipher for themselves.

Indeed.

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bloon

Thanks for this :) 

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Nahb

Fantastic Tips!!!  What is the best e-shop to buy these indispensable tools??

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abdulmageed

i wish someone could upload these pictures again

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Marco9988

Good info there! thanks

Good info there! thanks

 

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BC1221

Since everybody is sharing tips. Here’s some that I found useful. Esp for rolexes with bracelets.

I use a piece of clear packing tape, heat gun and put a clear piece of tape over most of the clasp. This prevents a LOT of desk dive scratches. Some people don’t seem to mind but it drives me crazy. I just put the tape over the clasp, heat it up a bit so it’s a little more flexible and put it on there as smooth as possible. Then take a very sharp razor blade and cut the excess off. I also cut the line between the center and the lower potions of the clasp so it all sticks down fairly well. This minimizes the desk dive marks to just a few links and that’s much easier to polish than the entire clasp + links. Just be careful when cutting with the razor.

I also take the bezel off and put a little bit of grease around the gasket between that and the crystal to get everything sealed as much as possible. Just be VERY careful removing the bezel. Start out with a razor blade and nudge the bezel up enough to slide a piece of tape under it to avoid scratching. Then slowly work your way around to about a quarter of the way and it should pop right off. If your crystal is not properly aligned with the date window, this is a good time to turn it and center it. Just be careful to not pop the crystal off. It’s not too big of a deal but it can be a pain in the ass trying to get both sides of the crystal completely clean and dust free. Same with the dial.

If you don’t have a tool to push the bezel back down as tight as possible, here’s a cheaper option.

Go to the hardware store and find a little piece of PVC pipe. Just get one close to the size of the bezel but slightly larger. Put some masking tape on the edge of the piping to not scratch the bezel. 2 small pieces of wood or anything flat that won’t break and use a clap to push all that down tight. One piece of wood at the bottom of the watch - PVC pipe over the bezel - another flat piece of wood over the PVC and clamp on both ends. Just be sure to have the bezel on the watch on as much as possible with your hands before using the clamp. Otherwise, it could mess up the gasket.

The yacht master bezel on the noobs in case one of you want to know how to get the clicks are little more solid.. the little wire like piece inside the bezel that sets the clicks has 3 sections that locks in on the teeth. If you bend those parts in slightly, the clicks will be a little more solid. If you want to put more work in to this, you can file the notches so it’s not rounded so it can lock in tighter but I don’t think it’s worth it.

If you’re a Rolex fan like me, buying a set of the caseback tools is well worth it. I think I paid $20 bucks for the chinese made one on amazon but it def does the job.

If your rep has a little wiggle room at the end links, I’ve found that putting a small bit of scotch tape on the spring bars gets rid of a lot of play and makes it more of a solid fit.



The rest of the tools, you can get from amazon or eBay.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Noobv10
On 7/21/2011 at 06:47, Silverspeed said:

Doesn't it suck when you get a new rep and after a couple of days it stops, the clasp breaks, you loose a bracelet screw or even worse the bloody thing falls of your wrist.....Especially losing parts is very annoying as these are often very hard to source.

 

With a few basic tools, which are all avialable in the RWG Toolshop btw..., you can prevent in many cases these annoying issues.

 

Tools I use to do a quality check when a new rep arrives are:

* a decent screwdriver set

* An eye loupe

* Sticky ball to open just about any screwdown caseback

* Rodico cleaning putty

* Tweezers

* Springbar tool

* Quick caseback and O-ring creaser

 

IMG_5467kopie.jpg

 

The first thing I always check is if the screws are screwed down tightly, in this case it's a Rolex which has screws on the bracelet, but in case of a Panerai be sure to check the Crown Guard screws!

 

IMG_5456kopie.jpg

 

Next is the rezising of the bracelet, be sure to keep the removed links....if at a point you want to sell the rep it's best to have the bracelet complete with all the links

 

IMG_5457kopie.jpg

 

With Rolex reps the bracelet is often quite dirty and the links can be a bit stiff, to make the bracelet smooth WD40 is great for cleaning and making the bracelet feel smooth....be sure to keep WD40 away from the movement! Just let the bracelet soke for a couple of hours in WD40 to get rid of any debry stuck inbetween the links. After that rinse the bracelet with warm water and it will feel much better.

 

IMG_5466kopie.jpg

 

After that it's time to have a closer look at the movement, to check if the rotor is screwed down, movment tab screws and to see if the inside is clean.....sometimes there're undeifined pieces of lint, dust, hairs floating around..... :p

 

IMG_5458kopie.jpg

 

There are many caseback openers available but the sticky ball works perfect for 99% of the caseback...just press it down firmly on the caseback and unscrew....Often the caseback is fairly loose upon arrival, so it should be coming off without any difficulty

 

IMG_5459kopie.jpg

 

I then grease the caseback seal....often they are very dry and creasing it will improve the water resistantcy of the watch

 

IMG_5462kopie.jpg

 

Now it's time to check the movement tab screws, a check if the hairspring isn't tangeled and quick look with the eye loupe for dust, pubichairs etc.....

 

IMG_5463kopie.jpg

 

Small dust pieces or any other undefined crap are easily removed by tweezers or rodico putty....it is also a good idea to swipe the caseback threads....9 times out of ten the thread is filled with debry.

 

IMG_5464kopie.jpg

 

When this is all done place back the caseback seal, screw down the caseback tightly, refit the bracelet and your new rep is ready to be worn.....and most likely the chance of screws falling out or movements stopping etc, etc.... will be very unlikely!!!!

Thank and great write up but the images are disabled for me 

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