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onzenuub

Review and Modding of TAG Heure Calibre 16

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onzenuub

Originally posted by Francisco on another board.

 

TAG Carrera Calibre 16 is a beautiful watch and, as we are going to check, quite similar to the gen. After few mods the watch will be very, very difficult to distinguish from gen.

 

This is a picture of the second hand watch I bought:

 

4231105906_bd23422dc8_o.jpg

 

As this tuto shows:

http://www.replica-watch-guide.net/forum/i...?showtopic=1075

the breakdown of the hour counter of this watch always running was repaired.

 

One of the most common flaws of our reps is that the date/day font is incorrect. In addition, in this watch I bought some numbers were not centred, as shown in next picture.

 

4230338363_b947cd3808_o.jpg

 

When the watch was repaired, a gen ETA 7750 date wheel was installed. Next picture shows a comparison between gen and rep date wheels. With a bit of practice, take seconds to distinguish a rep just having a look to the date window. As the DW was changed, this flaw is solved.

 

4231105964_57b8c2204d_o.jpg

 

Follows a comparison Gen vs. Rep. It seems very hard to find a flaw. Dial, pushers, bezel, hands… all seem very well replicated. In this picture the DW was already changed.

 

4231106036_4084e3068e_o.jpg

 

Lateral view shows again a very good replication. May be the crystal is a bit different in the rep… perhaps it is just only the picture.

 

4231106090_400917843c_o.jpg

 

Now the back. I have found two types of rotors in the gen.

 

Type 1:

 

4230338503_7d3d3b8460_o.jpg

 

Type 2:

 

4230338523_9dca6836f4_o.jpg

 

The rep copies the last one, the easiest to be replicated, as shows next picture..

 

4231106156_68dcfe9791_o.jpg

 

Last picture shows the two flaws on the rep: incorrect bearing and absence of regulator. These are the same flaws of Hublot Big Bang rep, and of many of the reps with A7750 movement. However, these flaws can be eliminated following these two tutos:

 

Adding a regulator:

http://www.replica-watch-guide.net/forum/i...?showtopic=2892

 

Gen bearing:

http://www.replica-watch-guide.net/forum/i...?showtopic=2891

 

The steps to be made are not explained here, as they are explained in the tutos. We only show here the results. Follows the rotor with the new gen bearing and bolt.

 

4231106190_28d6f5b88e_o.jpg

 

And here the regulator:

 

4231106212_916e85222a_o.jpg

 

Next picture shows a comparison Gen vs. Rep, after modding.

 

4231106240_83755a7ced_o.jpg

 

The last mod was reluming the hands. This watch has very few lume and this mod is not so interesting. This is not a Panerai.

 

However, reluming these hands is very easy, because they are not painted. Therefore, acetone can be employed to remove the old lumen. Next pictures show the hands in a glass with acetone, and after shaking the hands, the lume is removed very easily.

 

4230338683_ae9278f0e2_o.jpg

 

4231106306_d2887e58d1_o.jpg

 

The next task is reluming. It is not explained here because it has been done many times.

 

4230338743_62924f70bc_o.jpg

 

Perhaps this picture is more interesting, showing that the slot of the hand is still not filled completely with the new lume. For this task an oiler is employed.

 

4230338779_cdd2b9352e_o.jpg

 

Ready. My TAG Carrera is now very, very similar to the gen

 

4231106394_2c2706a022_o.jpg

 

A lume shot:

 

4230354481_d95447bb8c_o.jpg

Thanks for reading,

 

Francisco

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