Where to find?? MY List of gotta haves.

[Malakei 0]

Hey guys, not sure if this is the right area for this but i've tried LF threads in the members areas before and never had much luck. I am looking for a few watches that have been built to last. They don't have to be 100% perfect [altho that would be nice] but i'm getting tired of movements busting on me and 'sapphire' crystals scratching on me. I'm not opposed to servicing a movement once a year if I wear it regularly but most of these barely get wrist time and some of them had issues before a single season. So, with that said here is my list. Looking for recommendations on where to find them and which mov't combinations to look for.

 

Omega Speedy Moonwatch [sS bracelet]

IWC Top Gun [Leather]

Mont Blanc Timewalker [sS Bracelet]

B&R Military Type or Similar 03-92 [ideally Kevlar Strap]

PAM 253 Regatta LE [Rubber]

 

Now I know some of these are Chronos and those movements can be tempermental and TBH I am fine with faux chrono if the mov't is bulletproof and the rest looks spot on. I am also fine with handwinds. I do however look for the casebacks and details to be on point and lume jobs to be consistent. I've been navigating through the TDs and Member forums for some time looking for good value reps and the only ones that seem to hold up are the handwinds i've bought in the past. Radiomirs mostly. I'm not looking for a franken or a $1000 rep, but am willing to pay the swiss premium again if it is worth it in any of these cases. I've had a few swiss mov't that have kept good time but ended up with datewheel issues not worth fixing. Anyhow, if someone with experience could point me in the right direction on any of these reps it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Cheers,

Justin

[greg_r 83]

Current BR03s are mostly Miyota powered, and therefore reliable.

 

The handwind version of the Moonie is pretty solid (Sea-Gull ST19 - aka "lemania" or "copy Venus"). Avoid the 7750-powered versions if you're after bomb-proof reliability. Quartz is also an option, although less good quality in rep terms.

 

PAM263. Gonna be an auto chrono. 7750s are a bit fragile - I've had some that have lasted for years. Others not so much. You take yer chances on that one.

 

Timewalker same deal if you're after a chrono. It's going to be a 7750/A7753. Bomb-proof they ain't. The non-chronos tend to be Asian ETA clones so are that bit more reliable.

 

IWC Top Gun - your only choice are quartz cheapies or A7750s again.

 

See the movement stickies for more info: http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=6930 | http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=6101

 

FWIW I've owned well over 100 reps over the years and have had relatively few problems. Gens break too, and even sapphire crystals can be scratched if you work at it.

 

If you want something truly bombproof forget reps - go buy a Seiko Monster or a G-Shock. Otherwise you're going to have to accept that these things happen from time to time.

[Duzza 182]

Yup, just to stick up slightly for the A7750 movement though. I have owned around a dozen and never had 1 fail on me. I've owned 2 gens with Valjoux 7750's in and one of them broke.

[Genius 281]

If you go for a chrono with an ST19 they are pretty much bulletproof, even an A7750 chrono will be decent if looked after so long as it uses the native seconds at 9 setup.

 

Otherwise look for watches with either Miyota movements or A2824

[greg_r 83]

Yup, just to stick up slightly for the A7750 movement though. I have owned around a dozen and never had 1 fail on me. I've owned 2 gens with Valjoux 7750's in and one of them broke.

 

Yep, the only one of mine that broke was a gen Swiss 7750. Having said that. they ARE fragile and often very badly lubricated from the factory. You might get lucky, you might not...

[peteins 3]

Yup, just to stick up slightly for the A7750 movement though. I have owned around a dozen and never had 1 fail on me. I've owned 2 gens with Valjoux 7750's in and one of them broke.

 

Yep, the only one of mine that broke was a gen Swiss 7750. Having said that. they ARE fragile and often very badly lubricated from the factory. You might get lucky, you might not...

 

i agree... although, from experience most things that aren't properly lubed tend not to end well...

[Left Coast Guy 24]

Greg's answer is probably as good as you're going to get.

 

My take -- I'm not sure what you're past is with reps or what you deal is, but there is no secret science to reps.... generally, you buy the $250-$350 range models and you get a fairly high quality rep that is dependable. There are caveats to that, because these are reps and the QC is minimal out of the factories....but that is part of the rep game. 80% of what you get is going to be good, 15% is going to have some minor flaw (uneven lume, pube in the mov't, missing bracelet screw), and 5% will be DOA or end up in that same condition within a month. You kind of have to be willing to accept and deal with those odds....if you can its a great hobby.

 

So get over yourself and jump in like the rest of us.....you'll figure it out eventually and it will all be worth it.

[Dr. Jimmy 29]

No no.

[Malakei 0]

Greg's answer is probably as good as you're going to get.

 

My take -- I'm not sure what you're past is with reps or what you deal is, but there is no secret science to reps.... generally, you buy the $250-$350 range models and you get a fairly high quality rep that is dependable. There are caveats to that, because these are reps and the QC is minimal out of the factories....but that is part of the rep game. 80% of what you get is going to be good, 15% is going to have some minor flaw (uneven lume, pube in the mov't, missing bracelet screw), and 5% will be DOA or end up in that same condition within a month. You kind of have to be willing to accept and deal with those odds....if you can its a great hobby.

 

So get over yourself and jump in like the rest of us.....you'll figure it out eventually and it will all be worth it.

 

Haha yeah I'm aware of the risk/reward. I've had a dozen or so various quality reps from 21j cheapies to pretty solid Swiss eta 2824s and 2836s but I've also had a7750 and dg2813 and 4813 and all of the last 3 have capped out on me in some form either DW problems rotor or movement problems. Without proper tools I can't say for sure how accurate the movements have stayed over the years but so far my unitas handwind has run the best followed closely by my Swiss 2824.

I was looking for some opinions on good versions and movements guys have found to be reliable or if I should steer clear of. I've read up a fair bit and seems like some Asian clones seem reliable/accurate and others not so much. Unfortunately I have a lot of chrono models I like so save the seagull st19 looks like I'm either rolling the dice with a a7750 or even potentially a bigger risk with the legit Swiss valjoux for the extra 500.

 

Thanks guys.

[RUSH2112 11]

Been asleep for 18 months?

[Malakei 0]

No but haven't been in the market for that long and I know how frequently new versions come out and on occasion new movements and plants. I can take a jab but I don't think the question was out of line and the first reply was solid. Guess I was hoping there was more options out there for the chronos outside of the 7750. Maybe just had fingers crossed that the st19 or something new had become more popular while I was gone.

[Xpletiv 16]

Acknowledging the response back then may have been nice, it leaves one thinking that you got your info and ran.

[NCRich 13,798]

I have to warn you I'm ridiculously busy so don't be surprised if things don't move very quickly.

 

No that isn't the way things work. You can't backdoor sell here.

[Xpletiv 16]

.....asleep, too?!