ZF IWC Portugieser Chronograph 3714-46

[bdnica 107]

On 08/11/2018 at 08:19, Glaude said:

That's the main problem with this movement, finding someone willing to work on it.
If one of your watchmakers is working & servicing on gen 7750, he shouldn't be concerned about opening and servicing this one, the modification @6 isn't a complicated or fragile mod, you can show him the picture of it dismantled so he can see for himself, the thread over at RWI that I quoted (the fist one) should be enough to convince him

Good idea.  I've pulled the pics and sent them to one of the guys I use.  Hopefully he agrees.  This watch is an important part of my early Saturday morning recon missions meant to identify high-threat targets.   This way the Nica Ninja knows whether  to handle weekend tasks in overt or covert mode, and whether to go heavily armed or with only concealed small-caliber stuff.  

Like this mall sniper who's completely exposed.  What an amateur.  Very low level threat for La Ninja.

Whereas a few more professionally trained paramilitaries are just under this overpass.  Something she can handle without messing up her manicure, but I almost missed them... too overwhelmed with joy staring at the light playing off the Portugieser Chrono!

[Glaude 1,615]

1 hour ago, bdnica said:

Good idea.  I've pulled the pics and sent them to one of the guys I use.  Hopefully he agrees.  This watch is an important part of my early Saturday morning recon missions meant to identify high-threat targets.   This way the Nica Ninja knows whether  to handle weekend tasks in overt or covert mode, and whether to go heavily armed or with only concealed small-caliber stuff.  

Like this mall sniper who's completely exposed.  What an amateur.  Very low level threat for La Ninja.

Whereas a few more professionally trained paramilitaries are just under this overpass.  Something she can handle without messing up her manicure, but I almost missed them... too overwhelmed with joy staring at the light playing off the Portugieser Chrono!

Looks better by the day back there ... sad ! 

Let us know if your watch guy is OK to service your movement  

[BenjaminButton 149]

Great review Glaude. Chronograph complications don’t rock my watch world but this is a beautiful design. Amazing effort and detail in the review. You’re a cunning multi-linguist. You and your kind are the substance of a watch forum while I just snipe watches and grump around like a lost cretin. Great photos as always - my favourite part. How about a photographic appendix to the review where you just post the photos un-cropped for the picture book fans like me.

[Glaude 1,615]

3 hours ago, BenjaminButton said:

Great review Glaude. Chronograph complications don’t rock my watch world but this is a beautiful design. Amazing effort and detail in the review. You’re a cunning multi-linguist. You and your kind are the substance of a watch forum while I just snipe watches and grump around like a lost cretin. Great photos as always - my favourite part. How about a photographic appendix to the review where you just post the photos un-cropped for the picture book fans like me.

Thanks a lot my friend, your comment is deeply appreciated  

I'll have to ask the wife about this cunilinguist thingamabob you talked, but other than that, you already know what I think of your pin point interventions and will try to post more pics in the adequate thread  

[alanArgon 1]

How's the blue tint on the sapphire... Cos the signature IWC blue tint is very telling between rep and gen

I love the white dial but may op for the blue dial to compensate the blue tint on the sapphire... Any thoughts? Anyone bought this in the Blue dial? Can post?

[Glaude 1,615]

17 minutes ago, alanArgon said:

How's the blue tint on the sapphire... Cos the signature IWC blue tint is very telling between rep and gen

I love the white dial but may op for the blue dial to compensate the blue tint on the sapphire... Any thoughts? Anyone bought this in the Blue dial? Can post?

There's definitely a blue tint on the Sapphire, don't know if it's in the Sapphire on the gen, look more like it's done by the AR coating on the rep, but there's one

[alanArgon 1]

49 minutes ago, Glaude said:

There's definitely a blue tint on the Sapphire, don't know if it's in the Sapphire on the gen, look more like it's done by the AR coating on the rep, but there's one

Thanks! and your review rocks - I also noticed that the '3' and  '15' indices line-up on your watch... was told by a TD that ZF's doesn't lineup and unlike YLF's version

[Glaude 1,615]

30 minutes ago, alanArgon said:

Thanks! and your review rocks - I also noticed that the '3' and  '15' indices line-up on your watch... was told by a TD that ZF's doesn't lineup and unlike YLF's version

Thank you very much, I'll see tomorrow if I can grab a pic of the blue haze on the crystal.

Looking at TD pictures on their website, I would say the alignment is a QC issue more than a real flaw :

This is the YLF version, not perfectly lined up, and you can find both aligned version of the YL and the ZF, bear in mind that it could also be a simple glass deformation and angle distortion from the picture.
Could probably be fixed easily, the bezel is dead simple to remove (screwed in from the back)

[alanArgon 1]

Thanks much!

[bdnica 107]

On 10/11/2018 at 09:10, Glaude said:

Looks better by the day back there ... sad ! 

Let us know if your watch guy is OK to service your movement  

Looking good for the service.  $220 plus $40 to swap in an ETA barrel/mainspring, something he highly recommends.  Given the logistical challenges of shipping/receiving here at the moment, it will likely be after the holidays before it's all taken care of.  But I'll certainly update and share the results and experience once completed.

[Glaude 1,615]

11 hours ago, alanArgon said:

Thanks much!

Not got round to take a pic of the blue tint, but I've checked on IWC forum and the tint come from the AR it's not the sapphire itself (unlike the Rolex Milgauss for example)

2 hours ago, bdnica said:

Looking good for the service.  $220 plus $40 to swap in an ETA barrel/mainspring, something he highly recommends.  Given the logistical challenges of shipping/receiving here at the moment, it will likely be after the holidays before it's all taken care of.  But I'll certainly update and share the results and experience once completed.

Nice ! 

I wonder why he recommends swapping this specific piece, could it have to do with having a better power reserve building up with the rotor, if you can ask him, I'm curious  

[bdnica 107]

24 minutes ago, Glaude said:

I wonder why he recommends swapping this specific piece, could it have to do with having a better power reserve building up with the rotor, if you can ask him, I'm curious  

I'll definitely ask although plan to take his advice.  Just got the quote yesterday.  I suspect it's may be related to better power reserve (as you note) or possibly the component stress of having to push and power the additional gear train for the seconds @6 leads to a high failure rate of the cloned mainsprings?   Or maybe he needs and extra $40 for holiday shopping?!    Maybe @GenTLe knows?

[GenTLe 1,490]

No point to me to replace the mainspring. Maybe he doesn't want to open the current one to clean and grease it...

[tonyh7 221]

I've always had a craving for a portugueser, but I've shied away from chronos - although I like the chrono better than the 7 day portuguese. I have to say I just get confused to shit about factories and versions of this watch and particularly movements. How do you know which watches are fitted with the improved 7750 with the gearing for seconds @6, and is what is described as the custom designed 'slim movement' another variant of 7750 or something else again? 

[bdnica 107]

1 hour ago, GenTLe said:

No point to me to replace the mainspring. Maybe he doesn't want to open the current one to clean and grease it...

Maybe.  Although my theory about needing extra cash for the holidays seems valid too!

[Glaude 1,615]

3 hours ago, GenTLe said:

No point to me to replace the mainspring. Maybe he doesn't want to open the current one to clean and grease it...

Would replacing the mainspring change anything regarding a watch that has troubled building up a good power reserve with the rotor only ? 

2 hours ago, tonyh7 said:

I've always had a craving for a portugueser, but I've shied away from chronos - although I like the chrono better than the 7 day portuguese. I have to say I just get confused to shit about factories and versions of this watch and particularly movements. How do you know which watches are fitted with the improved 7750 with the gearing for seconds @6, and is what is described as the custom designed 'slim movement' another variant of 7750 or something else again? 

Impossible to know for other factories for this watch, the only thing you know is what I've said in the review, if it's ZF it's the correct improved version. If it's anything else I can guarantee it, but should also be the new version as long as it after the end of 2016.

[GenTLe 1,490]

It is possible if the mainspring is 'tired' but normally this happens after years and with one exception (a swatch from the 80ies) all the others had low pr due to dirt inside the jewels.

[DavidPS1 0]

On 06/11/2018 at 19:03, GingerBlubba said:

Hi noob, welcome and nice comments, but when you comment on large, picture filled posts, would you mind not quoting them in full as it's very annoying for those on mobiles. Glaude's review was boring enough first time round - I don't want to have to live through that shit in its entirety again.

heres a suggestion don't read the comments and reviews on your phone pal. Damn there are some precious,

 people on this forum lol lol. 

On 06/11/2018 at 19:41, bdnica said:

If I had one handy, I'd insert a 'standing ovation' gif.  You've outdone yourself my friend.  I need to come up with something better than 'The Yoda of Reviews'.  Need something that exceeds even Yoda's skillset.    All due respect to los hermanos @semperfi55 and @McGilli who are both masters of the craft;  I think you need to stand and take notice.  There's a new sheriff in town... and he's kickin' ass and takin' names! 

Have you considered doing something on YouTube or VEVO?  Think you are more than capable of adding some video and voiceover to create something special.   I know there's rep reviews on YouTube but not sure if they violate any YouTube regs?  I'd bet you'd get enough subscribers and views to make at least a few bucks... although I understand your contract with RWG is now in the high six-figures?

I told you previously this has always been my most coveted watch.  Have a similar experience to  @GenTLe and in the same general geography:

For about a decade, I had a joint venture/partnership with an Italian pharma group in Milano so travelled there 4-5 times a year during those 10 years.  Almost always flying in an out of Malpensa, the return flight always very early in the morning.  The night before leaving generally involved a big dinner that went late in to the Port and Grappa night, so I'd  usually take the Malpensa Express in the early AM hours after dinner rather than pretend to sleep.  I'd spend the extra couple hours wandering the Duty Free shops (that seemed to go on forever!).  Most the high-end watch manufacturers were represented, and I'd lust after many different pieces.  But every time (and I mean EVERY time) I'd wander past the IWC window, there it was... calling to me with a siren song that would seduce Ulysses... the Portugieser Chrono.  (the white dial, blued hands of course!)  It was lust at first sight, and to this day remains by far my favorite rep that gets the most wrist time.  It's my wife's favorite too, especially with the sailcloth strap I just got for it (more about that later). 

I've promised myself a gen many times, and for the most part could have pulled the trigger without crashing my personal economy.   But I always procrastinated, and then eventually acquired the rep.  I found the rep satisfying to where I don't feel a strong urge to upgrade to the gen right now (that, and my personal economy has taken some blows since then....!).  But it was, is, and I suspect shall remain my first true love in watch world!

Great review Glaude!  Continue making us all proud!

 

Yeah definitely sex on ya wrist huh !

[GingerApple 7,269]

32 minutes ago, DavidPS1 said:

heres a suggestion don't read the comments and reviews on your phone pal. Damn there are some precious,

  people on this forum lol lol. 

And I asked so politely. Obviously I asked too much.

I hope you never need a favour from me.

[DavidPS1 0]

40 minutes ago, GingerBlubba said:

And I asked so politely. Obviously I asked too much.

I hope you never need a favour from me.

 

40 minutes ago, GingerBlubba said:

And I asked so politely. Obviously I asked too much.

I hope you never need a favour from me.

I'm not going to let you play with my toys either :(--. Please feel free to form a resentment of small to interstellar proportions whichever floats your boat ... It seems, and I'm just spit-balling here, (maybe I'm just a silly newby muppet hahaha and therefore don't understand) but it seems that for some, some here, its okay to shake the shit out of folks as one feels want to do without restraint, and sadly a lot of the time, especially poor newbie lesser humans, ... acting all super knowledgeable and shit ...  I like this forum and have and will hopefully learn a lot from all of you ... both things I aspire to and things I do not aspire to.  

[GingerApple 7,269]

Don't overthink it @DavidPS1

People pointlessly quoting voluminous amounts of pictures is a bit annoying, that's all.

As you were.

[Spudgun 0]

Wow just got round to your review on the IWC what a nice peace of work. and so much heritage in the watch ....a must have for next year thank you for you hard work 

[Glaude 1,615]

5 hours ago, Spudgun said:

Wow just got round to your review on the IWC what a nice peace of work. and so much heritage in the watch ....a must have for next year thank you for you hard work 

Thank you very much !  

[Coax 3]

Thanks Glaude - Nice review.

With this excellent review you managed to boost my growing and uncontrollable addiction - I've ordered one from Mary.

I have a couple of quick questions if you don't mind?

I would like to order a strap from ZicZac prior to the watch arrival from Mary - But I am unclear of the exact strap size - The review states that the lugs are 20mm but on the ZicZac site there are a few versions of IWC croc starps 20/19 and 20/18?   Which one would I need (ie What size is the deployment clasp end 18mm or 19mm?

Also, some of the IWC deployment's require a notch cut into the middle of the end of the strap so that fits into the clasp - Do I need a strap with the notch or without the notch?

Finally, I'm a bit shy of wearing this watch with a bright blue strap and I was thinking that since the blue on the face seems so dark - I could maybe pair it with a black croc to dress it down a bit - Your thoughts on that idea would be appreciated.

Again - Review really appreciated even if it has cost me a fortune :-)

[Glaude 1,615]

Thank you very much @Coax !

Great choice of TD  

You'll need a 20/18 (just measured it for you).

You'll also need to source one with a notch but if you are unsure, just contact ZicZac with the watch reference and don't forget to mention it's for a deployant clasp  

If bright blue is too much for you, black will certainly work, or just a darker shade of blue