Pesman 9,461 Posted January 26, 2019 Having waited patiently for a year or so, I see that ZF are now offering the newly styled Top Gun ceramic chronograph with the double dial minute/hour sub-dial at 12 o'clock. This is also smaller at 44mm than the previous 2 dial variant which came in at 46mm. Given I already have the older model I am trying to decide if I go for this newer version as well. Has anyone on here bought these newer movements? I know they have been available on the Portuguese chronograph for a while and I am still praying on a Yacht Club finally appearing. The reps say the sub-dial works as the gen but the date looks pretty sunken whuch may not be a surprise with the cogs needed to adapt a 7750 to these complications. Would appreciate from anyone who has bought one of these movements. This is the gen I'm referring to... And this the ZF rep... And this a Portuguese variant... All very nice ... and there's a Da Vinci as well... Thoughts? Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,747 Posted January 26, 2019 My knees hurt. And I swear I've never seen an IWC that I like. Watch just does not grow on one. Not even like a fungus. IWC, TAG, AP. Need a shower now. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AstroAvia 0 Posted February 9, 2019 I own one of the Portugieser classic chrono models with this modified movement. The subdial at 12 doubles as minutes and hours counter of the chronograph, with one little hand displaying up to 12 hours and another one displaying 60 minutes. While I like the watch very much and enjoy the fact that the replica movement works just like the genuine, I don't like the 60 minutes counter of the chronograph: it is simply too difficult to accurately read! The subdial at 12 is a small one, and its 1/60 divisions are - as expected - minuscule. I assume this problem will also plague the Top Gun and whatever other models they release with this movement. And there is the sunken datewheel. It is sunken. And it is not properly printed - at least in the Portugieser; the date figures lie too close to the left of the date window, sometimes even "touching" it. I came up with a modification to raise the sunken datewheel and place it at the correct depth, but now the off centered numbers are even more noticeable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rx4Time 1,472 Posted February 9, 2019 I'm going to assume a similar setup to the OMF Speedmaster, which has reliability issues with the two hand subdial setup. I would avoid due to reliability concerns and truthfully I don't much care for the two hand subdial even if it was reliable. Also, double check the thickness as I know the OMF Speedmaster clocks in at 19 mm thick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AstroAvia 0 Posted February 9, 2019 9 hours ago, Rx4Time said: I'm going to assume a similar setup to the OMF Speedmaster, which has reliability issues with the two hand subdial setup. I would avoid due to reliability concerns and truthfully I don't much care for the two hand subdial even if it was reliable. Also, double check the thickness as I know the OMF Speedmaster clocks in at 19 mm thick. Reliability issues? What kind of issues? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rx4Time 1,472 Posted February 9, 2019 2 hours ago, AstroAvia said: Reliability issues? What kind of issues? There's a gear train to move the subdial registers to the 3 o'clock position. These gears are not always well machined and can skip on reset. This can lead to a hand which will not reset to zero. You can see this on the AP ROO also sometimes. Not every piece is affected, but it's a real possibility. It's piece you pictured has the added disadvantage of moving the running seconds hand to 6 o'clock which can add additional resistance to the movement and lead to reduced power reserve and ultimately premature failures. This is a one off movement so while the base movement is a 7750, the modifier plate and gears are custom so it's not repairable should it fail. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AstroAvia 0 Posted February 10, 2019 I have already disassembled this movement (subdials at 6 and 12, not the Omega 8900 movement) and I perceived the gears as very well made and their pivot points very well defined (and jewelled). I do not think the gears could skip during reset, but this is only a guess based on what I saw. When you mentioned reliability issues I assumed you were referring to the additional friction caused by the set of transfer gears. This, only time will tell. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kyle_d 0 Posted February 17, 2019 On 26/01/2019 at 17:59, Pesman said: And this a Portuguese variant... Sent from my SM-G955F usi This is my favourite IWC model but the gen has a lot more numbers and markers around the edge of the dial and to me stands out like a sore thumb its putting me off. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AstroAvia 0 Posted April 29, 2019 On 17/02/2019 at 15:57, Kyle_d said: This is my favourite IWC model but the gen has a lot more numbers and markers around the edge of the dial and to me stands out like a sore thumb its putting me off. You know there are two different models of these Portugieser, right? And both have been copied by the replica factories. If I am not mistaken, model numbers are IW3903 (pictured above) and IW3904 (with a lot more numbers and markers around the edge of the dial). As I said, there is a replica of each model. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
