A Review of the Movement of IWC Regulateur Reps

[onzenuub 363]

The IWC Regulateur is a watch of the Portuguese family, with a very classic aesthetic. Here a picture of the family:

 

 

There is a black model as well:

 

 

In this post we review the modification made on the Asian 6497 movement to be a regulateur, and it is shown how to get a model that has not been replicated yet.

 

This is the model that has not been replicated yet:

 

 

It is the platinum model, that it is terribly expensive (the gen). The idea is to obtain that model, using these two reps:

 

 

Installing the silver hands of the black model on the white model a platinum rep will be ready. The process is very simple, but offers us the chance of reviewing the modification on the movement.

 

Hands are removed:

 

 

 

The dial is removed and it is possible to see the three outputs of the movement, which is covered by a plate.

 

 

The oiler is pointing out the hour output.

 

If the plate is removed:

 

 

The removed plate has a gear in his down face, gear A, which takes the output form the minutes and forwards the movement to gear B, hour output, as red arrows show.

 

The gears A and B have no jewels and it is rotating over the plate…this is sadly quite familiar, Portuguese, Daytona,…

 

If gear B is removed, we see that there is nothing, nothing, fastening the gear B in the movement. Only the hole in the upper plate is fastening gear B.

 

 

To make it clear, red point in following picture shows the location of gear B on the plate. There is nothing there!!

 

 

I have been oiling some parts of the modification, trying to improve its reliability.

 

 

As a summary, although the modification is really bad, it is true that hour and minutes and rotating slower in comparison against seconds. Therefore, this modification is going to be less problematic that Portuguese or Daytona. However, I cannot see this movement having a long life.

 

Finally, the objective was to have a rep of the platinum model… it is here:

 

 

Regards,

 

Francisco

[KBH 7]

This looks like a perfect candidate for the Graphite Treatment. Very interesting.

[greg_r 107]

I'd been wondering how well (or badly) the 6498 had been modified for that rep. Must confess that would put me off buying one. Interesting read. Thanks for the repost, Onze!

[ebzen02 341]

What a classy watch!!

[Silverspeed 10]

That is one pretty watch...shame that as soon as modification involves extra gears on a plate that it is done so poorly

[onzenuub 363]

Like Francisco answered in the original thread:

 

Originally Posted by krpster

Great review as always. Very interesting about that hour gear...it's just sitting there! You will have to do a followup post 1 year from now so we can see how it's looking under there.

 

 

Francisco's answer:

after oiling some parts I guess it will last more than one year

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