Panerai Egi 55mm homage movement issue

[bigugo]

Hello everyone,

I'm fairly new to the replica world and I recently received a custom made watch built for me by a modder from a sister forum. The watch looks great and was initially working fine although the hand winding mechanism was a bit stiff. I wound it a couple of days in a row to keep it working however today when I went to wind it the stem spins however no winding is taking place. Intermittently I can move the hands of the watch but not every time I try. Any ideas on what may have gone wrong or what I can do to fix it? Appreciate all your insights.

 

[bigugo]

Up

 

[mclarendude]

Possibly the keyless works of the movement needs to be reset or tightened.


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[bigugo]

Thank you mclarendude , I'm guessing this is better left to a watchsmith than me playing around with..

 

[Plaasbaas]

There might be a chance that the stem is somehow "between gears" and engages again when you slightly wiggle the crown while carefully turning it a bit. Maybe it is not fully pressed in into its winding position. Try to alternate between time stting and winding position. Just be gentle, don't force anything. I had this same issue once and it worked and no trouble since.

If that doesn't help, the keyless works needs to be reset by a watchmaker.

 

[bigugo]

Thank you Plaasbaas I think its definitely the keyless works needing to be reset issue as there is no "clicking" when moving from winding to time setting modes. I think the person that made the watch modded the stem somehow as when I was able to remove it it wasn't one solid piece, the crown portion seemed to rotate around the stem and would only engage as one solid piece at times. I also heard a spring release noise when I opened the case back to have a look so it's best placed with a watchmaker to rebuild. I just need to return the watch to the original modder in Moldova from Australia and wait for a couple of months to get it back (was hoping it could be a quick fix).

Thanks for your advice guys, much appreciated.

 

[Plaasbaas]

Ah I see. That's a pity, sorry to hear that.

Did I understand correctly that you were able to remove the stem (or part of it)? Maybe a stem extension has been used, that has become unscrewed. In that case part of the stem would probably be left in the movement which then needs to be disassembled to get it out.

Or is it just the crown itself that rotates freely? Just trying to think of what it is, because I get the frustration of sending it around the world and waiting. Could still be an easy fix, but I assume that you have tried to find a watch repair person in Australia already with no luck before considering to send it to Moldova.

 

[kidcreole]

I'd throw it to a local watchsmith. The movement is a very solid get eta. Should be a very easy fix for them. Make sure you tell them it feels like keyless so they know what you're talking about and don't rip you off. I'm sure they won't worry about the homage situation.

 

[bigugo]

Thanks for the advice gents.

Plaasbaas - I was able to remove the whole stem as shown in the example photo below (not my actual stem) so I'm pretty certain there is nothing left in the movement, however I able to unscrew the top crown from the stem which is weird and this is where the two are able to be rotated independently of each other at times (not a solid one piece as you'd expect). I've tried to find local rep friendly watchsmiths here in Perth to take a look however I couldn't find one. I know there is one on the otherside of the country but I figure if I'm going to send it to someone, might as well send it to the guy that made it as he will probably have the spare parts (if needed) and be able to fix it quickly. All part of the rep game I suppose

kidcreole - Thanks for the advice and I have reached out to a couple of local watchsmiths who weren't interested as soon as they heard what I had. I'll keep trying this week before I send it back to the maker :thumbsup:

 

[Plaasbaas]

I see. Thanks for clarification, good job on the above picture you shared!

So the hope remains, that the keyless mechanism inside the movement is still set up properly and will function
as it should, once you re-insert the stem with a crown that is fixed to the stem and not loose. There are several
options, if you are willing to tinker a bit and give this a shot before sending the watch somewhere:

- find out why the crown is loose, it is normally screwed in on the stem, could be that it only needs re-tightening
unless the threads are damaged (hold the stem with a small pair of pliers but make sure not to damage it)

- if the threads are damaged, one could try to fix it with loctite (glue the crown to the stem)

- if the crown broke off, you could try to source a new stem (and probably a new crown as well) as your chances
are good, that this is a generic part for this type of movement imho

But please do not feel pushed into doing something you're not comfortable with, if you are unsure and want to
be safe try to find a rep friendly watchsmith.

Best of luck!

 

[kidcreole]

Good advice from Plaasbaas above. If it doesn't work out just tell the watch makers it's an eta 6497. Don't mention homage or rep. Watchsmiths love the 6497 for its simplicity.