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Sent back to china...

Neo_one

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Hi all, I sent back 3 reps 2 months ago and they only just arrived yesterday! Needless to say I had wrote them off but luckily they got there in the end...
so the 3 of the movements in them had busted after only a couple of months of wear. I requested that they be serviced and repaired, but the dealer suggested I should get replacement movements instead for the same price.
I know with a service you could have them properly cleaned and oiled, and regulated properly. But if there is an underlying problem I'm worried it could crop up again.
What do you guys suggest? New movements or full services? Cheers.
 

sn95

Renowned Member
29/7/18
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Depending on the reps new movements would be good, I had a miyota crap out after owning the watch for one month, set it to a local person and paid for it out of pocket, a year later it still runs better than new. If you have a 2824 rep movement it's better to swap in a gen eta, it'll last years to come and keep much better time.
 
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Neo_one

Banned member, the goat does not approve
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Since the watches are safely there in China, I doubt they would have any genuine ETA movements that I would feel comfortable paying the extra for.
 

DavidModic

Active Member
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New movements will not be serviced, same as previous ones, so ticking time bombs. That said, I do not generally trust Chinese makers to be capable of actually servicing a movement. They will often just throw the whole movement into an oil bath, which is unhelpful and may also destroy the dial and hands in midterm.

I never send anything back. I either service the movement or buy a replacement and swap it in. A lot quicker than relying on TD’s.
 

Neo_one

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The movements are three 2836's and one with a gmt mod which has already busted once
 

Neo_one

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What is the charge associated with the swap/service for each?

We haven't discussed that yet. But since it's the second time in 6 months I've had to send one out of the 3 watches back, i guess anything goes at this point...
so I asked for full strip down on the movements but they swiftly told me they would swap them to Seagull movements.
Done a little research and found they are meant to be a Chinese based factory with swiss level movements, but are basically just copying the ETA movements, while the A2836, 2824, etc are cloning the Seagull's with lesser quality again....FFS ????
 
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muiramas

Erect Aristocrat
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We haven't discussed that yet. But since it's the second time in 6 months I've had to send one out of the 3 watches back, i guess anything goes at this point...
so I asked for full strip down on the movements but they swiftly told me they would swap them to Seagull movements.
Done a little research and found they are meant to be a Chinese based factory with swiss level movements, but are basically just copying the ETA movements, while the A2836, 2824, etc are cloning the Seagull's with lesser quality again....FFS ????

You'll end up with the same movements they came with. Either with a band-aid repair or a new one, but still the same.
 

DavidModic

Active Member
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We haven't discussed that yet. But since it's the second time in 6 months I've had to send one out of the 3 watches back, i guess anything goes at this point...
so I asked for full strip down on the movements but they swiftly told me they would swap them to Seagull movements.
Done a little research and found they are meant to be a Chinese based factory with swiss level movements, but are basically just copying the ETA movements, while the A2836, 2824, etc are cloning the Seagull's with lesser quality again....FFS ????

I tend to do this on my own anyway - I buy a rep with correct hand dimensions and dial feet for my purpose (e.g. 28xx, 3135, etc), then swap in a new movement immediately. If it is an A28xx, then I buy a Seagull ST 2100 (2836) or ST2130 (2824), replace the correct height seconds wheel (if needed. H5 or H6 for GMT movements, usually) and regulate. I have very good experience with Seagull movements. Some I have, have been running for years. All I bought through years have been properly regulated oob to chronometre standards in three positions (that I bother to check. My seller advertises five). And when they start gaining time, I service them. Therefore, I just add about $70 to the price of a rep in my head immediately when I am looking at them. This is just part of the game.

As the boss says, there are customs risks, and also I prefer to wear a watch I bought before six months from the day I ordered it have passed :).
 
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DavidModic

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Me either, never have, never will. It's just too risky since Chinese customs are a lot more interested in what comes in that what goes out.

Never even thought of that. Good point.

I just hate to wait months and months for someone to do something that I have taught myself to do on my own and takes me a lot less time. The only difficulty for me is getting items that are clear copyright violations or are incredibly rare and expensive when gen (like midcases). As soon as I have those, I am happy to assemble on my own. It is part of the fun.
 

Neo_one

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You'll end up with the same movements they came with. Either with a band-aid repair or a new one, but still the same.

I bloody hope not. I'm being charged $70 a pop for each piece.
 

Rawbe

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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you would have been much better off getting them serviced locally. For $70 each for another dirty ‘new’ movement you’re being bent over. Those will likely need another service in the near future bro.

If you go with the $70 service option for each of those movements they will most likely just get them working and send them back in nearly the same condition they left in, it won’t be a proper service like you would expect of your local watch smith or an RWI approved watchsmith.

Good luck to you mate, let us know how it turns out!
 

muiramas

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I bloody hope not. I'm being charged $70 a pop for each piece.

Yes - that’s the cost of an eta clone on eBay.

the advantage of getting a watch with an eta clone is you put in a real one if it dies, not another clone.

you dun goofed.
 
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Neo_one

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Yes - that’s the cost of an eta clone on eBay.

the advantage of getting a watch with an eta clone is you put in a real one if it dies, not another clone.

you dun goofed.

I'm not getting an eta clone, I'm getting 3 Sea-gull's ????
 

Neo_one

Banned member, the goat does not approve
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Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you would have been much better off getting them serviced locally. For $70 each for another dirty ‘new’ movement you’re being bent over. Those will likely need another service in the near future bro.

If you go with the $70 service option for each of those movements they will most likely just get them working and send them back in nearly the same condition they left in, it won’t be a proper service like you would expect of your local watch smith or an RWI approved watchsmith.

Good luck to you mate, let us know how it turns out!

So I'm paying $70 each to have new movements installed...you're claiming they will just get the current ones working instead. That's not true because they are sending me back the busted movements as well.....
 

ffuhcu

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I'm not getting an eta clone, I'm getting 3 Sea-gull's ????

Sea-gull ETA clones though (at best, i.e. if they are true to their word).

I think the general consensus is most members here would look to get the movement serviced/replaced locally rather than ship them back due to 1) worries about shipping and 2) scepticism about the skill of any repair done and condition of any new movement or parts swapped in, but that we all hope it works out well for you.
 
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