N Factory AP Grand Prix Questions

[dragonman4]

Hi all,

New to the rep world, and have had my eye on both the RBs, and the AP Grand Prix's on Toro's site. I'm not AP knowledgeable at all and was hoping if someone could tell me if there were any known issues with the AP GP's. I searched around for the AP Roo secs@12 issue and some people say the new ones have had a jewel added and the issue was fixed now? Anyone can confirm if that's true? Any other issues with the watch that people have encountered? Thanks for any feedback.

 

[carlton]

It is said that the current upgraded movement of A7750 sec@12 have jewels added to the transfer gear from sec@9 to 12 so it should be more reliable than before. But IMO, it is still a timebomb movement(not as bad as A7750 sec@6) which might break down or have problem anytime sooner or later.

If you really wanted a ROO sec@12, don't expect it to be a buy and wear without problem watch, be prepared to spend more money on it for movement servicing and jewel mod etc to increase the reliability of the movement.

 

[ddmcg2479]

Good info thanks Carlton - this is something that had been holding me back from buying a ROO

 

[carlton]

Be prepared to spend around 1k to 1.5k for a ROO. 500+shipping for the watch and the rest like strap change, movement service jewel mod(immediate or when movement have problem) and double AR crystal. These are the basic things to do for most member who want their ROO to be more reliable and look better.

It is not cheap and not easy to maintain so think carefully and be prepare to spend more if you wanted a ROO.

 

[ddmcg2479]

The panda was sitting at the top if my list but I'm thinking it might just have to wait considering all that Carlton!

 

[Garuda]

dragonman if you want the grand prix wait on Angus for his noob version with real carbon parts. the noob carbon parts look awful in comparison.

 

[jpohl402]

Yes as said, movement is better now BUT not perfect.
Buy one w real forged carbon case, not imitation plastic (they make both.)

 

[sharrkey]

Their both a endless pit of money, lol, yes the movement is still a time bomb waiting to crap out! Buy the one you prefer and if it craps out get it serviced, no point spending money to fix if its not broken. Doesn't matter if you pick a Panda/ white themes/ RBII \ Gp they all have seconds @12.
Buy the rep wait for it to arrive and if you really like it source a strap to compliment it, because most of the rep straps are made out of rats nut skin, yet both the RBII strap and Gp are actually very good.
Domi has just finished fitting a lwo 283 movement to my RBII, mines turned into a money pit that I don't even want to work out.

 

[ddmcg2479]

I'm already getting enough grief from the mrs over 2 watches in 2 months- I dread to imagine her reaction to talk of gen straps, movement services and AR!
Sadly I think the panda will have to take a back seat if I'm to keep the peace! :bees:

 

[sharrkey]

I'm already getting enough grief from the mrs over 2 watches in 2 months- I dread to imagine her reaction to talk of gen straps, movement services and AR!
Sadly I think the panda will have to take a back seat if I'm to keep the peace! :bees:

buy the panda on Ss bracelet, heavy but looks fantastic

 

[ddmcg2479]

buy the panda on Ss bracelet, heavy but looks fantastic?

I saw the panda with rubber strap on marv's site which could be a solution if it's really available.
Not a massive fan of SS bracelets I must confess.
I read on the beginners guide here that the rubber is pretty decent would you agree sharrkey?

 

[TESLA760]

Panda on a rubber strap is like a prom date that doesn't put out.

 

[TESLA760]

 

[ddmcg2479]

Love it Beemer!
Ill put you down as 'undecided' on rubber straps?!

 

[TESLA760]

:hehehe:

Get it on a bracelet. But rubber is yuck on a Panda.

 

[slaughterer62]

So, here comes too much information. The current upgraded sec@12 added 1 jewel to the centre relay gear, but it needs 4 more jewels to be fully upgraded. The movements I have examined often seem to have problems with dirt and non-existent oil at the standard oil points for such a movement. They also sometimes seem to be poorly assembled, sometimes not. I am of the opinion that that 7750 portion of the sec@12 is not so bad, and can reliably function if inspected, serviced and/or reassembled. Two typical parts that might need to be focussed on are a) the reversing wheel in the autowind mechanism (for dirt), and b) the first gear (gear "A") in the seconds@12 transfer system (for misalignment). Problems with a) will lead to low power reserve, problems with b) will lead to stuttering seconds.
It goes without saying: All of these movements would benefit tremendously from FULL disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning and reassembly with Moebius D-5 and 9010 applied following the ETA 7750 oil guide.
It would be a benefit for all members if RWI offered 7750 service courses around the globe for its members. ;-)

 

[TESLA760]

I have never seen a sec@12 movement from the factory that didn't studder.

 

[sharrkey]

You make it sound so easy slaughterer


Sent from my iPhone 5s Using Tapatalk2 S???R?I?????

 

[chris3007]

It would be a benefit for all members if RWI offered 7750 service courses around the globe for its members. ;-)

That would be very nice, i'am on the list ;-)

Very well explained slaughterer


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[slaughterer62]

Just want to say one thing that might explain my perspective. I was a long-time member of the DIY audio community, something similar to the rep watch community, in that members simply wanted to find a way to save money on grossly overpriced audio components by building them themselves. There was an active sales thread for parts exchange, and numerous forums about topics like "low-noise voltage regulators" and "building the ultimate 1541 DAC" that sometimes got to 100s of pages. Plus, there were about 3-4 forums, all running parallel to one another, like RWI, RWG1, RWG2, RG, etc. The parallels are amazing, really. Many of the low-cost PCBs and components came from China from TDs, etc. there were legendary modders like Domi that could do everything, there was even an "Angus" figure, etc. it just goes on and on.
Now, the one thing that offsets the DIY audio community from rep watch world, was that I would say 90% of the membership had a soldering station, and actually put together the circuits they were talking about. There was an amplifier called the "Gainclone" which was sort of the "Rolex Submariner" of the DIY audio world, in that it was an amplifier that cost commercially something like $4,000 but could be built for $50 with parts you could find at an RadioShack. Literally everybody on diyaudio.com built one of those themselves before going on to more complex projects. There were even 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 versions of it (yes, there was even that in DIY audio) that everybody tested out, and compared to previous versions.
Now, I want to say to people who complain that the 7750 is a complex movement and impossible for self-service: the 7750 is FAR LESS complex than most of the circuits on DIY audio.