A8800 life expectancy.

[Mat_w]

Hey, folks. How has everyone’s experience been with the A8800 so far ?

I’d like to hear experiences of both young and old movements, those who have been running their watches as a daily or frequent weekender as well as those who bring it out of the box only so often.

I guess I’m trying to gather how everything will go taking into account different duty cycles.

Any horror stories ? any happy customers ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mclarendude]

If it is the VSF 8800, not a single complaint. Have had more than a handful and they are just awesome. I had one serviced, but that was an optional service. Most of mine have ran at Chronometer standards, some even to METAS standards.

EDIT:

My apologies. The 8800 is just an ETA clone which is great. I was thinking of the one on Planet Oceans which is the 8500.

 

[eBoy]

"A8800" is more of a marketing term and rather misleading...

I guess it's supposed to invoke associations to the Omega 'quasi' - clones A8500/A8900 — without being much of an actual clone (definitely less so than the 8500/8900 clone mvmts).

The A8800 is really just a decorated Asian ETA 2824-2. The good thing about it is that it's a A) a workhorse standard caliber any decent watchmaker can work on and B) it can be swapped for a genuine ETA (a popular mod).

The Asian 2824-2 certainly belongs to the range of the more reliable replica movements and has a pretty solid reputation. The A8500/A8900 clones may be a step further to a real Omega clone (although it's not yet quite all there) but availability of parts and general repairability is not even close to that of the Asian 2824.

 

[eBoy]

PS: At the end of the day, the A2824 (A8800) is still just a replica movement though. It may run at official Swiss certification levels if regulated well, but it can explode unexpectedly at any given moment.

To get gen level reliability, there is no alternative to going gen. And even then, there's no 100% reliability.

 

[Mat_w]

If it is the VSF 8800, not a single complaint. Have had more than a handful and they are just awesome. I had one serviced, but that was an optional service. Most of mine have ran at Chronometer standards, some even to METAS standards.

EDIT:

My apologies. The 8800 is just an ETA clone which is great. I was thinking of the one on Planet Oceans which is the 8500.

I’m think the 8800 is a decorated seagull movement.

PS: At the end of the day, the A2824 (A8800) is still just a replica movement though. It may run at official Swiss certification levels if regulated well, but it can explode unexpectedly at any given moment.

To get gen level reliability, there is no alternative to going gen. And even then, there's no 100% reliability.

 

[Mat_w]

Excuse last comment, I messed up somehow.

So just say my movement dies, is it safe to say I could just retrofit a true ETA 2824-2 or perhaps use one as a parts donor and be back in business ?

 

[mclarendude]

So just say my movement dies, is it safe to say I could just retrofit a true ETA 2824-2 or perhaps use one as a parts donor and be back in business ?

Yes. I had to do this with my NTTD.

IIRC, you need to use the hands train (at least the hour hand) from the A8800. I think as OOTB 2824 or Seagull would make the hands too low on the dial.

 

[eBoy]

Seagull is a chrono though, no?

 

[mclarendude]

Seagull is a chrono though, no?

Seagull is the "world's largest movement manufacturer" making 1/4 of all movements in the world.

Tianjin Seagull - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They make the ST19 which is what you are referencing, but they also make the ST2130 which is an ETA clone, and a very good one if I may. It's the one I prefer when I do swaps.

 

[eBoy]

Seagull is the "world's largest movement manufacturer" making 1/4 of all movements in the world.

Tianjin Seagull - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

They make the ST19 which is what you are referencing, but they also make the ST2130 which is an ETA clone, and a very good one if I may. It's the one I prefer when I do swaps.

Ah yes, you're right of course. Somehow I was equating Seagull ST19 to just "Seagull".

 

[mclarendude]

We've all been there, I just learned about the ST2130 when all these other clones, like the PT5000, starting to show up.

 

[Mat_w]

Thank you to @mclarendude and @eBoy this good news.

Although these watches are a fraction of the cost it’s poor form to consider them throwaway items.

I’m no greeny, but I’d hate to see it go to waste if the movement decided to give up the ghost.

 

[eBoy]

It's not thaaaat bad, @Mat_w.

I'm being a drama queen, mostly, because it's just wise to not have delusional gen-level expectations in case something happens. That's all.

You'd be surprised how reliable reps — on average — actually are.

 

[Mat_w]

It's not thaaaat bad, @Mat_w.

I'm being a drama queen, mostly, because it's just wise to not have delusional gen-level expectations in case something happens. That's all.

You'd be surprised how reliable reps — on average — actually are.

The news just keeps getting better.

I’m a realist and not expecting gen level quality, but it’s always nice to be assured I don’t have a ticking time bomb on my wrist.

 

[Reaps]

VS has a bigger problem than movement reliability, namely weak crown tube

 

[Mat_w]

VS has a bigger problem than movement reliability, namely weak crown tube

I went with ZF for this reason.

 

[Mat_w]

Hey guys watch just came in and it’s really nice apart from one issue.

When manually winding the watch it makes a scraping sound. I’m not sure if it’s coming from the tube or the keyless works, but it’s a really ugly noise.

Has anyone experienced this and know what the remedy is ?

The rotor is also noisy, which I expected, but when the crown is in the first position and manually winding clockwise it’s noisy, turning counter clockwise, setting time and date are fine.

 

[Reaps]

Hey guys watch just came in and it’s really nice apart from one issue.

When manually winding the watch it makes a scraping sound. I’m not sure if it’s coming from the tube or the keyless works, but it’s a really ugly noise.

Has anyone experienced this and know what the remedy is ?

The rotor is also noisy, which I expected, but when the crown is in the first position and manually winding clockwise it’s noisy, turning counter clockwise, setting time and date are fine.

A2824s are known to have pretty sandy/gritty windinh

Even gen 2824 has this issue

Fyi its not reccomended to wind 2824 movements to full wind because the winding gears are weak

Just wind it to start and let rotor power it rest of the way

If it shits on you replace with gen 2824

 

[Mat_w]

Thanks mate