Lange dual time split retrograde second repair (movement nerd out...)

[Dr Fun Socks]

The dual time split retrograde seconds thread! So i have the only rep with all of the above functions working that ive ever seen. Im not saying there arent more out there but i havent seen them! About a year ago however, boom the stem came out. I wasnt really confident i wouldnt just completely ruin the watch by opening it so it sat untouched (well i shook the rotor every now any then just because it very satisfying watching retrograde seconds...) until today! A watch unused is a watch wasted and im a bit more confident now, probably more than i should be but you’ve got to be in it to win it!




Its pretty hard to explain with pictures so heres a gif!

As you can imagine the same happens at the other end when the smaller retrograde second hand hits 60. As i said, VERY satisfying!




So it turns out you literally pop the back off, fake screws!

Inside is a small movement and a whole lot of space...

I knew it was a keyless issue yet still i whipped off the rotor and the autowind to find... its not a lovely eta with all the wheels attached to the auto wind bridge.

Completely unnecessary but hey ho! Now onto the interesting bit, under the dial. I had always wondered how the split second worked, its actually pretty simple. The clever chinese people who designed it used whatever base movement this is (no idea, id love to know if anyone has an idea) and bolted an extra plate on the front. I guess you could call it a module or complication. Its fed from the seconds wheel and feeds a center wheel with about 1/3 - 1/2 the normal amount of teeth. Its the gold one in the middle.

That then turns the spring loaded wheels either side of it, which have the retrograde seconds hands attached. Told you it was simple! The module is quite a bit larger than the movement but obviously in a watch this size that doesnt really matter.

Any how i whipped that plate off and theres a whole mess of extra gears for the second time zone located at 12 on the dial. They are independently adjustable, turn the crown anti clock wise and both advance, backward and only the top hands move.

So I rebuilt the keyless and put it back together again. As is normally the case with new things i messed up and put one tint gear in upside down and i couldn’t adjust the time, of course i only found this out after i put most of it back together. So i rebuilt it again and now it works again!




A few glamour shots once it was all sorted.

Definitely one for the movement nerds but i hope you enjoyed it!

 

[nalomb]

This is awesome -- great write up and a very unique piece. I had a similar retrograde cheapie (not an ALS) that I destroyed by not having the competence I thought I did and you clearly do. Well done!!

 

[Dr Fun Socks]

This is awesome -- great write up and a very unique piece. I had a similar retrograde cheapie (not an ALS) that I destroyed by not having the competence I thought I did and you clearly do. Well done!!

Thanks man! I put a large part of it down to beginners luck retrograde is the bees knees though im surprised we dont see more after seeing how simple it is! I guess there just arent that many gens with it. Im pretty sure this is 100% not based on any als.

 

[nalomb]

I think your assumption on the inspiration for this piece is right on haha. I love retrograde seconds and there are a ton of Chinese-made cheapies out there. In the luxury world, I've had my eye on a couple of Peirre Kunz pieces and would love to grab a Cyrus. Its a shame I only have two wrists ...

 

[Dr Fun Socks]

I think your assumption on the inspiration for this piece is right on haha. I love retrograde seconds and there are a ton of Chinese-made cheapies out there. In the luxury world, I've had my eye on a couple of Peirre Kunz pieces and would love to grab a Cyrus. Its a shame I only have two wrists ...

Man you have some mighty fine taste in watches! That pierre kunz insanity is unbelievable! Its like the maurice lacroix master square on steroids! And the cyrus are next level. Both are out of my price range but fingers crossed for a rep love a good complication.

 

[nalomb]

Man you have some mighty fine taste in watches! That pierre kunz insanity is unbelievable! Its like the maurice lacroix master square on steroids! And the cyrus are next level. Both are out of my price range but fingers crossed for a rep love a good complication.

Well I should have specified I have a limited tolerance for watches in that price range (and by limited, I mean non-existent haha) -- the old lady would feed me my critical bits if she found out I bought a Cryus vertical tourbillon ...

 

[Dr Fun Socks]

Well I should have specified I have a limited tolerance for watches in that price range (and by limited, I mean non-existent haha) -- the old lady would feed me my critical bits if she found out I bought a Cryus vertical tourbillon ...

Haha i think most of us are in that boat! Theres always the lottery though

 

[KJ2020]

Excellent write up and quite a unique and interesting watch. I'll admit that as great as my love for watches is, I got bore sighted on Rolex 30 years ago when I bought my first gen. I often look at other brands and marvel at the complications and I tell myself I should try one of those but deep down I know it wouldn't get much wrist time. Out of about 35 reps only 2 are not Rolex and when I'm wearing one of those admittedly beautiful non-Rolex pieces I'm working on or designing or thinking about my next Rolex.

Really nice work getting this piece going again, nice to see how simple it is. Great you were able to restore it to full functionality. Well done bro!

If you haven't seen this video I think you would enjoy it.

 

[Dr Fun Socks]

Excellent write up and quite a unique and interesting watch. I'll admit that as great as my love for watches is, I got bore sighted on Rolex 30 years ago when I bought my first gen. I often look at other brands and marvel at the complications and I tell myself I should try one of those but deep down I know it wouldn't get much wrist time. Out of about 35 reps only 2 are not Rolex and when I'm wearing one of those admittedly beautiful non-Rolex pieces I'm working on or designing or thinking about my next Rolex.

Really nice work getting this piece going again, nice to see how simple it is. Great you were able to restore it to full functionality. Well done bro!

If you haven't seen this video I think you would enjoy it.

I do remember seeing that on the tube before! I have nothing but respect for a guy who invents a new complication, but a dude who does it completely by hand?! Next level. I bet you could count the number of people even capable of that in the entire world on one hand, and still athletes get paid probably 100x more than him. Its a crime!

I pretty much went the opposite way to you, got into reps because i like complicated ass watches but i couldnt afford them. Hated rolex at the time. Now ive got like 6 in my collection. They are undeniably the most comfortable watch for day to days use. I dont wear a shirt and tie to work anymore so the amount of time i spend in dress watches has massively decreased. I still think roger dubuis is casual enough for a t shirt and jeans though!

 

[KJ2020]

Yeah, I've often thought watchmakers deserve much greater pay. It's micro surgery! And don't get me started on athletes! Oh but they work so hard for it! Well who doesn't? It's our own fault we pay $100 to go sit on a hard plastic seat in the cold rain to watch people 200 feet away run around and kick a ball. What!?

 

[Dr Fun Socks]

It really is micro surgery! I doubt brain surgeons would be able to achieve what watch makers do, they must be on a lot more dough and theres loads of them! But hey ho thats the world we live in. Not much us average joe’s can do about the bullshit that is overpaid celebrities!