Limitations of 3230 movement Rolex Oyster Perpetual

[Blackieray]

I just got an Oyster Perpetual 36mm, from JTime. I'm pretty happy with it. There are things I don't understand and maybe somebody can enlighten me.
I wound the watch Wednesday until I could feel that, wound-enough feeling. Today I'm out riding my bike. I'm older than dirt, so I'm not taking any sweet jumps or trail riding, just down to my local coffee place. I get off my bike, and noticed the watch has stopped.

I wind it up. It feels like it's completely unwound. -i thought these were automatic? So that surprises me a bit. I wind it up and wind it up....and keep winding perpetually. it's not feeling like it has reached fully wound. It's running fine. Keeps ok time too. I guess my question is, is this normal? This is my first rep. It is a rep, so I know I'm not going to get the superlative performance of a gen.

I appreciate any suggestions or thoughts. Thanks

 

[Tobel]

I just got an Oyster Perpetual 36mm, from JTime. I'm pretty happy with it. There are things I don't understand and maybe somebody can enlighten me.
I wound the watch Wednesday until I could feel that, wound-enough feeling. Today I'm out riding my bike. I'm older than dirt, so I'm not taking any sweet jumps or trail riding, just down to my local coffee place. I get off my bike, and noticed the watch has stopped.

I wind it up. It feels like it's completely unwound. -i thought these were automatic? So that surprises me a bit. I wind it up and wind it up....and keep winding perpetually. it's not feeling like it has reached fully wound. It's running fine. Keeps ok time too. I guess my question is, is this normal? This is my first rep. It is a rep, so I know I'm not going to get the superlative performance of a gen.

I appreciate any suggestions or thoughts. Thanks

No it's not normal. Fully wound you should have 40h min of power reserve, and that is without even wearing it. You may need to get your movement serviced

 

[Blackieray]

Responses are fast here on RWI. I've read people will almost immediately have their watches serviced as soon as they get them? I'll look on here and find someone to do this.. Thanks again

 

[EpicRolex]

Responses are fast here on RWI. I've read people will almost immediately have their watches serviced as soon as they get them? I'll look on here and find someone to do this.. Thanks again

The movement's reliability coming from TDs feels like playing roulette to me. Sometimes the watch runs well for a while. Sometimes the movement doesn't run well and needs a service.

 

[Blackieray]

It's my first watch from Li at Jtime. I try keeping an attitude that we're working cooperatively and everyone is doing their best....ahem, I suppose that may only go so far.

 

[ubi]

Something to just check and confirm; does the watch stop at the same time everytime? Sometimes the hands will come into contact with one another, or possibly with a dial marker and cause the movement to stop.

 

[WatchSmith.US]

Can you feel or hear the rotor spinning?
It could be a broken mainspring. Try winding the watch using the auto wind system and not the crown. Hold it dial up and make motions like you’re throwing a frisbee for 30-60 seconds and see if or how long it runs. If it dies quickly then it needs to be serviced.

 

[WatchSmith.US]

Ok I hate to be the bearer of bad news but looked up your watch and I had the same shit movement on my bench a short time ago. It has fake screws, jewels, and fake gears and is very poor quality. It did, however, run reasonably well once the auto wind system was removed and hand wound.

I would advise replacing the movement with a vr3135 if one fits, which I think it will.

 

[Blackieray]

Hi Triplock and ubi,I thanks for your investigating and suggestions. Using my little B&L 8x loupe the hands all seem to be correct, at least not getting in each others way or the dial markers. Also it doesn't stop at the same place every time, in fact it doesn't stop. It seems to be going good. I'm partially deaf, so hearing the autowind wheel is almost impossible. If I press the watch to my good ear, I can here it ticking. Strong, kind of metal-licky ticking. Set the time to my computer and that seems to be good.
I will say when bike riding I do hop curbs, but I dont expect that to be so jarring as to stop the watch (am I wrong?) I'm not strapping it to a jackhammer after all.

My TD led me to believe -and it's my fault for not doing research i.e. talking to you guys, -that GMF produces decent watches, and the Asian 3230 is a decent caliber. I looked up the vr3135. Is it available without a date wheel? Or is this just ignored as the watch doesn't have a cyclops.

 

[Blackieray]

Stopped again. I can wind the watch and it'll go for a couple of days. But it's not automatic. I need to get it service. I'd be interested in replacing the movement. Triplock suggested a vr3135. I notice this has a date wheel. Mine has no date. Is there a model without a date wheel? Any suggestions for good service folks?

 

[WatchSmith.US]

Stopped again. I can wind the watch and it'll go for a couple of days. But it's not automatic. I need to get it service. I'd be interested in replacing the movement. Triplock suggested a vr3135. I notice this has a date wheel. Mine has no date. Is there a model without a date wheel? Any suggestions for good service folks?

If your movement takes a dial with feet it could be possible to swap in a 3135. The true clone 32xx movements use a feet-less dial like gen 32xx movements do. The datewheel can be removed and you’ll have a ghost position on the stem. If you can live with that it could be a happy ending.

 

[Blackieray]

Thanks for the suggestions and possible solutions. I could probably live with a ghost position as a trade off for a decent caliber. I'm in Virginia. Do you have examples of work you've done?
I don't have tools yet (besides a screwdriver) or I'd open the watch because I'm so very curious to see what the hell is in this one.

 

[RepCollector66]

I second that !
Thanks for the great suggestions.
Very insightful.

 

[Abarth500]

Any update Turpentine? Have you had the watch serviced?

 

[jp13abk]

Great post @Turpentine, thanks for sharing your experience.

I’m a new member that’s been reading RWI for 3 years. Decided to buy my first rep and I was looking at the watch that you reviewed, sourced from the same TD (Lee from JTime).

Oyster Perpetual 36mm
Movement: Asia Clone 3230, 25J, 28800bph

Do you have any updates on yours?

Did you swap the movement or kept the 3230?

For any other experts, are there any TD that sell any other movements which you would you recommend instead of 3230?

 

[Blackieray]

Great post @Turpentine, thanks for sharing your experience.

I’m a new member that’s been reading RWI for 3 years. Decided to buy my first rep and I was looking at the watch that you reviewed, sourced from the same TD (Lee from JTime).

Oyster Perpetual 36mm
Movement: Asia Clone 3230, 25J, 28800bph

Do you have any updates on yours?

Did you swap the movement or kept the 3230?

For any other experts, are there any TD that sell any other movements which you would you recommend instead of 3230?

I've gone down the rabbit hole of watches and repairs. I've not gotten to OP yet. I'm trying to clean and put back together a russian watch I bought off etsy. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[conor]

For anyone interested, I recently purchased a VR3230 to replace the SA3230 I my GMF OP. It does not work. The SA3230 is a modified 3130 clone according to the following link:
https://forum.replica-watch.info/th...-36mm-126000-from-trustytime-review.10312038/

The SA3230 does indeed take a dial with feet. (as does the gen 3130 used in the older gen OPs)
The VR3230 does not. (neither does the gen 3230 used in the newer gen OPs)

It seems two possible choices would be the VR3130 and the VR3135 (as mentioned above by Triplock).
I would love to know if anyone successfully swaps the SA3230 out.