My Pam 111 Build (Case Mods + Movement Mods), [Pic Heavy]

[hughesj]

I'm 99.99% sure it's brushed. I first saw it on this picture of a 111e movement which i know is different but you can see it if you look for it in other pictures. it's almost like you have to actually look for it with the camera to get a good shot of it.

Here's some of the best i can find to show it on this movement

They even did it on the OP II cal found in the 36B

Are you guys sure the pallet bridge is brushed at a gen movement? I have now a gen ETA bridge installed and this bridge is not brushed. But the shine is different then the rep bridge

Sent from my iPhone 6

 

[chris3007]

Ok, I must brush my gen ETA bridge [emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone 6

 

[hughesj]

is the surface of the gen 100% flat? on the Asian ones, the edges are slightly round

Ok, I must brush my gen ETA bridge [emoji16]


Sent from my iPhone 6

 

[chris3007]

Here is the ETA bridge next to my already brushed rep bridge. Gen ETA at the left.

Sent from my iPhone 6

 

[chris3007]

BTW: for all those interested in it, here you can see a 6497-2 in parts.
Not many parts for a movement...

Sent from my iPhone 6

 

[ALE7575]

Nice pic Chris !!
thanks for sharing it

ALE

 

[Bozz]

Are you guys sure the pallet bridge is brushed at a gen movement? I have now a gen ETA bridge installed and this bridge is not brushed. But the shine is different then the rep bridge

Sent from my iPhone 6

A gen? Do you are sure? Looking at the head of the screws (crown and rathche wheels), the deepness of the holes for the jewels and some other detail, this mov seems a modded clone, not a gen. There is an alphanumeric serial number under the balance wheel, on the main plate?

 

[chris3007]

The pallet bridge is a gen ETA, not the movement.


Sent from my iPhone 6

 

[Bozz]

yes, but the pallet bridge is beadblasted on base and low grade movement or bought as spare parts, brushed on premium and top grade movements.

gen ETA 6497-2 from a ended ebay auction

 

[hughesj]

my guess is it's a gen 6497-1 pallet bridge. Older 6497's that were stamped with Unitas had a different shaped pallet bridge, but when the stamp changed to ETA they added a new pallet bridge. A lot of people seem to think that this new pallet bridge is specific to the 6497-2, but it's not. Here's a -1 that has this style of one:

The older shape:

For now, there currently aren't any suppliers that carry the brushed one that is specific to the -2 so you have to source a beadblasted one for a -1 and brush it yourself, or if you're not OCD, just brush the Asian one.

I'm going to have to get that swiss one now. Spent all that time replacing jewels to get the color right, but the pallet jewel is still wrong.

 

[Bozz]

For the right color on the jewels, you can try this cheap and easy tip:

http://www.staedtler.ca/en/products...#id=8351&tx_solr[filter][0]=colorPatch%3A3530

It's a permanent ink, great resistance and transparent.

 

[hughesj]

meh, i don't know about putting permanent maker that close to pinions. I'm sure that some people may do that, but i have a felling that acctually swapping the jewels with make the movement last longer, and keep better time. Swapping the jewels isn't that hard to do, you just have to be careful not to shatter them in the process and make sure that they line up with the plate perfectly (i had to ajust them a tad because the some of the tolerances were too tight on some gears). The escapement bridge had to be broached a little because the asian jewel was a tad smaller than the swiss one.

As for the pallet bridge jewel, i might as well just get the gen bridge. I'm ordering a gen balance wheel and gen blued screws soon anyway. It's not that expensive and the round edges on the asian one are bugging me.

Update on the swan neck: I took it to a local jeweler and they plated it in rhodium for $20. Unfortunately, the brass didn't show scratches that well, but the rhodium did, so it looked very bad. I tried carefully polishing it on a sunshine rag but the rhodium came off again. This time i'll polish the living hell of out it before bringing it in, and maybe ask if they can plate a tad thicker.

 

[Bozz]

This swan neck looks very well mate! My compliments for your effort. Maybe you can try to chromium plate it instead of rhodium. Less expensive, the chromium fill the flaws, but it need to start a search to find a service.

 

[ALE7575]

This swan neck looks very well mate! My compliments for your effort. Maybe you can try to chromium plate it instead of rhodium. Less expensive, the chromium fill the flaws, but it need to start a search to find a service.

Yes, I agree with you

It is not chromium what fill the flaws, the Cr coating will be as thin as Rhodium, it is the layer of nickel and sometimes copper, applied before chromium which will cover the flaws.

ALE

 

[hughesj]

Has anyone on this forum or others ever had the two micro holes drilled into the swan neck screw before? who would be able to do that?

 

[ALE7575]

Has anyone on this forum or others ever had the two micro holes drilled into the swan neck screw before? who would be able to do that?

Good question
I never hear it

ALE

 

[hughesj]

would you happen to know what the diameter of the holes is?

Good question
I never hear it

ALE

 

[ALE7575]

would you happen to know what the diameter of the holes is?

I don't know

But I can try to get it from some pics making a Photoshop comparison with known dimensions

If you finally need the diameter I will try to get it, from the going's pics (from my Last steps thread) you have published. But that will take some work

ALE

 

[Bozz]

Has anyone on this forum or others ever had the two micro holes drilled into the swan neck screw before? who would be able to do that?

Ask projectologist for suggestions, he's a mod on RG board

 

[Bozz]

Yes, I agree with you

It is not chromium what fill the flaws, the Cr coating will be as thin as Rhodium, it is the layer of nickel and sometimes copper, applied before chromium which will cover the flaws.

ALE

The best way would be to find a maker and order a reshaped SN with right micrometric screw, steel. I dont know how much can cost it.