New TC Sub bezel problems

[Hyjynx]

Ok. I'm a little confused now. Are you having problem with the bezel, crystal and crown? You keep saying crown when it seems you mean crystal.


Come for the watches, stay for the drama! [emoji12]

 

[alessandri]

Be patient my man. Gens are not perfect either. I am sure he will not risk the reputation of his Crown Jewel of reps.(did you like the play on words there?)
I feel your pain though.
Be polite and to the point with your email and all will go well.

 

[BSCS]

I'm sure TC will help out.

 

[RichRobby]

There are a few on this forum who have sent TC emails about problems and told to wait, that he is a busy man and he will answer eventually. Well I don't think that is true. I've waited 3 months and given up. Probably what he wants.
On the whole his watches are fantastic, second to none for reps, but don't expect help if its got early faults or problems it seems.
Just my own thoughts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Prudentis]

Ok, I've had a good night's sleep over this and already have an answer from TC.
He suggests, that this is not a bezel problem but that with the new bezels you have to press hard with your fingers and then turn. LOL if I didn't try this and every other possibility.
Good think he didn't ask me if I turned it counter clockwise...
Well just to be 100% sure, I will reasseble the bezel again and try it. (Not that I didn't do it already but hey, maybe this is really it?)
If so I will laugh hard at myself and report back here in shame. Let's see

As for TC's answers ... I do did not have any problems with the communication. The longest he took to respond was two days and this was, because I used a different email address
He is a bit shortspoken though.

One thing that bugs me about it is, that the original Y-series Sub were not like this. So at the very least, this is adding a new tell to the watch

 

[Prudentis]

Ok. I'm a little confused now. Are you having problem with the bezel, crystal and crown? You keep saying crown when it seems you mean crystal.


Come for the watches, stay for the drama! [emoji12]

I think the part is called retention ring. It is the part of the bezel, that directly encloses the crystal. TC's new bezel is so tightly fitted, you cant just pry off the upper bezel easily, the whole damn thing comes off of the crystal.
This in itself is a no-go in my eyes. Prying the bezel off of the ring is a major PITA.

 

[Prudentis]

Be patient my man. Gens are not perfect either. I am sure he will not risk the reputation of his Crown Jewel of reps.(did you like the play on words there?)
I feel your pain though.
Be polite and to the point with your email and all will go well.

I always try to be polite but I also point out wrongs when I see them. Up until now TC was also polite but refuses to acknowledge any possible fault on his side.
I have also yet to see any constructive suggestion from him. He tells me, the bezel worked all right and it was my fault to not turn it correctly (press and turn) wow. As if I didn't try it.
But OK, I can't prove it now, because as I disassembled it, I lost my case. I can't prove it didn't work now

Fact of the matter:
I am stuck with a beautiful watch with a non functioning bezel. The way I see it, I need a complete new bezel assembly. the problem being: I wanted a watch that could be worn OOTB.
This is why I chose TC in the first place. Because I thought I could just unpack a TC watch and wear it without thinking twice with the added bebefit of it being very close to gen looking.
If I wanted a somewhat OK Sub that might need some tweaking, I'd gone to intime and oredered a 200-300 $ noob. For 600 $ I expect if not perfection at least a damn WORKING watch.
Hell, you can get really nice gens for that price. Infact the Mido I am currently wearing was just 650 EUR.

 

[gbxx]

I don't think TC did anything wrong here. In the past, I've added a little lubricant to the bezel which helps it turn. TC's bezels, when new, are tight. They have a break-in period.

Did you separate the bezel ring from the crystal retaining ring? 4 times out of 4, I've bent the bezel ring. Sometimes it's not enough to notice, others, it's completely noticeable. You can wear a pair of good fitting work gloves http://www.amazon.com/ATG-34-874-MaxiFlex-Ultimate-Micro-Foam/dp/B00IMMDHIA - to use two hands and separate the crystal ring from the bezel. Which you would need to do to repress the crystal ring to the watch... I also use gloves like this to break in (turn) the new bezel..

But you're in a bit of a pickle now. You need a new crystal gasket (to re-achieve water resistance) and possibly bezel assy. If you can send this to zocker, he can square you away. I would resist the temptation to use any more tools on the watch, if you can.

Sorry you've had trouble!! It always sucks to come to the forum and start reading a thread like this...

 

[Prudentis]

Thx for the tips gbxx.

I reassembled the watch and it still turns very badly. Also the new push and turn "feature" doesn't sond much gen-like. You can't turn the bezel at all if you do not apply vertical pressure first. And if you do, it still turns more like a gully cover than a bezel.
Well the watch sure looks stunning. Other than the bezel only the bluish AR coating on the cyclops was pretty much a surprise since AFAIK it adds another tell if you want your TC to be Y-series correct.

With the tight fit of the watch I would wager that it is still waterproof up to 50 ATM
But if I decide to keep it I would definitely send it in to have it waterproofed and the bezel fixed. But the bezel really has me thinking about just sellinng it.

 

[gbxx]

It'll break in; use a little lube. If you have a drop oiler, I'd put one drop under the bezel and turn it for a while. I usually turn it several rotations after oiling, and let it sit for a bit. I always feel like the click spring might heat up from the friction and weaken if I continuously turn it...

Test it for water resistance before finding out the hard way

 

[jamming]

Hi,


I got the TC Sub V6 two days ago.


When i look the bezel it seems tight to me like you.


I asked him via mail : '' is it normal for while?'' and he said to me : '' yes, make sure you press downward with three fingers than rotate. ''


And i followed the instruction so everything is fine now.


I can say it, your watch or bezel is not damaged like mine.


TC always replied my mails clearly from the beginning to end.

I think there's been a misunderstanding.

I am sure he will not risk the reputation with such things.

We bought sub's from him because he is the best maker of this watch.

BTW I am very happy with my watch. Quality is outstanding.


Best Regards.

 

[sawalke4]

There are a few on this forum who have sent TC emails about problems and told to wait, that he is a busy man and he will answer eventually. Well I don't think that is true. I've waited 3 months and given up. Probably what he wants.
On the whole his watches are fantastic, second to none for reps, but don't expect help if its got early faults or problems it seems.
Just my own thoughts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is very true. TC is good with communication when its time to order, but if there is a problem he does not follow through. I once sent him an email with a problem, and he said " oh sorry that should not have made it past my QC, let me know if you manage to get it fixed". After I emailed him that I paid over $600 for the watch, and HE should fix it, I got no response. Everyone says oh, he is a busy man with a life and this is only his hobby, give him time. But I dont buy that. Im sure he is making a boat load of money selling reps, but fails to stand up to his defective work when the time comes. I also dont buy the fact that he makes no money on this and its just his hobby. Really, what moddder or watchsmith would spend hours to assemble watch after watch for others, sell them and not make a tidy profit? The problem is that we put his watches on a pedestal and are so hungry for our grail perfect 16610, that the guy is untouchable. This is because most are scared that he will get frustrated with our complaints and stop making his reps. Most end up paying another modder to fix it and sucking it up, and then these cases get forgotten. As soon as TC comes out with a new version we all clamor to send him our money again for the never-ending quest of obtaining the perfect 16610 - our obsession since we were noobs. Since I am ranting I will say what I think. I think if you sell a watch for $650, rep or not, it damned well better be working and as advertised and have full GEN LIKE QC when it leaves your hands. If there is an issue out of the box that is your fault, fix it. End of story, not ignore emails and forget about it. But he knows we will let him get away with it and he will get more orders. I think its high time we set some rules up for TC as a trusted dealer and enforce them.

 

[PoptheC]

^ +1

 

[Prudentis]

Hi,

I got the TC Sub V6 two days ago.
When i look the bezel it seems tight to me like you.

Best Regards.

There is tight and there is "hardly movable at all".
I got the second option, that's why I am here trying to bring some light to the matter instead of opening another "praise TC" thread.
I still have zero comment on the "feature" other than "it is supposed to be more firm and feel more gen like".
This is what Rolex Forum users have to say about gen feel: "Modern bezels, as mentioned, ride on a ball bearing race with true spring loaded "click" teeth, very smooth and cutting edge technology.."
Old ones, at least the ones I have handled, did not have any brake and could be turned without pressing and releasing a break before turning. Anyone disagree? Maybe I am wrong here?
All Subs I have had in my hands could be turned with one finger. Mine I have to press down very hard with three fingers and even then the turning hurts my fingers.
So Are there Rolex bezels, that implement this feature? If so, which Rolex Sub models are we talking about?
For me the statement "very smooth" describes Rolex gen feeling ... not "hard as f*** to move"

I do not expect "cutting edge" technology on a rep. I expect FUNCTION. TC telling me that all is in my head and everything works as intended even though the bezel is so hard to turn, you could easily describe it as stuck, is just a slap in my face.
I could make it better by sending it in to a watchmaker ... wow. Another 50 EUR on a brand new 600$ watch just to make it OK.
But to remove that press and turn "feature" ... No idea, probably I will need a new bezel. Here we are talking about another 100 EUR or more.

 

[gbxx]

There is tight and there is "hardly movable at all".
I got the second option, that's why I am here trying to bring some light to the matter instead of opening another "praise TC" thread.
I still have zero comment on the "feature" other than "it is supposed to be more firm and feel more gen like".
This is what Rolex Forum users have to say about gen feel: "Modern bezels, as mentioned, ride on a ball bearing race with true spring loaded "click" teeth, very smooth and cutting edge technology.."
Old ones, at least the ones I have handled, did not have any brake and could be turned without pressing and releasing a break before turning. Anyone disagree? Maybe I am wrong here?
All Subs I have had in my hands could be turned with one finger. Mine I have to press down very hard with three fingers and even then the turning hurts my fingers.
So Are there Rolex bezels, that implement this feature? If so, which Rolex Sub models are we talking about?
For me the statement "very smooth" describes Rolex gen feeling ... not "hard as f*** to move"

I do not expect "cutting edge" technology on a rep. I expect FUNCTION. TC telling me that all is in my head and everything works as intended even though the bezel is so hard to turn, you could easily describe it as stuck, is just a slap in my face.
I could make it better by sending it in to a watchmaker ... wow. Another 50 EUR on a brand new 600$ watch just to make it OK.
But to remove that press and turn "feature" ... No idea, probably I will need a new bezel. Here we are talking about another 100 EUR or more.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you or telling you it's all in your head.

But it's a rep watch. TC's parts are machined with varying degrees of tolerances between them. I've purchased several replacement bezels assys from TC because I've bent the bezel ring using a case knife. I can tell you that they become extremely tight when mixing and matching bezel rings to crystal rings. And when I did this; I did exactly as the advice I've given you, which is apply a small amount of lubricant, and gently break it in. Once break-in is achieved (it took a period of a couple days and sore skin), it will function exactly as you've described.

As you turn your bezel, are there sections of the rotation that require more or less pressure?

 

[Prudentis]

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with you or telling you it's all in your head.

Well actually TC was saying exactly that. He said he delivered a watch with a perfectly working bezel.
The reality is, after my tinkering I can move it. before that i could hardly move it at all. That is probably due to me not pressing the retention ring all the way down, so the bezel has some room to move.
But in the process I probably also bent the bezel some, because yes, there are positions where the movement is hard and there are positions where it is hardly possible at all.

Another thing I dislike much about the new TC is the easily noticable blue AR on the cyclops. Man that is an obvious tell.
I fthe AR was at least colorless, you could say it's a replacement crystal (not a real problem on a Y series that is supposedly 12 years old) But this bluish shine is so visible ...

 

[KBH]

Why would a 12 year old Sub have AR on the cyclops? Never knew TC had AR'd cyclops.

 

[Prudentis]

Why would a 12 year old Sub have AR on the cyclops? Never knew TC had AR'd cyclops.

No idea ... i clearly see reduced reflection on the cyclops and a very prominent blue hue ...

In reality you can see the blue much more clearly. HUGE tell
I held a 100$ Sub copy close to the TC ... no AR there and white light mirroring off the cyclops.

TC V6 for sale

 

[idinwo01]

As you turn your bezel, are there sections of the rotation that require more or less pressure?

Mine does, it gets stiffer in areas almost like it gets stuck) and with more pressure it'll spin easier until the next time it "catches" which would be like one or two rotations. I am going to try dabs of lube, but I was just contemplating a ST bezel assembly to deal with the issue

 

[sawalke4]

Prudentis you have three choices. 1. Sell the watch at a discounted price and loose money. 2. Send to a watch-smith to fix and pay more money. 3. Keep it and live with the defective bezel. TC will not help you. Remember, the purpose of buying a TC is not to have the best out of the box rep, it is the start of a journey to $2,000 franken lol. (being sarcastic, this is what a member told me once)