VSF Seamaster 300 - Dead on Day 6

[DenverJR]

Hello all, new guy to the forum. Recent entry to the replica space.

Enjoyed the forum here. Feel obligated to state, yes, lot of great information here. Read all the sticky threads I was told to and decided to enter the game. Limited experience in watches (Apple Watch wearer with a few genuine watches for work meetings), but curious enough to be weirdly interested in learning about different movements. Anyways…

Bought a blue vsf Seamaster 300 with the imitation a8800 a few weeks ago from a TD. Not going to share name as im sure this isn’t his/her issue but rather the factories, and no negative experience at this point. Watch arrived a little over a week ago.

1st off - blown away by quality of the looks. As good as a genuine. Gorgeous on the wrist.

2nd- crazy how sharp the band is. Kind of funny how sharp, but nothing some sandpaper can’t solve.

3rd- it stopped entirely on day 6. Real bummer. Not sure what I did. I left for a drive and it was workingr, and 2 hours later it was dead when I checked the time. Might have tapped the steering wheel a few times but no real trauma.

At a bit of a loss. Understand I can’t be the type that gets upset when a replica doesn’t last forever but… 6 days?

My TD asked me to look local service but I’ve been turned down by 3 people since that text exchange. I reached out after reading the “find a trusted service provider” thread that outlined how to try… but it didn’t work. Someone in the thread asked “any in Denver” and received no responses… any thoughts? Am I supposed to show up with a six pack to the office park like I would a bike shop and beg for service?

So… any advice on next move here? Within a week have shifting from “this is beautiful, I want to buy 2 more, that experience was seamless” to owning a $550 paperweight. I’ve read sending it back is not great move. I’ve read no need to provide negative feedback on a TD. None of this is my goal…

Is there a secret to fixing? Anyone know someone in Denver? Option to replace with a totally new movement that works?

 

[Reaps]

First of all,

Sorry this happened to you. Your attitude however to this is much better than most.

These replicas may look really good, but we must remind ourselves it's a toy, made by underpaid Chinese workers with no quality standards or control,

Sometimes we get unlucky, and get a lemon. It's not TD's fault, it's just part of the replica game, "shit happens", to play the game, we just have to accept that getting lemons is part of the package deal of playing replicas

Luckily for you, the VS Seamaster 300 shouldn't be a hard fix, it's a direct A2824 swap, So probably buy a PT5000 or ETA2824 and swap it in. if I recall you also need a pinion swap as well because of the dial thickness to crystal. But I'm speaking from what I've read,

You can check out the trusted watch maker section here for people to do such a swap for you.

 

[Kerbus]

If it were me I’d pick one of the watchmakers in the section and send the watch out to them. Very rarely are local watchmakers available to work on reps.

 

[Enthusiast101]

Sorry to hear this happenes to you! Do keep us posted on how you get along with the replacement movement from the trusted watchmaker section of the forum.

 

[flashu]

If it were me I’d pick one of the watchmakers in the section and send the watch out to them. Very rarely are local watchmakers available to work on reps.

This
It might be an easy fix.
I hope you get easy thru this

 

[j-unit139]

I would send it to a watchmaker in the forum. Maybe it's just a stuck gear or something which is easy to solve. Otherwise and as mentioned by @Reaps I would swap in an ETA 2824 but would avoid to use the decoration as it is very heavy resulting in loud rotation and further stress to the movement. Find some details here about the A8800

Modding the VSF A8806 (2824 based) Omega movement on Nekton and others for reliability and silencing

Reposted to its' own thread by request of k4jun. TLDR: Photo gallery with short explanations of each: https://imgur.com/a/qNBmCJC 1- The Nekton has a decorative plate that can be removed or left off with the movement still cased in the watch, which is a vast improvement from the previous...

forum.replica-watch.info

 

[DenverJR]

Thanks all. Will be contacting some watchmakers to see options. If best to remove the decoration...any idea how hard would it be to source the solid back used on some seamasters?

 

[aguida]

Thanks all. Will be contacting some watchmakers to see options. If best to remove the decoration...any idea how hard would it be to source the solid back used on some seamasters?

I am not quite sure why you want to go trough all those troubles and end up with a fantasy watch that is not a replica of anything? It is usual procedure for the TD to ask you to find and local watchmaker but if you cannot find one then they will ask you to send it back and repair it or even replace it so you will have a new or at least well working rep that looks like the gen

 

[StrangwaysAtoll]

Did you open the case back and see what is moving and what is not? Often an automatic movement will get some small material stuck or gummed up. That will help you diagnose what it “could be”. Hate for it to be a hair or small flake of metal that could be blown out and it restarts.

Some times the canon pinion slips or is off and that requires disassembly.

Please post some pictures of the movement with case back removed.

 

[Kerbus]

Yeah, I’d be curious to see how a Seamaster is opened

 

[Trebor88]

Hello,
Do you know if A8800 also could be swap by a SW200? Or only ETA2824?
Thanks