Christmas Presents - What Did You Get?

[SSTEEL]

It may seem like its an expensive movement to work on, but look at it this way.  The movement will be a quality movement with perfectly fitting parts, and when serviced it will give you better results when you set it up on your timegrapher.  A cloned movement, Chinese/Asian, whilst cheaper to buy, it is just that, cheap, and the construction, and components are not as precise as Swiss, thus in return will give you more head scratching moments/time wasted on timegrapher.

 

From my experience with clone movements, there are poor quality jewels used, pivots are really weak, not to mention many of the gear teeth are unfinished, and rough.

 

 

Think of it this simple way.

 

Old Datsun Engine = Clone

Mercedes Engine = ETA

[DrRock]

Fair points, and a nice comparison at the end there :)

 

I'll check out those movements and see if I can source one from here in Australia.

 

Thanks for all the advice - appreciated.

[BlakeL]

I'm in the same situation as you DrRock. I was thinking of getting a Chinese 6498 since the real thing is around $200 shipped vs $40. Once i saw the cheap NOS swiss movements posted I grabbed two packs and thought it would be good for the TimeZone course. With those movements it will give me an first hand experience on Chinese vs Swiss. I think I'll provably end up getting a Swiss 6478 but it might be a few months. I think coming out of the course with a fully working watch is a good morale boost and they probably designed each course that way on purpose.

[bobm12]

I present an alternative to the ETA 6498:

 

ebay pocket watch, search for Unitas 6498 and find a pocket watch that is ticking and keeping time. It shouldn't be more than US$60 if you bid right. The Unitas brand was absorbed by ETA and it is still around under ETA 6498-1! Very little of the original design have changed so most everything from the ETA will fit the Unitas exeption to the main plate and pallet bridge. So in the non likely event the main plate gets damaged you will need to by both and vice versa. 

 

A plus side is you can also buy a fitting case, hands, dial and wrist band from about anywhere. My source is always ebay for most of this and/or ofrei fro the hands. I have a couple of posts in this forum showing some I've made.

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[BlakeL]

I've already been watching those! I did a search for sold ones in that category and didn't know that the older one for pocket watches sell for so cheap.

[DrRock]

Thanks Bob - again :) All input gratefully received :crazysmile:

[bobm12]

You are welcome Pete. As Blake already researched, pocket watches are cheaper and considering the 6498 movement was originally a pocket watch design, it is a perfect study item and rightly priced. Believe me, when you guys are done casing one of those you won't want to wear anything else.

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

 

PS. Check out this link: http://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/907-just-done-with-a-project-that-resulted-in-two/?hl=6498

Edited January 2, 2015 by bobm12

[frenchie]

Those courses look nice. Funds are just not here right now but I just moved those classes to the top of my wish list :)

 

Mrs Santa was very nice this year : a new set of screwdrivers (a good kind, not cheapos), a bottle of D5 grease, the nice bergeron green mat :)