Review of building a watch with parts from ofrei.com (Otto Frei)

[VWatchie]

A few years ago, when I was still relatively new to the service and repair field, I found an intact but non-functioning ETA 2836-2 calibre movement in a bag of watch parts I had purchased at an auction for about 30 US dollars. That movement has now found its home in the Ofrei watch shown in the pictures.

Apart from the movement and the strap, I bought all the parts (case, hands, and dial) from the American website Ofrei.com. It cost me about 200 US dollars, nearly half of which was spent on shipping, import fees, and European taxes. As a non-American, I still feel it was worth the money. If I had been American, I would have found it exceptionally affordable.

The first time I disassembled the movement, the obvious and seemingly only issue was a black, sticky "gunk" on the pallet fork's impulse surfaces. At the time, I had no idea what caused this black and sticky "gunk." Now I believe, though I’m not entirely sure, that it was epilame that had somehow degraded or gone bad. Despite great efforts, I couldn’t clean the pallets, and I ended up buying a new one. Even so, the watch didn’t run very well.

A couple of years later, with more knowledge and experience, I disassembled the movement again but found no obvious issues. I serviced the movement again and adjusted the side shake and end shake of all the wheels as precisely as I could in the hope that it would help, but it didn’t.

Then, a few months ago, I decided to take the movement apart a third time, and this time I finally found the reason for the irregular and poor timekeeping: micro-oxidation and micro-rust on almost all the wheel pivots. Barely visible even at 40x magnification. I brought out my Jacot tool, and the problem was finally solved!

This wasn’t the first time the Jacot tool had brought one of my movements from either poorly functioning or somewhat acceptable performance to function as if it were brand new. The Jacot tool requires a significant investment, not least in acquiring the knowledge and training to use it, but it has once and for all proven to be worth the money and effort. The decisive moment for me was when @nickelsilver showed me how to hold the burnisher properly. For those of you who want to know more, you can click on this link: "How to hold a Jacot tool burnisher"

So, why buy a case, hands, and dial from Ofrei.com instead of from eBay, where a "stainless steel" case from China usually costs less than 50 US dollars? If you ask me, the answer is that Chinese cases on eBay are junk and a scam. The three I’ve purchased in total all had numerous issues, the most serious being that they rust (stainless steel, really?) and cause skin problems since I’m allergic to nickel!!! Less serious but still annoying is that the movement fits poorly in the case and that the threads are generally poorly made. There are several issues with these cases, but what I’ve described here should suffice. No more Chinese cases from eBay for me!

Are Ofrei’s cases manufactured in the USA, Germany, or Switzerland? I don’t know. They’re probably made in China as well, but at least there’s a contractor (Ofrei) who knows their stuff and has quality-controlled their deliveries. It may not be Rolex quality, but the case is symmetrical and carefully polished, and the case back fits the case like a glove (buttery smooth!). The dial is perfectly symmetrical, and the hands are straight and well-made. Best of all, all the parts fit together perfectly with the movement.

I’m so satisfied that I felt it was my duty to share my experiences. I hope someone finds it useful!

Edited December 17, 2024 by VWatchie