Chinese 6498 Clone or Nastrix?

[VWatchie]

I'd really appreciate your opinions on the following.

I've just started the "Level 2: Maintenance Servicing" course on https://www.watchrepairlessons.com. Before this I have successfully serviced about a dozen Russian Vostok movements (2409, 2414, 2415) so my choice of movement for following the course is probably not critical as long as it is a manual movement without any complications.

Anyway, I wish to follow along as closely as possible so I've decided to pick up the same kind of movement  as used in the course. My idea is that once I'm finished with the course I will build my own watch around the movement like Mark Lovick shows in this video.

Now, I can't make up my mind whether to buy a Chinese clone like the one in the image above available on cousinsuk.com (CODE: CHI3620M) and of course on eBay (I suppose) or...

whether I should go with the above "Nastrix" movement found in a pocket watch on eBay.

To me the "Nastrix" movement looks "more attractive" (I wonder what alloy that is?). I think it would look better inside my own watch as I have a glass case back in mind. I have negotiated the price to about £61 for the Nastrix which is quite a bit  more than the £36 for the Chinese clone. The following info is from the ad on eBay, and from my mail correspondence with the seller:

"
(---)in pristine condition--never, ever used. BRAND NEW!(---) This has the highly reliable, full size ETA6497 movement. (---)
Movement is approx. 36.70mm; that would be American size 8; 16 lignes. Case is 48.95mm approx.
The movement is stamped "Nastrix Corp, Seventeen Unadjusted", and "17 Jewels SWISS".
If you look inside this watch at the movement, you will find that it is a 17 jewel incablock made by "Nastrix." These were made by a man called Claude Wollman in Swizterland between 1970 and 1990. Arnex was the name of the manufacturer. Other good names which exist for these watches are Neiman Marcus, Kellner, La Cloche, Bucherer, and others. There is a good article on these watches which you can find on Google called "What is the value of an Arnex Pocket Watch." The article is not exactly clear about the cases. But the parts are Swiss and under a special treaty to keep US labor in the US they may have been assembled in the US Virgin Islands (St Croix.) A most convoluted history.

"

Really can't make up my mind so I'd really appreciate some input on this! Would the Nastrix be a as good as the Chinese clone, or is this a scam? I should mention that the seller has 100 % positive feedback.

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by VWatchie

[noirrac1j]

My suggestion is to go with the ETA 6497. Aside from esthetic appeal of the ETA, It is considerably easier to work with  Incabloc over KIF springs. KIF are easy to break, and also become unhinged and fly away quite easily.

J

[jdm]

If the small price difference is not important to you, my recommendation would be for the original Swiss mov.t (Unitas),

Seagull grades their mov.t, and the cheapest ones are prone that nasty problems. read:

http://www.asian-watches.com/2016/04/a-warning-about-seagull-st-3600-vs-eta.html 

[noirrac1j]

54 minutes ago, jdm said:

if the small price difference is not important to you, my recommendation would be for the original Swiss mov.t (Unitas),

Seagull grades their mov.t, and the cheapest ones are prone that nasty problems. read:

http://www.asian-watches.com/2016/04/a-warning-about-seagull-st-3600-vs-eta.html 

The 6497 is made by both ETA and Unitas, Yes?  Good information in that linked article on movements leaving factory without lubrication.

[jdm]

39 minutes ago, noirrac1j said:

The 6497 is made by both ETA and Unitas, Yes?

ETA bought Unitas many years ago, but I can't find details on when. So the "correct name" depends by the piece age. Like Valjoux, Peseux, etc. 

[VWatchie]

Thank you very much for your input! It certainly helped me make up my mind. I hadn't even noticed the KIF spings on the Chinese movement. I just assumed it would be identical (as it's called a clone) with the Unitas 6498. Now I know better, thanks! The Russian watches that I've been servicing/repairing so far have a similar spring (I guess) and they too break easily and can sometimes be a pain to refit.

While researching this I also found this article called "Buy a Swiss ETA / Unitas 6497 or 6498 Movement For Well Under $100" which was also helpful.

[dadistic]

Those Arnex produced pocket watches are a great source of 6497/6498 movements, but I'm afraid the word has gotten out and the prices have marched right up!

I too would go for the Swiss one versus the Chinese one if the diff. in price is not bothersome.

Cheers!