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TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
Jul 29, 2017
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Thomas Earnshaw as a brand is just a Chinese company trying to use some famous horologist's name as a marketing ploy to attempt to sound like they are a well-established European brand. Many of their watches use inexpensive Chinese movements that are knock-offs of popular Swiss movements with expired patents. Generally you can find these and other brands using those movements for cheaper on the popular auction websites.
This one does use an amazing Swiss movement, though. I've always lusted after a watch with a Valjoux 7750 movement. My concern when it comes to this watch is the low water resistence (50m may sound like a lot, but you really shouldn't even take it in a pool with you... it's only really good for sweat and hand-washing). Also, this watch would never qualify as an 'investment.' Regardless of the quality of the movement, I doubt that you would be able to sell it for a good price to a collector. It would end up being worth more to sell it as a working movement to someone with a dead Valjoux 7750 chronograph.
Check out the threads on Watchuseek.com involving this brand.
Jul 29, 2017
PetrosD
3702
Jul 29, 2017
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TipsyMacScotchslurpenYour comments about the value being in the movement are spot on. One thing that's a little less common to see with this movement is both day and date. Just date is much more common. Maybe I should buy one so I can someday cannibalize the movement in case I ever have a problem with my TAG.
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Jul 29, 2017
dholik8503
Jul 29, 2017
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PetrosDhttp://www.chronomaddox.com/valjoux_7750_engine.html A quick internet search for Valjoux 7750 yielded multiple sites discussing the movement. The URL I copied and pasted above seemed to be a reasonable discussion. I merely counted the pictures of watches using this movement in different grades and came up with 112 watches. I have no idea what grade is in the watch we are discussing here. Whether it could be transplanted or cannibalized is an interesting question. There is a group of folks who purchase old and relatively inexpensive watch movements on eBay, etc., and then try to repair them for fun/perhaps for use. I have thought about doing that, just to learn a little bit about watch making. There is a watchmaker in Hawaii https://www.rpaigewatch.com/about-us/ who uses old pocket watch movements (Elgin, Waltham) and converts them into wristwatches--I have one of his watches and it is an amazing piece. Cheers!
Jul 29, 2017
PetrosD
3702
Jul 29, 2017
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dholik8503Excellent article in that link. Thank you for sharing. I was actually only musing about replacing the movement. I'm no watchmaker and that's not something I'd attempt on a watch I care about. That article also gave me some idea why the quote for maintenance service on my TAG is about the same as the cost to buy the Earnshaw watch.
I did, however, recently buy an Invicta Prodiver 8926OB for $70 that I purchased in part as something I might take apart and try to reassemble just to learn, sort of my own personal lab.
Jul 29, 2017
Cloaca
1906
Jul 29, 2017
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TipsyMacScotchslurpen"It would end up being worth more to sell it as a working movement to someone with a dead Valjoux 7750 chronograph."
My local vintage watch shop guy calls that a "donor watch." My wife had a Seiko of a quality that today would go for about $1,000. An inept battery replacement attempt by a jack-of-all-trades shop destroyed it. To my consternation I found a replacement for $15 online. Just so I could tell her that I had her watch repaired, rather than replaced, the vintage watch shop guy put the innerds of the $15 watch in the original case. I didn't explain the details to my wife.
Jul 29, 2017
PetrosD
3702
Jul 30, 2017
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dholik8503Thanks for sharing about RPaige. I checked them out and this watch is so unique and Art Deco that I covet it. https://www.rpaigewatch.com/store/new-rpaige-crash-of-29/
Jul 30, 2017
dholik8503
Jul 30, 2017
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PetrosDYou're very welcome. I have this one: https://www.rpaigewatch.com/store/rp288/ (I think the link is good). Just beautiful work--and I hope Richard's idea of reusing older movements sparks other watchmakers to do the same. Another site for older watches is Connoisseur of Time. It's only money.........:)
Jul 30, 2017
PetrosD
3702
Jul 30, 2017
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dholik8503That's a great watch you have there. Truly unique.
Jul 30, 2017
TipsyMacScotchslurpen
379
Jul 30, 2017
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PetrosDI actually bought enough (ultra expensive... ouch) Swiss watchmaker's tools to do a full servicing of a mechanical watch a few years ago. I never actually got around to learning how to take a movement apart and reassemble it, but replacing a movement that is 1:1 is something I could do no problem. That said, I am not going to be taking apart my vintage Omegas.
I do have a decent collection of cheap, broken Swiss mechanical watches I can practice on when I get the time and motivation to learn.
Jul 30, 2017
Cloaca
1906
Jul 30, 2017
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TipsyMacScotchslurpenMy local vintage watch store guy started his shop after he retired from a large Japanese company that used to send him to the Los Angeles area on frequent business trips. He loved watches and got into the habit on his business trips of visiting swap meets, like the Pasadena one, and bringing home bags of old watches that he bought there to fix up. He says that the supply eventually dried up as others got the same idea.
The recent book "Ametora" recounts a similar phenomenon of Japanese from the late 1950s visiting American clothing retailers and buying up deadstock Levi's, selling them for a fortune in Japan. They also dissected them and studied them, and that was the beginning of the Japanese jeans business, with companies like Flathead now making more-authentic-than-Levi's jeans. I recommend this book, which also covers how preppy fashion was cataloged and preserved in Japan during a period when it had disappeared in the U.S.
Jul 30, 2017
Blair_Black
25
Jul 31, 2017
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dholik8503thank you for the link on that guy from hawaii. the watches are amazing :D
Jul 31, 2017
dholik8503
Jul 31, 2017
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Blair_BlackYou're welcome. There are bunches and bunches of smaller watchmakers around the world--unique watches and you get the chance to work one on one with the company. Many times, ordering a watch from a small German or Swiss company, for example, is not cheap--but you have a one of a kind time piece. I've blown my watch budget for a while, but in the future I am going to try to work with some of these companies. Enjoy!
Jul 31, 2017
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