The Watch Thread - Part 7

[Henabi]

for a moment.... i thought "why need to fedex AAA batteries..." then I realised its to cover your address

python skin?!

 

[chickenbackside]

Does anyone know where I can buy this tool, or something like this locally?

I bought mine at:

Khatena Masood & Sons Trading

1 Rochor Road, #02-584,
Rochor Centre
Singapore 18001

Email: reception@khatena.com.sg

Tel No.: +65 6292 3600

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10.30am to 5.30pm
Saturday: 10.30am to 1.30pm


Here's something I posted way back in Part 5. May be helpful for you:


Ok, here goes.

There are already pictures on the internet about how the tool works, so I won't go into detail with that. It's pretty straightforward anyway. What I can do is describe my personal reasons for buying the tool and how I feel about it after using it for quite a while now.

It all started when I got bored of the steel bracelet of my Explorer. So I thought of changing out the bracelet to a leather one. This brought to my attention a few things:

1) 21mm width straps are very rare
2) Newer Rolexes have very narrow spring bar channels, so much so that it's not easy to find a spring bar tool that will fit porperly

I have a $25 tool that I bought from a watch shop before and that worked fine for my other watches, but it did not work at all for the Explorer. It couldn't even fit as it was too wide.

So after spending some time in the Google watch making academy, I found some people having success with the Bergeon dual forked tool: 6825

However, it wasn't as straightforward as buying the tool and using it. There were 2 models, the 6825 and the 6825-pf. The "pf" model has the thinner forks and is made for watches with narrow spring bar channels.

Despite being the thinner model, the "pf" still is a hair wider than the Rolex spring bar channel. So people had to file them down to size to be able to operate on Rolex watches.

So that was my plan.

First I bought the tool

The instructions printed on the box is very clear

The actual tool. The knobs on the sides hold on to the forks while the centre one precisely adjusts the spread of the forks.

I took a very fine file and filed down the outside of the forks until they fit the Explorer. Took a while and a lot of patience, but I eventually got there.

This is the view when you're actually using it

And this is how it compresses the spring bar

This particular tool is especially useful when the spring bar channels are extremely narrow, like the Explorer. It allows you to compress both ends of the spring bar at once, hence enabling one to smoothly, in one single step, pull the bracelet away from the watch or place the bracelet into the watch.

Fuss free and scratch-less, if you're careful. If you don't concentrate or slip, the sharp points of the fork will end up scratching the watch or bracelet. But the possibility of that happening is drastically reduced compared with using a single fork tool.

It is not useful for leather straps at all as leather straps are quite flexible and easily manipulated with a single fork tool. Once you get one end in, which is very easy, the other end can be coaxed in easily as the leather can be thought of as non-existent when manipulating the spring bar.

Metal bracelets are not flexible, hence the procedures of removing or putting on the bracelets have to be precise. The dual fork tool allows this as you can grip the bracelet while compressing the spring bar at once.

That's it. Nothing fancy.

 

[arcfire]

Woah... what's the damage?

 

[zzyzx]

for a moment.... i thought "why need to fedex AAA batteries..." then I realised its to cover your address

python skin?!

lol. yup beige python.

 

[zzyzx]

Woah... what's the damage?

abt 200 EUR. rode on their winter sales previously. got 20% off.

still waiting for my alligator strap to arrive.

 

[yattokame]

Gloomy day.

 

[All in a Day]

Gloomy day.

Remove the filter!

 

[All in a Day]

I bought mine at:

Khatena Masood & Sons Trading

1 Rochor Road, #02-584,
Rochor Centre
Singapore 18001

Email: reception@khatena.com.sg

Tel No.: +65 6292 3600

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10.30am to 5.30pm
Saturday: 10.30am to 1.30pm


Here's something I posted way back in Part 5. May be helpful for you:


Ok, here goes.

There are already pictures on the internet about how the tool works, so I won't go into detail with that. It's pretty straightforward anyway. What I can do is describe my personal reasons for buying the tool and how I feel about it after using it for quite a while now.

It all started when I got bored of the steel bracelet of my Explorer. So I thought of changing out the bracelet to a leather one. This brought to my attention a few things:

1) 21mm width straps are very rare
2) Newer Rolexes have very narrow spring bar channels, so much so that it's not easy to find a spring bar tool that will fit porperly

I have a $25 tool that I bought from a watch shop before and that worked fine for my other watches, but it did not work at all for the Explorer. It couldn't even fit as it was too wide.

So after spending some time in the Google watch making academy, I found some people having success with the Bergeon dual forked tool: 6825

However, it wasn't as straightforward as buying the tool and using it. There were 2 models, the 6825 and the 6825-pf. The "pf" model has the thinner forks and is made for watches with narrow spring bar channels.

Despite being the thinner model, the "pf" still is a hair wider than the Rolex spring bar channel. So people had to file them down to size to be able to operate on Rolex watches.

So that was my plan.

First I bought the tool

The instructions printed on the box is very clear

The actual tool. The knobs on the sides hold on to the forks while the centre one precisely adjusts the spread of the forks.

I took a very fine file and filed down the outside of the forks until they fit the Explorer. Took a while and a lot of patience, but I eventually got there.

This is the view when you're actually using it

And this is how it compresses the spring bar

This particular tool is especially useful when the spring bar channels are extremely narrow, like the Explorer. It allows you to compress both ends of the spring bar at once, hence enabling one to smoothly, in one single step, pull the bracelet away from the watch or place the bracelet into the watch.

Fuss free and scratch-less, if you're careful. If you don't concentrate or slip, the sharp points of the fork will end up scratching the watch or bracelet. But the possibility of that happening is drastically reduced compared with using a single fork tool.

It is not useful for leather straps at all as leather straps are quite flexible and easily manipulated with a single fork tool. Once you get one end in, which is very easy, the other end can be coaxed in easily as the leather can be thought of as non-existent when manipulating the spring bar.

Metal bracelets are not flexible, hence the procedures of removing or putting on the bracelets have to be precise. The dual fork tool allows this as you can grip the bracelet while compressing the spring bar at once.

That's it. Nothing fancy.

How much is this device? Quite cool for no pinhole lugs

 

[fade_white]

Spoiler

I bought mine at:

Khatena Masood & Sons Trading

1 Rochor Road, #02-584,
Rochor Centre
Singapore 18001

Email: reception@khatena.com.sg

Tel No.: +65 6292 3600

Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday: 10.30am to 5.30pm
Saturday: 10.30am to 1.30pm


Here's something I posted way back in Part 5. May be helpful for you:


Ok, here goes.

There are already pictures on the internet about how the tool works, so I won't go into detail with that. It's pretty straightforward anyway. What I can do is describe my personal reasons for buying the tool and how I feel about it after using it for quite a while now.

It all started when I got bored of the steel bracelet of my Explorer. So I thought of changing out the bracelet to a leather one. This brought to my attention a few things:

1) 21mm width straps are very rare
2) Newer Rolexes have very narrow spring bar channels, so much so that it's not easy to find a spring bar tool that will fit porperly

I have a $25 tool that I bought from a watch shop before and that worked fine for my other watches, but it did not work at all for the Explorer. It couldn't even fit as it was too wide.

So after spending some time in the Google watch making academy, I found some people having success with the Bergeon dual forked tool: 6825

However, it wasn't as straightforward as buying the tool and using it. There were 2 models, the 6825 and the 6825-pf. The "pf" model has the thinner forks and is made for watches with narrow spring bar channels.

Despite being the thinner model, the "pf" still is a hair wider than the Rolex spring bar channel. So people had to file them down to size to be able to operate on Rolex watches.

So that was my plan.

First I bought the tool

The instructions printed on the box is very clear

The actual tool. The knobs on the sides hold on to the forks while the centre one precisely adjusts the spread of the forks.

I took a very fine file and filed down the outside of the forks until they fit the Explorer. Took a while and a lot of patience, but I eventually got there.

This is the view when you're actually using it

And this is how it compresses the spring bar

This particular tool is especially useful when the spring bar channels are extremely narrow, like the Explorer. It allows you to compress both ends of the spring bar at once, hence enabling one to smoothly, in one single step, pull the bracelet away from the watch or place the bracelet into the watch.

Fuss free and scratch-less, if you're careful. If you don't concentrate or slip, the sharp points of the fork will end up scratching the watch or bracelet. But the possibility of that happening is drastically reduced compared with using a single fork tool.

It is not useful for leather straps at all as leather straps are quite flexible and easily manipulated with a single fork tool. Once you get one end in, which is very easy, the other end can be coaxed in easily as the leather can be thought of as non-existent when manipulating the spring bar.

Metal bracelets are not flexible, hence the procedures of removing or putting on the bracelets have to be precise. The dual fork tool allows this as you can grip the bracelet while compressing the spring bar at once.

That's it. Nothing fancy

.

I think horolab / watch klinik sells it .

Thanks a lot Bros! do they only sell the PF? do they have the FF forks as well?

is it possible to say, keep the springbar fully compressed while putting in or pulling out the bracelet? I ended up putting dents on my lugs because the springbar was not compressed while pulling it out of the bracelet, causing it to strike outwards while i pull it out from the corner of the lug

 

[patryn33]

Not only rsc, swatch, richemont, melchers, lvmh all the same.

Basically all authorized service centres are crap,

My IWC went in to richmont but end up with a mark on the corner of the dial. Ask me to pay 950 bucks for the dial replacement. I refused n choose to live with it.

My omega po was screwed up by swatch after warranty servicing with a scratch in minute hand and dirt in dial. end up paying 100 to ship my watch to Beinne for repair . Still waiting for outcome.

My breitling has a scratch in the dial, second hands has oil stains after warranty servicing , sending in back soon.

My tudor black bay was send to rsc to remove dirt but end up with a even dirtier dial, crystal , one of the index is also scratched slightly. I send to a third party repair facility to remove the dirt. The scratch I live with it.

If u want I can recommend a third party repair facility to you , he does a much better job . Go google Horolab .

It's sad our ad so no standard

 

[All in a Day]

It's sad our ad so no standard

To be fair, I really don't think our service centres churn out botched jobs that often. Level of service and attitude is another discussion though..

I must say that Spartanz is either really unlucky or scrutinises his watches a little too closely.

 

[cichlid]

test "drive" my colleague's Sub

 

[trickle_on]

I've read a fair amount of stories of watches being sent in to local service centres (rolex, omega, etc) and coming back more scratched up than before or with some issue or another that wasn't there in the first place.

I can understand if this happens with mid to lower-tiered brands where some form of corner cutting is expected. But when this happens with luxury brands, unacceptable.

If you expect to charge thousands of dollars for your timepieces, expect your customers to demand nothing short of perfection.

Spartanz may be unlucky or scrtunizes his watches too closely, but I think he is well within his right to do so, considering the brands he mentions (IWC, Omega, etc) are all in the luxury category.

 

[cichlid]

Those that buy from grey dealers and send in their brand new watch for authentication and ended up being scratched... I wonder how they feel...

 

[arcfire]

Those that buy from grey dealers and send in their brand new watch for authentication and ended up being scratched... I wonder how they feel...

Probably pissed...
I agree with trickle_on - There's got to be that level of standard to maintain, particularly when dealing with luxury goods. It doesn't matter whether the product was purchased overseas/grey or not, the distributor/agent (whatever you call it) has to uphold the warranty and branding standards.

It's sad to hear that third party servicing services are better than an authorised service centre.

 

[crunsik]

hihi,

Would anyone be able to advise if their rolex changes date at 12 midnight exactly? Mine changes at 2mins past 12. Anyone share the same situation?

Will check if I'm still awake at 12 am later.

Now I'm waiting for my boy's music lesson to end.

hi bro, do you have this issue too? i read online and could this be a reason why the date doesnt change at 12 midnight exactly?The Reasons the Rolex Submariner Date Will Not Change | eHow UK

 

[slow_mo]

Don't they have a form to record the scratches on the watch prior to the servicing? As such, we can verify against the form when we get back our watches. This is to safe guard the consumer as well as the service center.

 

[charleslin]

hi bro, do you have this issue too? i read online and could this be a reason why the date doesnt change at 12 midnight exactly?The Reasons the Rolex Submariner Date Will Not Change | eHow UK

It's quite normal to not be at 12 EXACT AFAIK.

But within 2 mins or so is normal.

Unless it's too far off then better get it checked.

 

[slow_mo]

hi bro, do you have this issue too? i read online and could this be a reason why the date doesnt change at 12 midnight exactly?The Reasons the Rolex Submariner Date Will Not Change | eHow UK

Knocked out before 12 mn yesterday. Will try tonight.

 

[slow_mo]

Late lunch...