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Omegafanman
·Same part they are interchangeable. The change happened in the early 70’s. Watches with display backs normally have the metal brake in the later 861/1861.
Speedmaster Pro Delrin Brake
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avidmark
·Reviving and old thread.
How would replacement of a single small part save costs enough to warrant a change? Is it a matter of volume of replacing this part for hundreds of thousands of watches that come through Omegas service center? Or by reducing wear like "the bible" says, save replacement for other parts directly or indirectly connected to the brake?
How would replacement of a single small part save costs enough to warrant a change? Is it a matter of volume of replacing this part for hundreds of thousands of watches that come through Omegas service center? Or by reducing wear like "the bible" says, save replacement for other parts directly or indirectly connected to the brake?
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Foo2rama
··Nowhere near as grumpy as he used to be...:edited out bad info:
the Delrin brake is far from the only change that happened to the 861 over the years. It even got an extra jewel then about a year later became marked 18 jewels even before the change to the 1861.
the Delrin brake is far from the only change that happened to the 861 over the years. It even got an extra jewel then about a year later became marked 18 jewels even before the change to the 1861.
Edited:
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerHow would replacement of a single small part save costs enough to warrant a change? Is it a matter of volume of replacing this part for hundreds of thousands of watches that come through Omegas service center?
Couple of things...
1 - The single piece plastic blocking lever (the actual proper name for what people call a "brake") replaced 2 steel parts, not one. So it replaced:
72208601726 | BLOCKING LEVER
and...
72208631818 | BLOCKING LEVER YOKE
with...
72208601726V2 | PLASTIC BLOCKING LEVER
2 - The plastic blocking lever is not an "upgrade" - in other words if a watch comes in for servicing with the steel version, they do not systematically remove it and replace it with the plastic version in service.
When Omega upgrades a part due to a performance issue, where the part has failed in use and is causing some recurring problem, they make it a mandatory upgrade. The fact that this is not the case here (and that they to this day still sell watches that use steel blocking levers - 3861) tells you it's not a performance or wear issue.
In all the hundreds of Speedmasters I've serviced, I never had to replace these parts for wear - plastic or steel, nor any parts related/adjacent to the blocking lever for wear. As was noted earlier in this thread, all it does is hold the chronograph wheel still when the chronograph has stopped.
People think "wear" only because they keep using the term "brake" and think it's actually bringing a moving part to a stop - it is not. When the coupling yoke disengages, that stops driving the chronograph wheel, and then the blocking lever swings in to maintain the position of the chronograph wheel. There is no wear involved.
As much as people do not want to believe this, I think it's pretty clear this was done simply to cut costs. Having to machine 2 pieces for every watch, or use 1 injected molded part - the savings would be significant over the number of watches produced.
