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Darlinboy
路路Pratts! Will I B******S!!!Get it serviced, change nothing else. 馃憤
Zenith Rainbow Mango
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Stewart H
路What do you folks suggest I do? Forget the service? Insist on it? Find another service center?
Thanks for all of your advice.
https://omegaforums.net/threads/if-...-does-that-mean-it-doesnt-need-service.20475/
Then search for other posts from @Archer and you will see plenty of other pictures that show the horrors created by unlubricated metal-to-metal (or ruby) contact.
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MMMD
路I've had the same maintenance and service conversations with car salesmen.
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Nobel Prize
路路Spell Master!Tricky. I am always leaning towards having the movement looked at (at least) by a watchmaker in order to actually adress possible need for service. I have a very good watchmaker here in NY that specializes on vintage pieces, he is my normal first stop. If the piece needs authentication (yours doesn't seem to) I may take it to Aaron Faber to get it looked at and authenticated. Aaron Faber charges about 100 for authentication, my guy takes a look at it for free (but I buy him lunch) of course if service is needed then he changes accordingly.
I recently bought and brought in for service a De Luca 1st Gen. The grand dad to the Rainbow model. He went through his motions, opened it, took a deep look and tinkered a little and as luck will have it he said it had been serviced within the last year or two. And then gave me the overall assessment on condition, bracelet, etc etc
I also brought a GMT Pepsi from 1969 and he had a very similar response to the Torneau guy. He said the movement looked, understandably, a little worn, but that he did not recommend servicing as long as it was keeping time and functioning to spec. He did say if I wanted he can take it and service it and take my money, but that it was not needed on this watch.
I talked to him about preventive and he agreed it is necessary to look at watches periodically, but if nothing was identified a full service would not prevent an old part from breaking, and if you're just going to replace everything that could break you may as well just wait until it breaks. He is a very very experienced Russian watchmaker and has serviced many watches for me and my wife and friends so I trust him.
"I am like a doctor" He said, "If you're sick I fix you,If you're not sick I can give you vitamins and recommend you some exercise but that won't keep you from being sick one day" then I told him about the oil and he said both watches where oiled appropiately and the oil was not going to be a problem..."But that's why you have to take a look at them. too many people will want you to service because they want your money, I have enough work as it is so I don't need to do that"
What I would NOT do is not service a watch that no one has taken a look into. Nobody can tell what is inside without opening it. In the opposite side of the spectrum I took an IWC for service that was running well and when opened it needed some very important work because I had smashed it and everything was out of whack...how it was still working is a credit to the brand, but a 500 service saved a 5000 watch.
So, OPEN IT
I recently bought and brought in for service a De Luca 1st Gen. The grand dad to the Rainbow model. He went through his motions, opened it, took a deep look and tinkered a little and as luck will have it he said it had been serviced within the last year or two. And then gave me the overall assessment on condition, bracelet, etc etc
I also brought a GMT Pepsi from 1969 and he had a very similar response to the Torneau guy. He said the movement looked, understandably, a little worn, but that he did not recommend servicing as long as it was keeping time and functioning to spec. He did say if I wanted he can take it and service it and take my money, but that it was not needed on this watch.
I talked to him about preventive and he agreed it is necessary to look at watches periodically, but if nothing was identified a full service would not prevent an old part from breaking, and if you're just going to replace everything that could break you may as well just wait until it breaks. He is a very very experienced Russian watchmaker and has serviced many watches for me and my wife and friends so I trust him.
"I am like a doctor" He said, "If you're sick I fix you,If you're not sick I can give you vitamins and recommend you some exercise but that won't keep you from being sick one day" then I told him about the oil and he said both watches where oiled appropiately and the oil was not going to be a problem..."But that's why you have to take a look at them. too many people will want you to service because they want your money, I have enough work as it is so I don't need to do that"
What I would NOT do is not service a watch that no one has taken a look into. Nobody can tell what is inside without opening it. In the opposite side of the spectrum I took an IWC for service that was running well and when opened it needed some very important work because I had smashed it and everything was out of whack...how it was still working is a credit to the brand, but a 500 service saved a 5000 watch.
So, OPEN IT
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charleshunter
路Stewart H - Thanks for the @Archer link. It makes a lot of sense so I will take it in for an inspection and service. I certainly do not want to take any chances of serious damage and expensive repairs.
Nobel Prize - Thank you for your response and of course it needs to be opened and inspected.
Anyone have any suggestion for service in the SF Bay Area or should I go back to Tourneau?
Unrelated to my watch, is the brand name pronounced Zenith like the old electronics company or Zen ith as in zen Buddhist which the Tourneau guy said was the correct pronounciation?
Thanks to evryone for their replies and advice.
Nobel Prize - Thank you for your response and of course it needs to be opened and inspected.
Anyone have any suggestion for service in the SF Bay Area or should I go back to Tourneau?
Unrelated to my watch, is the brand name pronounced Zenith like the old electronics company or Zen ith as in zen Buddhist which the Tourneau guy said was the correct pronounciation?
Thanks to evryone for their replies and advice.
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Stewart H
路I can remember this being discussed on another forum a few years ago and the consensus was that, it all depends on where you live, but in Switzerdeutsch it would be pronounced "Tsenit". In the UK it was Zen-ith and in the USA Zee-nith.
In promotional videos released by Le Locle, it is pronounced Tsenit, so that is what I know it should be, but I still use Zen-ith because that is how we pronounce the word meaning the highest point.
In promotional videos released by Le Locle, it is pronounced Tsenit, so that is what I know it should be, but I still use Zen-ith because that is how we pronounce the word meaning the highest point.
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Time Exposure
路Ever hear Americans call Paris "pah-REE?" Nope, I say "PEAR-iss" unless I'm trying to sound like the French word for shower...
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Adri
路
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mahamithra
路Agree wholly, if ain't broken, don't fix it. But those of you who are anal, well!!!!
But the best thing is the pot of gold at the end of the ...........
But the best thing is the pot of gold at the end of the ...........
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MMMD
路Ever hear Americans call Paris "pah-REE?" Nope, I say "PEAR-iss" unless I'm trying to sound like the French word for shower...
Damn straight. That's why Jaeger comes out of my mouth "JAY-gurr," not YAY-gurr and certainly not ZHUH-ZHAY. I order a shot of JAYgermeister without shame, and when the bartender asks if I mean YAYgermeister, I tell him sorry, I don't speak Swedish.
By the way, this is what it sounds like to me when furriners say Omega (which is indisputably pronounced oh-MAY-guh, and I will hear no further arguments on this issue). 'Merica.
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charleshunter
路Getting close the end of this story. I called several places in the SF Bay Area. Many had never worked on an el Primero so they were out. Others had ridiculous turn around times like 8 weeks and/or exorbitant fees. I say exorbitant because the service fee was nearly 40% of what I paid for the watch. I really like it but I would probably flip it for a newer Zenith dress watch rather than servicing it. I called the jeweler on the receipt, Essence of Time - anyone had any dealings with Dmitri? He seems legit to me. Dimitri looked up the sale and said that the watch was sold new with a two year Essence of Time warranty. He said since it was sold as a new watch it was not opened or serviced. He agreed that it should be looked at and then a servicing depending on what they see. So that's what I am going to do, send it back to the original seller/importer for an inspection and cleaning. I am going to take it to my local guy so I can see the movement for myself and then send it back for service. Sound okay to you pros?
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Time Exposure
路I would want to know more about Essence of Time's watchmaker and his qualifications for working specifically on the El Primero movement. You may find (as you probably did when searching locally) that a watchmaker may be skilled and capable of servicing say, a Valjoux 7750 or Rolex 4130, but not so much the EP.
If this watch is a keeper (and I think it could be,, but be honest with yourself as only you truly know), I would ante up and pay a qualified EP technician to do it right.
Side note: I just took a Cartier/ETA movement to a jeweler to send to Cartier in Texas (I am also in the Bay Area). The associate there was confused when I told her the watch was running and keeping time but I wanted it serviced. She said they don't recommend servicing watches that are running and keeping time.
Bottom line: that Cartier Roadster was a gift on my 40th, and that was over 8 years ago. And it's a keeper. I want the manufacturer (it's US agent) to make it right.
Had it been a Zenith Rainbow that may have been trade bait down the road, I'd let the next caretaker decide whether or not to service it.
If this watch is a keeper (and I think it could be,, but be honest with yourself as only you truly know), I would ante up and pay a qualified EP technician to do it right.
Side note: I just took a Cartier/ETA movement to a jeweler to send to Cartier in Texas (I am also in the Bay Area). The associate there was confused when I told her the watch was running and keeping time but I wanted it serviced. She said they don't recommend servicing watches that are running and keeping time.
Bottom line: that Cartier Roadster was a gift on my 40th, and that was over 8 years ago. And it's a keeper. I want the manufacturer (it's US agent) to make it right.
Had it been a Zenith Rainbow that may have been trade bait down the road, I'd let the next caretaker decide whether or not to service it.
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Stewart H
路I called several places in the SF Bay Area. Many had never worked on an el Primero so they were out. Others had ridiculous turn around times like 8 weeks and/or exorbitant fees. I say exorbitant because the service fee was nearly 40% of what I paid for the watch.
Eight weeks is average, bordering on good, for any watchmaker worth his salt. In the UK, I pay about 拢500 for a service on an El Primero. That is with an exceptionally talented watchmaker, not with LVMH.
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charleshunter
路Eight weeks is average, bordering on good, for any watchmaker worth his salt. In the UK, I pay about 拢500 for a service on an El Primero. That is with an exceptionally talented watchmaker, not with LVMH.
I was surprised at the number of watch folks who did not even know the el Primero. More than one watchmaker I talked to and one I used before basically told me that a movement is a movement. Now that's ridiculous!
Thanks for the responses.
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fskywalker
路The Mango color is sweet!
Older Rainbows (like my 01.372.400 below) has the flat dial while the newer ones have the scale on the rehaut. Are the cases exactly the same and as such dials interchangeable?
Older Rainbows (like my 01.372.400 below) has the flat dial while the newer ones have the scale on the rehaut. Are the cases exactly the same and as such dials interchangeable?
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BlackTalon
路路This Space for RentThread back from the dead!
A mango is still on my list. They used to pop up every now and then, but it's been quite a while now since I've seen one for sale.
A mango is still on my list. They used to pop up every now and then, but it's been quite a while now since I've seen one for sale.
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cicindela
路路Steve @ 惟FThread back from the dead!
A mango is still on my list. They used to pop up every now and then, but it's been quite a while now since I've seen one for sale.
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BlackTalon
路路This Space for RentMine continues to not be for sale 馃榿
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