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In Response To: Agreements and disagreements ()


Agreements and disagreements Posted By: georges zaslavsky Date: 12/28/05 18:08 GMT

In Response To: Re: More about movements (Chicagoland Chuck Maddox)

Hi Chuck

I will agree with you on some points and disagree with you on others

Not surprising, or anything new... =)

1)Omega also uses Valjoux/ETA 7750 based

movements with varying degrees of

modification(s), finishes and refinements.

As well as other ETA's I believe.

-That is true the Eta that are modified in the Omega range are the 2892-2, the 2893, the 2890a2 wit hdd chrono module and the piguet 1150 found in the comsic moojnphase limited edition watch

I believe the Co-Axials are based on an ETA movement too, but I'm too zonked to do the research. In fact, with the exception of the c.1666 in the X-33 and a few other examples, Omega uses Swatch, ETA/Valjoux, Lemania and F. Piguet movements for all of it's movements. It used to be a manufacturer (by your definition) only the c.1666 and a few old overs keep that factually true. At least to my knowledge.

2)Rolex so tightly controls production and

sales channels that there is often a waiting

list for popular models which leads to

"minty" privately owned examples

being sold at or above MSRP for those who

choose to pay to have it quicker than the

waiting list). This is a significant reason

for the high resale value of Rolex's...

Because Rolex doesn't allow Authorized

dealers to discount more than 5-10% (if

that) and demand is high, values remain

high.

-True and it explains why on grey markets you see 4130 daytonas for over +9k$. Unless you are a very good customer, it is very rare to buy some models immediately at rolex

No disagreements here.

3)Chronographs used also

include the Valjoux/ETA 7750 and in older

models, Lemania 1873 (and if you want to go

back far enough Venus and other movements).

All current models are COSC tested which is

something few other manufactures bother to

do, or even attempt.

[This is in regards to Breitling]

-I disagree for these reasons. Breitling isn't a manufacture and the term manufacture should only be used for firms that make their own movements, people who buy movements and assemble the cases and put movements into them are assembleurs but not manufactures.

We're quibbling on definitions. Maker, producer, however you wish to call it. As I said before Omega's ties to being a manufacture is very precarious (c.1666) at best in my opinion with their current production, product line and management.

Breitling doesn't modify the valjoux 7750 or cal 13 as Omega does with the cal 1154,

Few firms do. Ventura and Ikepod (RIP) are two who do/did modify the Valjoux 775x to a greater degree than Omega does, Fortis is another with their Alarm Chronograph's.

the breitling version of the lemania 1873 is far less beautifully finished than a 1861 or a 1863.

How much Breitling (doesn't) polish(ies) the Lemania 1873 doesn't mean they didn't use it, up until the time when Swatch Group cut them and others (notably TAG-Heuer who had an outstanding Carrera Re-Edition using that movement) off.

Also I will add that Breitling charges you near 2k$ for a diving watch fitted with a basic eta 2824-2 movement, I am speaking about the super ocean and the colt ocean.

Correct me if I am wrong, the topic is about movements, not what firms charge for their products. What Breitling charges isn't particularly relevent, Zenith charges twice and upwards as much as three times what they used to charge for their products. Admittedly Zenith starts out with a better movement, but we aren't talking about cost-benefit analysis (i.e. value) in this thread.

Cosced or not,

COSC remains something that Breiting does (or at least did last time I checked) for all of their mechanical movements. Not even Rolex does that (Air-King, no-date Sub).

Breitling has never been known for manufacturing outstanding quality movements as Omega did and does.

Again, in the purest tense of "manufacture" I'm hard pressed to name a single movement save the c.1666 that Omega manufacturers... Yes, they have an exclusive on their c.33xx line (such as it is) and the Co-Axial, but those are made for them by another Swatch firm (F. Piguet, and the base movement for the Co-Axial is an ETA movement) Georges.

venus 178 was the best movement breitling proposed in its chronographs,

I don't know... I own a Venus 178 (AOPA Navitimer) which has never failed me, but I think the Lemania 1873 is a match for it.

however a 321 is better built and far more reliable.

Perhaps. I wouldn't bet against the c.321, but then again how many firms used that movement? Omega, Tissot, perhaps Bucherer back in the day. Who else?

4)In all fairness to TAG-Heuer, it is not

reasonable to compare an inexpensive F1 to

an Omega Moonwatch or a Daytona. On the

other hand, the New TAG-Heuer Carrera

competes decisively against the comparable

Speedmaster Date (both are Valjoux/ETA 7750

based) and makes the Speedmaster look BAD

The level of finish of TAG watches

themselves (not the movement) is comparable

to Omega, perhaps not quite as good, but

pretty close and in the same range. The

Movements... TAG typically doen't spend as

much attention to Omega (at least on the

higher grade Omega models). The Cal. 36 is

very nicely finished and comparable to the

commonaly seen higher grade Omega movement

finishes. It's a shame TAG doesn't use the

Cal. 36 on more models.

-I don't like the new Carrera but it is up to the person's tastes.

Indeed, I believe I covered this topic earlier this month over at TZ:
"Omega vs. Tag Chronograph - What would you purchase?":

and here:

Tag-Heuer Carrera/Swiss Army Chronopro as Speedmaster Date Alternatives:


About the cal 36, it is just a rebadged el primero with no improvements.

And how many improvements does the El-Primero need, Georges? And this is TAG-Heuer, not Zenith... Zenith is the Luxury brand of LVMH not TAG.

As for the quality of TAG-Heuer finishing of movements:

Please detail to me the differences in quality between an Omega prepared c.1861 (c.1873 base) and the TAG-Heuer prepared c.1873 above... Yes, I know the c.1863 goes one level above this because it's a display back model, I am comparing like with like: non-display back with like non-display back. My point is that TAG-Heuer can and does a good job with it's movements, and they are far from being as bad as most of TAG's detractors would have one believe. If you don't agree with me, again, please point out those differences.

The 33xx has a keyless balance, kif shock protection and also a bigger power reserve than the cal 36

And it's reliablity sucks. All the fancy features in the world aren't worth squat if they don't work, work reliably and over the long haul. In fact "Shock damage" is Omega's most frequently cited excuse for the failures of the c.33xx movement, if that's the kind of protection KIF provides I'd rather be without it!

5)Zenith: nice movements but prices increased

like whoah and the brand is turned too much

into joallery Movements are among the

best if not the best in any catagory,

however as Georges eluded to, this brand

used to be a steal, and now is at best

middling on value. They're current product

lines have caused great speculation as to

which elicit drugs the

designers/marketers/administrators of the

firm have been indulging in. The old Zenith

was known as being a bit eclectic when it

came to design, but the current Zenith is

way out there (cue Twilight Zone music)...

-Agreed

I may not like the moves of Omega, and I may be tenative of where TAG seems to be going (I see good and bad), but Zenith has disappointed me more than any other manufacture with their direction the past 4 years or so.

6)IWC also is a

heavy user of the Valjoux/ETA 7750 movement,

people claim great finish on the IWC

versions of the 7750, but I don't see

anything of note on my Porsche Design/IWC

examples.

-Yes and the movement found in the new Ingenieur was based on the valjoux 7750 and yes IWC has lots of experience into modifying the 7750

Experience, yes, I agree, however, I wouldn't put the quality and/or finish as being significantly different (and certainly no better) than Omega, Ventura or Ikepod.

Thanks for making the debate more intersting Chuck and have a nice day

I'll try... Hope you do too...

regards

georges

-- Chuck

Chuck Maddox

Chronographs, like most finer things in life, only improve with time...
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