Rep movements

[NETEriuM]

Greeting to everybody,
Most of you know that rep watches come with an unlimited number of movements. I’m interested in some of them but can hardly find detailed info about them.
Could anyone of you tell me more about the following rep movements:
-Asian 21 movement: functionality and durability;
-7750 Valjoux Chinese alternative: is it worth it or not?!
-Swiss ETA- Chinese version: how good or bad is it?
What about their repair service in case any of them breaks down?
Don’t have high expectations, but Any information is welcome

 

[sundoryrock]

With regular service, all automatic movements are meant to serve reliably. Regular service would be appropriate about every 5 years.
Valjoux 7750 is pretty scarce and the only available rep is its clone A7750. it’s pretty controversial as I observed on the forums and chats. Obviously, gen ETA movements are far easier to service since almost all repair experts are familiar with their specs. As for rep versions, these might have different structures and not all experts might give u solutions for repair.
You’ll be lucky if a rep watch receives smoothly a clone movement as a replacement, but don’t expect for miracles when u address the repair service.
Quartz movements don’t usually come in cloned versions. these are pretty attainable from the price point of view and manufacturers or repair experts just use the gen ones. Only that their quality might be different between the swiss quartz and the Japanese one. Japanese is cheaper, yes, but it’s highly dependable usually. Replace the battery regularly and quartz will serve you long without any headaches ever. But avoid having reps with quartz if the gen is a manual winding. You won’t find replacements if it breaks down…
So don’t rush into buying expensive targets, especially if you are a newbie in the hobby..take it easy and begin with modest reps gradually upgrading your knowledge and gut feeling… step by step you ll be advancing until you “feel” the difference and get the best of your rep wishes

 

[sincityfog]

Completely agree with taking it easy…
To my knowledge, here is what I managed to learn about these movements:
21j: compare it with a trustworthy workhorse. Works acceptably when regulated for no more than 21,000 bph, also highly affordable and pretty easy in fixing


Swiss ETA: don’t expect it to be cheap. But provides reliability and long-term functionality. Swiss ETAs are always a good option, but after all, it comes down to budget of course. Also, here I have to admit that Asian Clones are not the same as they were a couple of years ago. So, given a limited budget, these might also be considered

quartz: an oldie but goodie. Affordable and reliable. what else would u need in a watch? Seiko made a great thing in inventing it. So, as opposed to some negative reviews about Japanese quartz, my vote goes with both hands to it. Not in vain it posed under threat to the swiss watch manufacturing industry in the 70s because it proposed reliable and pretty cheap alternatives. So, don’t be afraid of the Japanese quartz movement.

Asian clones: these are far from being identical to the gen ETA, of course, coming with divergencies in the crown stem size as one of the differences. Nonetheless, resists reliably at 29,800 bph providing a pretty smooth sweep hand. In terms of reliability and affordability, the balance is pretty justified.

Asian 7750: pretty disputable movement in all watch-related forums. Some claim it has issues in reps with seconds running@6. Up to you to have one and test it personally.

Just love your watches, be these reps or gens, and treat them accordingly. Protect them from temperature changes, extreme conditions, etc… u know… there are plenty of people loving reps because they operate nicely, making them enjoy the experience. Begin with an “easy-going” rep if you plan to have your first rep, and grow gradually. No need to complicate yourself with tens of complications at the beginning of the road

 

[igivente]

Good responses up here))) I’d also add that if you plan to have a rep, take into consideration the additional costs of sending the piece to be serviced and cleaned once in a while. Most rep owners will tell u that any movement performs pretty reliably whenever it is taken to service regularly. From all types of movements, some of them are reported to be more problematic than others. These usually refer to movements that sustain complicated watches with plenty of Chronos, subdials, GMTs, etc… however, I know many owners that treat them accordingly and service them regularly. In such circumstances, these last pretty long and serve decently. For you to avoid questions and troublesome situations when u don’t know how to deal with them, start with something modest and at a reasonable price, without too many complications. Get used to the rep, understand it and keep growing.

 

[TropiKanCHO]

Even in case you have troubles with a 21j movement, consider its replacement rather than its service. Replacing it will cost you less than servicing, plus not every service expert is able to service them because of their crappy material. Repairing an ETA is worthy, but not the 21j

 

[randomWATCHlover]

For as much as I know, Chinese manufacturers have consistently improved their techniques for making movements. They progressed a lot not only in copying or cloning but manufacturing them. Didn’t hear many complaints about them when referring to simple calibers with no plenty of complications. Cheap and pretty reliable for easy-going functions. Chronos are also smoothy working. The problem appears with complication calibers. In the same context, Valjoux 7750 clone simply…sucks. Asian 7750 movements are not worth the money so don’t make this mistake in having one

 

[howdyREP]

Quartz is a good option for reps. Can’t say the same about gens. Some gen watches on quartz mechanisms have to be totally disassembled to change the battery and things can go wrong if serviced in independent repair shops. AS with reps, these aren’t copied; manufacturers usually include original quarts in reps so any watch repair expert can replace it flawlessly at a reasonable price. Japanese are pretty acceptable in both price and quality

 

[cheetomargheritto]

The Asian is kind of a Miyota (8215, if not mistaken) copy. But the copy refers to the design only and not the whole structure. Generally, it runs at a lower rate of about 21,600 BPH. It’s controversial in its functionality and not because of the movement itself but rather because of the poor quality management of the Chinese manufacturers. This is why some of them run well while others are totally shitty. Russian roulette …

 

[STERYBOL]

a owned an asian valjoux rep 7750
It ran out of condition within 3 months of wearing it. Got it to the service and got freaked out with the expert about how dirty it was inside. And believe me, it wasn’t because I had worn it inappropriately. I care about my devices, including my rep watches. Apart from dirt, the components were dry and poorly screwed. So, since it’s an `eta component, the blueprint is pretty acceptable. BUT the execution is complete crap. You never know who stands behind the movements assembling it. So without proper control of WHO and HOW makes them, these are a dead option for me.


And it’s impossible to check that, so I just avoid them. As for the watch I brought to the expert, he oiled and cleaned it as best as he could. The rep served me 8 months more and died. And I was happy since I simply waited for the moment to get rid of it

 

[EasyPeasY57299]

Even if the design of a Chinese ETA Copy resembles a lot the gen ETA 2824, it by far means that these are identical. Copies are not manufactured may ETA, so these don’t come with the same tooling, nor with the same materials. Rep manufacturers assemble them as they wish, considering their own designs and interchanging parts between them is impossible. Even gen movements are different from each other, even if they are made on the basis of the same movement. For example, the Sellita sw200-1 is also a clone of the 2824-2, but it’s different in jewels amount having 26 jewels, unlike the 25 of the ETA.

 

[UltrARiott]

By asking about the 7750 clones, which one exactly do you refer to? Actually, two manufacturers produce them Liaoning and Shanghai, if a recall well. As far as I know, Liaoning is pretty susceptible to chronographs, as the 28,800 BPH runs out of puff. Generally, these are known to be unreliable, though some improvements could possibly have been made lately. Shanghai has a better reputation. At least from what I know.

 

[hiFUProstry]

No no no, both of them have a bad reputation. Neither Shanghai nor Liaoning clones 7750 are worth buying. Possibly, by accident, some tranches were more or less acceptable. But on the whole, these are not reliable, serve shortly and repair costs as much as the new one. Would recommend to avoid them

 

[WorldWideWisdom]

No no no, both of them have a bad reputation. Neither Shanghai nor Liaoning clones 7750 are worth buying. Possibly, by accident, some tranches were more or less acceptable. But on the whole, these are not reliable, serve shortly and repair costs as much as the new one. Would recommend to avoid them

does this come from your real experience? or just theory around?