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A semi-long account of how this was saved
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Posted By: Paperboy Part Deux (Colby May)
Date:
Saturday, 3 February 2007, at 5:10 p.m.
If anybody read about it, in early January, Rick McBroom and I bought nearly identical Enicar "vintage" watches from a seller on eBay. In the listing, they were called "Used-85%" when it came to condition. Obviously, everybody has their own interpretation of the percentage scale, and when I received mine, I was pretty disappointed: hands didn't match those in the picture (right there, a BIG eBay no-no, as that's blatant misrepresentation of the item for sale), quite a bit of debris on the dial and on the inside of the crystal, "hammered" caseback (looked like somebody had taken a knife and taken several cracks at it trying, I suppose, to slice it like a sandwich), and rattling from inside the case...what I assumed to be a loose movement since it pivoted slightly inside when the crown was tweaked.
Rick, on the other hand, was pretty happy with his, although he's experiencing some accuracy issues that probably can be regulated. His also didn't have the rattling in the case...a big plus...and his watch was exactly as pictured.
I contacted the seller (in Hong Kong) and she agreed to refund my money if I sent it back. I planned on sending it Monday of this week...then Tuesday came and went...and on to today...still the Enicar sat in darkness of the armoire here in the bedroom. For a couple days now, I've been kicking around the idea of just keeping it (it really didn't cost that much), disassembling it completely, cleaning it up, and hopefully finding the source of the rattling that was really bugging me.
Today, I pucked up and took 'er apart.
It really wasn't a difficult process. (This is only the second watch I've disassembled, and the first mechanical) Thanks to Reto's tutorial on movement removal (with a picture of the exact movement in this watch, the ETA 2836), pulling the crown was a snap and the movement was out in no time. This watch was really pretty dirty. I took the case into the bathroom and cleaned it up with some warm, soapy water. Some of the crud was stubborn but nearly all of it eventually broke free.
I found the source of the rattling was a shiny ring that fit between the movement and the inside of the case right below the crystal--it appears its only purpose was to hide a very, very small gap between the edge of the dial and the case. As I couldn't get it to go back in without rattling, I simply left it out...doesn't appear crucial to the watch's operation.
I found the crystal to be in very good condition with lighter-than-expected scratches, all faint. I carefully cleaned up the dial using a "sticky pad"--one of those rubber mats you can put stuff on in your car and not have it slide away. Seemed to do well for not leaving lint behind. I also gently ran it over the hands, which were kind of icky, with decent results.
I found that the caseback had a decent gasket in place, which is pretty academic as I'll be taking this thing nowhere near water. To somewhat alleviate the gouging on the caseback, I used a Scotchbrite pad and put a quick brushed finish on it. That worked surprisingly well.
I finally got everything cleaned up and dry and went to put the watch back together and noticed something alarming--the seconds hand, when the movement was held a certain way, would drop back ten seconds, or forwards about five seconds, or whatever. I was a little panicky, but didn't thinK a whole lot of it as the balance was ticking along cheerfully without a hiccup. Thinking maybe the seconds hand was just a little loose, I applied some gentle pressure to the point where the seconds hand mounts to the shaft. Problem fixed...for now, hope that's not a sign of bad things to come.
Other items that still need a bit of attention: I need to apply some adhesive to the crystal where it mounts to the case (it's just snapped in place right now), as well as to the chrome bezel ring that surrounds it. Depending on how well it winds itself while being worn, I may need to lube the rotor a bit since it doesn't turn as freely as one would expect it to.
So anyway, to make a long story short--too late--now it's back together, I've set it to GMT.com time, and I'm going to wear it exclusively for the next 48 hours or so to see how accurately it runs. It's really amazing what a good cleaning and a little TLC (as well as some Jack Handey-esque Deep Thoughts) can do for a watch--it looks easily ten times better than in did out of the box. The case and the dial in particular are in fine shape, and the strap is brand spankin' new.
Here are some crappy pics...if it runs good over the next two days, I'll treat it to some more intense photographic efforts.
Thanks for reading!
Messages In This Thread
was saved
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(views: 172)May I post this thread (and your photos) on my website?
I'll credit you, of course. And remove your e-mail address, if you want...
Pretty please!!!!!!
-Ricky
Glad it worked out for you! 
>> (views: 19)It looks great! And since you have some 
'sweat equity' in it, I'm guessing you'll enjoy it all the more.
} Rick, on the other hand, was
} pretty happy with
his..
An understatement.. "Happy as a slopped hog" is more like
it.. 
} ..although he's experiencing some accuracy issues..
I don't consider +48/day to be an 'issue', really. Mind you, it'd be nice if 'twas a little closer. But I'd consider it more of an issue if it was running slow by even 1/4 of that amount...
} ..that probably can be regulated.
I'll have to try, now. Can't let you have all the fun! 
} ..a shiny ring that fit between the movement
} and
the inside of the case right below the
} crystal--it appears its only
purpose was to
} hide a very, very small gap between the edge
} of the
dial and the case..
Interesting. Was this ring visible with the watch assembled? I just checked mine out under the loupe, and can't see it.
} To somewhat alleviate the gouging on the
} caseback,
I used a Scotchbrite pad and put
} a quick brushed finish..
Looks good! See what you
mean about the caseback having been polished to death, though. Can't see the
text around the outer edge of the caseback at all...
} ..the strap is brand spankin' new.
And looks to be a nice strap, too!
BTW, the offer on the aged / distressed strap that came on mine's still open;
I really wish it was longer 
, 'cause I love the
looks of the thing.
} ..if it runs good over the next two
} days, I'll
treat it to some more intense
} photographic efforts.
Well, I hope it runs good, then. 'cause I'd certainly like
to see some more pics!
Congrats, 
, you done good!
-Ricky
>> (views: 9)After six hours, mine is on pace for +40 seconds per 24 hours, but I've been pretty sedentary today and it was going off dead stop, a time when movements (in my experience) tend to run erratically until achieving something close to full wind. I'll check it again when I get home this evening--we're getting ready to go out for dinner--and post my results in this thread.
That metal ring was seemingly sandwiched between the crystal and the movement, and was probably glued down at one time or another. If yours is securely in place, I doubt you'd even be able to see the seam. On the other hand, yours could already have been removed. Look to the right of the day/date window. If you can see a tiny notch there by the "III", the ring is gone.
I probably will take pictures of it regardless of the accuracy, 'cause after
my touchin' up it sure does look purty. Be on the lookout!
And the strap...I'll drop you an e-mail with my address...many thanks, o'
generous one.
>> (views: 7)Baited? Well then, you caught me..
} Look to the right of the day/date window.
} If you
can see a tiny notch there by the
} "III", the ring is gone.
Don't have to look, I remember that notch from my initial inspection of the watch. I wondered about that. Ah, hang on, lemme look again...
[...]
Yep, does indeed appear to be an empty notch. Thought maybe if I looked closer, I'd see the ring under there.
My
watch is missing parts?
Ah well, as you say, doesn't appear it's really needed. The dial and movement are a tight fit, so I ain't a gonna worry
'bout it. Good to know, though.. Thanks!
} And the strap...I'll drop you an
} e-mail with my
address...many
} thanks, o' generous one.
Hey, it ain't ever gonna be any use to me.. not unless I wake up one morning
and find that me wrists have shrunk about an inch..
-Ricky
(views: 6) >>
(views: 16)Especially when toying with the idea of making an impulse buy! Hell, the
pictures I looked at on eBay were so deceiving, they weren't even of the watch I
received.
I resized to 800x600 from an original nearly three times bigger, so that
helps in concealing flaws. My camera only spits out 4 MP as well, so there's
some more concealment of the little things. I've learned you have to be very
careful when buying vintage anything, and be prepared to put a little elbow
grease into it upon acquisition to make it defy its age. Perhaps going forward,
I'll look more for NOS than "vintage". It's the lazy 
in me.
Truth be told, I'm not sure how "vintage" this watch really is. The seller
passed it off as being a 1970's-era model, but I doubt that. It's more likely a
mid- to late-eighties model given its "SWISSETA CALIBRE" text at the bottom of
the dial, indicating it was assembled outside of Switzerland, indicating it was
manufactured during what was likely a transitional period for the Enicar brand,
which is now back and "Swiss Made" once more. I'd love to find some definitive,
detailed history on the brand just for S&G's.
Thanks for your compliments!
(views: 26)The impression I get of the Enicar is that it was made to be a decent watch for the mass market, not an expensive watch. So if a seller has an 85% Enicar, I am thinking $30-40 bucks.
My experience is that photos bring out more flaws than the naked eye. Have exploited this more than once when a watch photograph looked horrible, low bids, and snagged a pretty good looking watch. Flash pics show every scratch.
I know Enicar was one of several brands that specifically targeted the Asian
market, along with Titoni and some other brands, with reasonably-priced
mechanical watches and it was that strategy that helped most of them to survive.
Enicar wasn't one of the fortunate ones, but the name is on watches again and
they apparently are a cut above the transitional models. (Those that fall
between the Sherpas and the ones we see now) As I stated originally, I had a
chance to have some "deep thoughts", and the result is that I'm *currently*
happy with the watch. Now if it falls apart on my wrist while I'm wearing it,
well...
You're also right about flash photography, which is why, when I'm going for pictures that look good for general viewing on the forum, I try to avoid using the flash if at all possible. It is VERY unforgiving to the little flaws that virtually every worn watch has.
(views: 12)
watches (or
anything else I don't mind broken 
) (views: 12)