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Watch or Accessory Review : Wenger S.A.K. Design


Ricky Lee
May 28, 2011 07:19PM
 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 17,866 (2012-03)

Another in the series detailing Marc's Dad's WIS Honeymoon legacy to the WIS community.

Bit of a story here. The whacking great box Marc sent to Ricky Lee's Home For Wayward Wristwatches contained another box deep inside, sealed in it's own Ziploc baggie. Mostly spare bracelet links, a few extra straps, etc. But also a couple of watches in various stages of disrepair. Obviously this was The Boneyard Box. Wink

One watch, a Wenger of Switzerland field watch, really stood out. It was in decent shape, but was sans bracelet, no springbars even. So I pull the crown out to click 1, and the date quick-sets A-OK. I pull it out to click 2, and the time set seems alright, too. "Hmmm" I think "got to be a dead module, or it'd never be in this box. Bad coil, probably.". So I pull the back off, and note there's no cell inside. "Aha! Dead module alright" I say to meself.

But I have to try, right? So the next step is determining what battery is required. My 'tool' here is a wee baggie full of dead batteries, one of every popular size. By test-fitting these deaders, I determine that this movement wants a 397 cell. So I take a fresh 397 out of stores and WooHOO! Thumbs up! It ticks!

Now I'm confused as hell as to why this watch is in the box. But I cheerfully set the time against the Atomic Clock and.. Uh-oh. Oops! When I get to 10 the hour hand stops moving, though the minute hand continues and, worse, there's a sick 'stripped gear' sound and feel coming from the action. I am crying

So I think "What would Dave Murphy WIS Honeymoon do?" Sure! Strip 'er down and fix it!

I have the watch disassembled in a trice. The movement proves to be an ETA 805-series. Hmmmmm. I've got a couple of dead ETA 805s in the boneyard! A little rummaging produces a dead 805-144, and I quickly swap in the drive gears, install the battery, set the crown and.. BzzzzzzzzzzzT! Frowning This ain't gonna work. So much for ETA Parts Interchangeability! I am angry!

I'm buttonning it up in preparation to chunking it back in the Boneyard Box when I think "Wait. Don't I have a brand-new 11 1/2 Ligne ETA in stock?" A quick check of my meticulously cataloged (honest, I got a spreadsheet and everything! Smile) parts inventory reveals..

Stock photo

Stock photo

Yes! A brand-spanking new ETA 805-124, which I bought for a Tom Swift Quartz Conversion on a dead Pobeda day-date auto. Alas, not even Tom Swift hits a homer every time at bat, and that project proved to be close-but-no-cigar unworkable. Didn't really seem worth sending a $12 movement back, so I held onto it, knowing it'd come in handy someday. And today's the day! Is Happy Day!

From there 'twas Easy As Pie. The movement mated with the dial perfectly, as did the OEM hands and, aside from the seconds hand fouling on the minutes (easy fix!), there was no drama whatsoever. 12 hours on, the watch is keeping perfect time, so I declare The Operation A Success.

What's that you say? "Enough blathering Ricky! I am angry! Show us photos of the watch already!"

OK! OK! Oops! Here ye are:

Wenger "S.A.K. Design" field watch

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Cute li'l fella, huh? Rationally-sized at 35mm X 41mm X 9.5mm, with 19mm lugs.

I have no idea what "S.A.K Design" is.. maybe an L.E. of some sort. I'll research it by-and-by, but if anyone wants to volunteer an explanation, I'd be most appreciative for saving me the trouble. Smile

Wenger "S.A.K. Design" field watch

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

The screw-down caseback was missing a gasket but, sure, I had one in stock. Base metal bezel, but the back is very nearly pristine, so it's got beaucoup life left in it.

Wenger "S.A.K. Design" field watch

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for Mega-sized photo

19mm lugs are a bit of a sticky wicket, requiring a choice of under-strapping with an 18, or over-strapping with a 20. Obviously, I chose the latter course of action. Smile

Wenger "S.A.K. Design" field watch

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

I got to say it wears Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr8! WIS Honeymoon

All in all, I couldn't be more pleased. No, the 805-124 wasn't the perfect movement, being a Day-Date. But it's what I had on hand and, if y'all won't tell anybody there's a Day wheel hiding under the Date dial, neither will I. Laughing The style - classic Swiss Field Watch - is one of my favorites. And, sure, I have a few similar in the collection already. But none that say "S.A.K. Design"! So, until I can ascertain exactly what that means, I'm gonna assume it's Something Special. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

Thanks for readin'.

Cheers!

-Ricky
Live long and prosper. Mr. Spock

Messages In This Thread

Watch or Accessory Review : Wenger S.A.K. Design Image Attachments

 Ricky Lee 2188 May 28, 2011 07:19PM

Nice save, but I'm a little disappointed that >>

>>the drive gears would not swap out. Crazy! Loco! Strange that they would not.

But a working watch is better than non-working any day. Thumbs Up
 Dave Murphy 91 May 29, 2011 08:51PM

Re: ..the drive gears would not swap out. Crazy! Loco! Strange that they would not.

Well.. they did after a fashion. Wink They physically mated and worked. But when I checked the action, the feel was very rough and uneven. In ETA's defense, the stripped gears may well have been merely a symptom of an deeper underlying problem - one that I did not correct.

And, it must be said, the old stem/crown assembly worked A-OK in the new movement. I usually don't even try that, as sizing a stem to length is simple enough. But in this case I'd already spent so much time trying to doctor up the old movement that I was, frankly tired of fooling with the watch. Blushing The old stem/crown was sitting right there, already (theoretically) perfectly sized, so I thought "Why not?" And, lo and behold, it worked fine. Thumbs up!
Quote
Dave Murphy
But a working watch is better than non-working any day. Thumbs Up
True dat! Smile
 Ricky Lee 82 May 30, 2011 06:19AM

Do you have a magnetic Quartz mover? Basically a Demagnetizer with a special setting to >>>

put the watch on top of that little box and then let it spin for 10 minutes. Many times the gear trains start to move more freely. This little tool has helped to revive many Quartz watches that spent a couple of years in storage.
 Reto 153 May 30, 2011 12:35PM

Great read and even better work! Wonderful job Ricky! (n/t)

 jacobo 74 May 29, 2011 07:45AM

Great hand set there Thumbs up! (n/t)

 Need_Omega 58 May 29, 2011 07:12AM

Nice save Thumbs Up (n/t)

 JP 71 May 29, 2011 06:04AM

Great review with movement information Ricky (marked for Watch Reviews) (n/t)

 Reto 65 May 29, 2011 03:09AM

A very nice Swiss classic!!!SmileThumbs up! (n/t)

 IF 79 May 29, 2011 02:38AM

Great job, RL! Clapping! (n/t)

 MCV 87 May 28, 2011 10:59PM

My guess is S.A.K. = Swiss. Army. Knife. Image Attachments

Just a guess... Wink
Photo by Jimmy50
 Jimmy50 110 May 28, 2011 08:57PM

Doh. Oops! That's a very good guess, I'm thinkin'. Laughing

And kind of obvious, after the fact. Wink
 Ricky Lee 70 May 30, 2011 05:59AM

I wonder whether S.A.K. is still used after the merger of Victorinox and Wenger. And so >>>

pre-merger watches are of course more valuable then post-merger watches.

Victorinox acquired Wenger yet I think they are still using both logos. The older Victorinox shield logo and the younger looking rounder Wenger logo.
 Reto 87 May 29, 2011 03:14AM

Yeah.....ya nailed it right on the head!!! (n/t)

 dano0 82 May 28, 2011 10:10PM

I know S.A.K. Design was designated to very EARLY wenger models....

A friend of mine gave me one after changing several batteries for him......cause a battery change wouldnt do it. Similiar problem, except the seconds hand would get "caught up" at 10 oclock. Even had my buddies at precision time try to jog the movt several times.....to no avail. It still has the original bracelet, but alas, way to small and no extra links. I may end up sending it back to wenger for overhaul (Remember my Wenger Commando excursion?) For $20 bucks with a new movt installed, it would be worth it! No pics now, but if I ever do attempt the project, you can expect a full on special report!
 dano0 168 May 28, 2011 08:45PM

Thanks dano for your continuing sharing of the service center performances, very much appreciated Thumbs Up (n/t)

 Reto 75 May 29, 2011 11:32PM

Nice save man smile (n/t)

 Ed Brandwein 68 May 28, 2011 07:54PM


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