Reply With QuoteI’ve never owned a watch with a 7750 movement but I’m sure they’re known for rotor wobble
Rolex in general are quieter than others
I think your B17 although eta movement will have a bit of rotor noise
Hi guys,
Just a quick question. Is it normal to feel a little bit of ‘wobble’ in the Breitling rotor when you shake the watch round? My watch has the b17 movement. I’ve got a speed master reduced which effectively has a valjoux 7750 movement that’s adapted by omega and you can really feel the rotor in that. I don’t feel it spin around at all on my Rolexes so is it normal to feel it on the Breitling?
Any help would be much appreciated
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I’ve never owned a watch with a 7750 movement but I’m sure they’re known for rotor wobble
Rolex in general are quieter than others
I think your B17 although eta movement will have a bit of rotor noise
Last edited by speedypro1111; 23rd March 2019 at 10:41.
I've owned a few Navitimers and they all had a rotor wobble.
Ok thanksOriginally Posted by CaptainSlow
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I've had a fair few 7750 and they have all had reverb or vibration feedback when you shake them.
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I had a Breitling Grand Premier at one time; the 7750 rotor movement was very apparent. And noisy.
I wonder what Rolex do differently in their rotors because if you didn’t know any better you would never know there was even one in there,they are so smooth
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IGNORE ME ;-)
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Last edited by stefmcd; 23rd March 2019 at 13:44.
It’s not a chrono movement. The B17 is based on the ETA 2824-2 which is just hours,minutes and seconds
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Sorry, I misread the original post. Must skim less...
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I found out the difference with Rolex. The rotor is often mounted on ball bearings with ETA movements, a far more robust construction compared to the jewel-and-bushing mounting you find on a typical Rolex (barring Rolex chronograph movements)
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The famous ‘Valjoux wobble’ is a very real thing, although it is more pronounced in some 7750-based watches than others. If I give my Navitimer a good shake and then put it down on a flat surface it’ll merrily wobble about all over the place. In contrast - although the wobble is still there - it’s much more subdued in my Offshore Professional Field Engineer.
I like it. I find it an endearing trait and one of those things that makes the watches somehow feel ‘alive’...
It’s a bit disconcerting if you’re not expecting it, though.
Simon
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The 7750 based movements only wind clockwise, and spin freely in tbe other direction. This means if flicked in tbe right way tbe rotor spins for a while. Along with a heavy rotor, this gives the wobble.
Rolex and the newer in house Breitling moments have bi directional winding so don't have the free spinning rotor issue.
Breitling B1 etc. all have ball bearings for the rotors, though this is not part of what causes the wobble. Out of interest, all the new Rolex moments are revamped with ball bearings too.
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The Rolex design may be different but I wouldn’t describe it as less robust. A jewelled bearing is a more elegent solution in my view but jewelled bearings can be prone to chipping/cracking if the watch receives a hard impact.
As for the Valjoux wobble, I think it’s a design flaw that’s in no way a desirable feature. Think about it, spinning a bearing at speed isn’t going to do it any good; combined with lack of lubrication it’s a recipe for increased wear.
Having said that, the ETA style ball- bearing designs last a long time, I’ve yet to see one that’s worn to a point where the rotor is contacting the movement, but they do get noisier when they’re worn.
Spoilsport...
Simon
Slightly off what most are discussing here but still in the right area. I would just have a watch repairer have a look in the back as a preventative measure. Just ask them to check the rotor, even if it costs as much as £25 it could save you many times that in the long run, especially if you don't stick to routine servicing.
Oscillating weight ball race system found on ETA Movements.
This a system that i prefer to that of Rolex. It does wear but its operation is based on a rolling action of the race which causes less friction. If changed carefully, it can be replaced many, many times to no detriment of the oscillating weight or movement.
This setup also has quite a lot of clearance between the oscillating weight and movement so if the race does wear, it doesn't usually allow contact with the plates and bridges.
In extreme cases i.e. ball race screw comes undone, the race wears a lot or it collapses, it can allow the bearing gear to tilt enough to cut a ring into the automatic device bridge which has the movement serial number engraved on to it.
Solid axle and jewel bearings on most Rolex watches.
This is still a very good system, it only has wear problems when it doesnt have routine servicing done. Once its bearing has dried up the wear happens faster because its axle slides on the surface of the jewel bearing. The axle can only be replaced a certain amount of times, and some prefer to change the weight complete.
This bearing really can't tolerate wear much at all. I havent 'done the numbers' but if the bearings wear, for example 0.05mm of material loss happens through lack of oil, the outer tip of the weight could move up/down 0.5mm which is about all the clearance it has from the plates and bridges.
Continued use causes the weight to scrub on the barrel bridge, crown wheel bridge, train bridge and balance guard. This leaves a deposit of rhodium and brass everywhere. and i imagine its quite expensive for these parts to be replaced through Rolex.
Craig
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