Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

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Ivor
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Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Ivor »

...as far as I remember the last automatic watch I had, an Ingersoll "Denver", had a rotor that swung around quite freely, basically allowing gravity to keep the weight pointing downwards. My new Aviator's rotor is either completely stuck, or very reluctant to rotate. Is it faulty or is it supposed to be so immobile?
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by joerattz »

So, if you hold the watch with the dial facing away and rotate the watch, will the rotor hang down? Or does it spin with the case? If it spins with the case instead of hanging down, then a winder would never work and I think something must be wrong. I will check mine in a few minutes to be sure, and post back later. You might want to try shaking the watch side to side a little just to perhaps free it in case it got jarred in shipping.
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Ivor »

Hi Joe,

Yes, the rotor spins with the case, and never "obeys" gravity. I'm fairly certain the watch is faulty, which I am not even remotely pleased about. There have been numerous hiccups regarding this watch, including the serial number I had reserved in June last year, not existing or having gone to another customer, not being informed of this for two weeks as being the reason for the delay, the watch being mailed to my home address when I had specified at least three times that it should go to my office, I ordered a tan strap, but none in stock so I got a black one, and now this. To top it off, Margaret isn't back until the new year, and the girl I spoke to about an hour ago said I should speak to Margaret about it. I realise things are busy this time of year, but I have to say I'm more than disappointed with the way this has turned out.
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by John »

Hello Ivor,

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with the Aviator.
There are also some problems with my LE.
CW isn't able to make his slogan the truth at this time.
"The worlds cheapest most expensive watch" or someting like that.
There are more and more problems with organising but also with quality, very bad for his reputation.


I hope he can fix this problems soon, or else he'll never be able to compare to the topbrands.
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Hans »

Hi Ivor, is this your first ETA 2824-2? Basically there are two types of auto winding-mechanisms. The first type only winds the watch when the rotor turns one side, the opposite side the rotor runs freely. The second type the rotor winds the watch when rotating either side. The 2824-2 is a mechanism of the second type. An example of the first type is the Valjoux 7750. On calibers like the 7750 you can spin the rotor really fast if you want, but only in the direction where it doesn't wind the watch. When the rotor winds the watch in both directions (as with the 2824-2) the rotor doesn't rotate as freely.
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Ivor »

Hans, that's just it though, the rotor doesn't turn freely in either direction.

I've just noticed though, if it's in any way significant; when I put the watch back in its box about 3 hours ago, the rotor was stuck between the S of "Swiss" and the second P of "Sapphire", but is now between the 1 of "1346" (serial number) and the middle of the gap between "Resistant" and "Sapphire". In short, it seems to have rotated approximately 10 degrees anti-clockwise. Is the rotor in any way directly connected to the (unwinding) mainspring? (Forgive me, I'm almost entirely ignorant of watch technology and terminology).
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Hans »

No, the rotor doesn't move when the spring unwinds. I'm having trouble to decide if you're watch has a problem or not, it's is difficult to describe how a 2824-2 rotor behaves. But there is a very simple check: wear the watch during the day and put it away during the night. Do this for about 10 days or so, never manually winding the watch. What happens? Does it keep running? If it stops in those 10 days you certainly have a problem and have to send it back.
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Ivor »

Isn't it supposed to rotate freely in at least one direction though? If not, I'll be really happy, in that I won't have to send it back!
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by casimir »

The rotor of my C5 aviator runs in both directions, it is very flexible ...

By moving the watch, I can take it through a complete revolution ... not very fluid anyway.

I do not have a camera, but maybe someone here can make a video ...
It is a google translation… please excuse the errors of language… thank you...
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Ivor »

Yep, that's what I thought Casimir. That is exactly how my old Ingersoll behaved - free rotation in either direction. I can only suspect that the case-back is pressing against the rotor to an extent, preventing free-motion.
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Hans »

It's very unlikely that the case-back is pressing the rotor, almost impossible. It is possible however, that the rotor is not screwed correctly to the bridge. If you wiggle the watch a bit, does the rotor make tiny movements, or does it stay fixed? Are you able to easily shoot a short video of the rotor-movement and post it on youtube or something?

None of my ETA 2824-2 movements ( and I have 6 of them) can really spin in both directions like my Valjoux 7750 does. They make a rotation of about 180 degrees and then come to a "wiggling" stop. The 7750 I can make go spinning around and around really fast. Tell you what: I'll shoot a short video of the rotor of my Aviator so you can compare!
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Ivor »

If you wiggle the watch a bit, does the rotor make tiny movements, or does it stay fixed?
No, it's fixed in place, except for the time it spent back in its box (approx 3 hours), where it moved about 10 or so degrees anti-clockwise.

I'll take it into work later, and upload a short vid of me rotating the watch body, but I assure you, it won't be exciting - nothing moves apart from the watch itself! :?
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Budgie »

My aviator rotor spins quite freely from side to side or all the way round if I wiggle it right,sounds like you have a problem.Does the watch actually run?
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by Hans »

Ivor wrote:
If you wiggle the watch a bit, does the rotor make tiny movements, or does it stay fixed?
No, it's fixed in place, except for the time it spent back in its box (approx 3 hours), where it moved about 10 or so degrees anti-clockwise.

I'll take it into work later, and upload a short vid of me rotating the watch body, but I assure you, it won't be exciting - nothing moves apart from the watch itself! :?
If you lightly wiggle/shake the watch and the rotor stays fixed, you definitely have a problem! Sorry to hear this, you should send it back immediately!
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Re: Finally got my C5 Aviator, but...

Post by joerattz »

I checked my C5 Aviator (black). If I hold the watch crown up, with the dial pointing away so that I am looking through the back, I can rotate the watch either direction and the rotor will hang down. It doesn't always spin smoothly. You can tell the gears are sometimes catching to wind, but it hangs in the down position, but not always exactly straight down. And, this is with the watch fully wound.
C5SWT (#316), C5AKS (#316/1936), C5AWS (#789/1936), C6-ForumLE (#3/100), C6SYS (#347), C6-T3LE (#130/300), C6SWS (#601), C3SKS (#1204)

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