![]() ![]() Our preference would be with the 39 or 42mm models which are only 9.9 mm thick and powered by the ETA 2824 automatic movements. Available in 36, 39, 42 and 45 mm the Pilot line has a model for every wrist and includes a titanium cased version and a 42mm chronograph powered by an ETA 7750 movement. The Pilot is a WWII aviators style watch that helped launched the Archimedes brand. Call us unoriginal, but our favorites are the Pilot and the SportTaucher (diver) models. Archimede has a loyal following in the watch enthusiast community thanks to many strong designs, competitive pricing, and a wide range of options.Īrchimede offers a product range which encompasses six distinct lines. This interesting company is still controlled by the Ickler family, now three generations older, with one Thomas Ickler currently managing operations.īeing a house brand for a case manufacturer is a good recipe for quality and individuality as it means Archimede watches are not fitted with catalog cases but rather custom designed options that can be made without relying on external manufacturers. ![]() In 1924, Karl Ickler founded this case manufacturing business in Pforzheim (Germany) and, after being relaunched by his sons in 1947, Ickler has been manufacturing cases ever since. Archmiede is part of the German company Ickler which also produces Limes Watches, Autran & Viala, and Defacto. I refitted the cleaned caseback and it was finally done.Archimede Watches is a small German brand which has been producing mechanical sport watches since 2003. ….then refitted the serviced auto mechanism. Once I had it at this stage I recased the movement…. The new parts had arrived by now so the rebuild continued. The rest of the strip down went without any further surprises.Īfter cleaning and inspection the rebuild started with a new mainspring. Not only had it made a mess of the bridge but the actual steel upper crown wheel was also worn and the increased torque had put excessive strain on the winding pinion and clutch and these components also needed replacing. For some reason this was completely dry and a few years of manual winding every now and then had done the damage. With the screw and wheels removed I could see where all those brass particles had originated from, the upper crown wheel had been wearing away it’s post for some time! This wheel transfers the winding motion of the crown to the ratchet wheel to manually wind the movement and it’s a high torque component that needs correct lubrication. ![]() The first thing that struck me is the gap visible between the upper crown wheel and it’s securing screw, basically there shouldn’t be one! Once I’d finished the dial side I turned the movement over to start on the motion work side. ![]() I removed the dial and the strip down started. The movement is also liberally sprinkled with gold dust.įortunately none of it had worked it’s way through any apertures to the dial side. With the back off somethings obviously amiss, it’s like someones been using a miniature angle grinder in there! This model has a display back so you can look at the inner workings, but what’s that gold coloured dust that can be seen inside? It came in due to a problem with the manual winding, it had been feeling a bit ‘graunchy’ for some time but it was now impossible to wind any power on at all, although it still wound through the auto wind mechanism without a problem. The daft thing is that ETA’s job, when it was part of ASUAG, was to provide the Swiss watch industry with ebauches which is why it seems so completely wrong for Swatch group to now be limiting supply of ebauches and parts as it affects the whole industry it was created to support!Īnyway, moan over now back to the watch □ It’s powered by a veritable workhorse of a movement, the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2, but I think the current range has switched to the Silletta 200.1 due to the restrictive ebauches (movements) and parts supply policy that Swatch group’s introduced. The Archimedes Pilot is a large Flieger type watch that is based on the wartime B-Uhr watches used by the Luftwaffe. ![]()
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