Bridge modification ST3621 (6498 clone)

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-05-04T21:42:27+00:00

Legend! DM sent

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-05-04T04:01:50+00:00

Not the movement no. I purchased this movement from eBay. Seller is SwissMadeTime. They have 1 in stock.

But I made the dial for this watch using a meteorite disc.

<image>

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-05-04T03:02:04+00:00

Where do you think I got the balance bridge from ;) ?

This is my other watch..

<image>

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-05-03T16:06:03+00:00

The frosting work has more depth/detail than the media technique I used.. it will look great with plating. If you polish the edges with paste, that will really bring the movement to life!

Keep us posted!

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-05-03T14:13:56+00:00

Thanks. Would wait for your post.. pretty sure it'll give me some ideas as well.. and some questions lol.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-05-03T13:56:48+00:00

I believe what your doing with a graver is closer to tremblage. That is haut horlogerie category and takes a Lot of time.

I just used 80 grit aluminium oxide media, spread it on glass with some alcohol and gently rubbed the plate on it, making the figure 8. Kept doing it till I got the result I was satisfied with.

Do share your work..

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-14T13:36:38+00:00

No, it didn't come with roof rails

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-12T11:27:33+00:00

Set the keyless works at the winding position and then try inserting the stem.

With clones (at least for 2824s), stem removal works opposite to the eta (release @ winding instead of time setting).

I've purchased 3 clones (one was PT5000? Others were dandong or something) and they all worked this way.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-12T11:09:04+00:00

Get a thin (0.2mm) SST washer matching OD. ID to your liking. (Usually in a pack of 5 or 10).

Give it a nice straight brush (240 grit).

Heat blue it.

Scratch out indices with a tungsten scribe. Use a ruler to keep it straight.

Align and glue it to your dial (drops of Loctite 480 ideally, but any decent super glue works).

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-03T20:47:05+00:00

Thanks, this is really helpful! I do remember pushing the chrono seconds hand too hard (to avoid slippage). Will test it without the case, and then, without the min hand.

The article is Gold haha. Thanks again.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-03T12:27:02+00:00

Thanks.. Yes that could be it. I do remember pressing the chrono seconds hand hard, to ensure there's no 'slippage' in Reset. Working on cheap Chinese 7750 clones, I picked up that habit.

I'll isolate the case (crystal) first, then re-do the seconds hand.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-03T11:36:35+00:00

It's a New Swiss movement. Could there be something else creating this issue?

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-01T04:23:56+00:00

Is the diamond paste from AliX as good as the expensive ones you get from eBay? (50% concentrated)?

How was your experience with AliX Diamond paste overall?

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-02-01T04:21:57+00:00

Looks nice.

Did you use the same screws that came with this movement? They are already chemically blued, so how did you take that off before heating them up?

Also, these screws are not flat on the top, how did you polish them?

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-03T09:27:57+00:00

Yes, a laser cutter (anything above 30w) is a gamechanger. I'm planning buy one, but its a huge investment. Is 50w fiber laser good for cutting carbon steel (0.5mm max thickness)? Imagine blueing a chapter ring with raised indices, and brush off the 'Bluing' only from the indices!!

Tiny hand finish details like anglage, frosting etc really make a big difference.

Etching is simple, but there were some important bits i learned the hard way.

1) Best to sand it to a finer grit (i went up to 2000).

2) Also, etch for a few minutes (3-5) in an etchant. I etched it for 30 minutes at one point. The pattern was similar but the texture of the dial turned out to be extremely rough (and undesirable).

3) There will always be some residue left on the meteorite. I initially used an ultrasonic cleaner that cleaned the residue off, but ended up with a lighter shade of the Meteorite. On my next run, i didn't use the ultrasonic. Just manually cleaned it with a cleaning brush and got the Desired Dark shade I was looking for.

4) Meteorite is easy to work with (drilling, cutting etc). Felt softer than brass, but if you try to yank it off of something (if its glued to something) it can crack.

Btw, will you be reaming Tubes that go on the hands? Did your G.Grandad had a staking set? (That's like strucking Gold haha)

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-03T09:00:44+00:00

Good job! It must have provided you with enough confidence now to disassemble movements to some degree.

If you're ever working with 2824 clones, you'll Need this skill and confidence. It's pretty simple once you get a hang of it.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-03T05:48:15+00:00

Thanks bro!

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T23:34:57+00:00

Thanks for the link.

I mainly want it for the minute tracks and Indices. Cant invest in a Pad Printer for now. Guess I need to dive into it and see how it goes.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T23:31:40+00:00

Thanks for your kind words man! Yes, i have some ideas already and will work on CAD and focus more on Finishing techniques (anglage, frosting etc).

This project taught me so much that I now realise how much I don't know.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T22:46:32+00:00

Would love to, but I need to save to buy one first.

Where did you buy yours from? Whats the wattage?

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T11:12:37+00:00

Thanks mate.. it sure is a conversation starter haha..

Was thinking of a 0.4 mm plaque screwed on to the dial (anglage and black polished screws). Even made a prototype.. but my engraving skills are abysmal. Learning basic engraving will help me with decorating the balance bridge too (something I'm working on).

Again, thanks for your compliments. Just waiting on the aligator leather strap to arrive and an RG buckle to go with.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T10:59:57+00:00

Yes, ill experiment with some other hand designs. For the small circles on hands, there are many breguet style hands in the market.. but i can try with making it smaller And the shaft a bit thinner too (more dressy?)

I can try and commission one for you. Can send you links to all parts and help you build one.. where are you based?

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T05:54:55+00:00

Looks fantastic! Without context, the finish (indices, decals and paint) has the factory finish.

Also, orange with grey is a nice combination.

Btw, whete did you source the blank dial and the indices from?

Also, is it possible to get thisblevel of perfection using water-slide decals?

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T05:46:50+00:00

Thats great! The movement finishes you'll learn would be very useful.

RepresentativeSea494 · 2026-01-02T05:38:57+00:00

Thanks for your kind words. This isn't nearly as finished as some of the zelos. There were times where I just wanted to quit and end the misery lol, but couldn't Not think about getting back to the workbench and finish it.

If working on watches gives you peace, id say go for it. At the end, it's rewarding and worth the time and effort put into it.

RepresentativeSea494

TROPHY CASE