# ' Pimp' My ' Chavitimer'



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

O.K. So I bought an Argos Rotary Chronospeed (a.k.a. 'Chavitimer') â€¦. or two. :blush:

Not content with just the blue-faced / stainless steel bracelet version, that I bought first (and I was quite happy with) ....

but, prompted by posts in the main â€˜Chavitimerâ€™ thread: http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=33840

I went back to Argos, a week later, and bought the original black-faced â€˜mock crocâ€™ leather strap version, as well.










Why oh why did I do that, I ask myself ?? :huh: It must be the 'watch collector thing'. 

You see - Iâ€™ve always had an aversion to 'antique-look' 'mock-croc' (and particularly dark brown leather) watch straps ....

especially, when they have all the aesthetic appeal of a dehydrated dog turd â€" and a plastic one at that -

such as the eyesore, fitted to the black-faced Rotary 'Chavitimer.

So it *HAD* to go. :yucky:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

I also have a 'personal thing' about matching watch face colours to straps (as I know a few others on this forum do). 

Because of the double spring bar issue (of more anon), my first thoughts were to try and source a 'correct' black leather 'Chavitimer' strap from Rotary. Such a thing *does* exist, and is fitted to another yet another (third) version of the 'Chavitimer' (it's rose gold-plated, with a slightly different face layout), available under Argos cat. No. 283/5297










It's obviously the same watch body, so would have the correct (22mm) lug spacing, and no doubt â€" double spring bars.

In the first instance, I contacted Rotary's parts (Materials) department in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, to enquire if I could purchase this black 'Chavitimer' strap as a spare part. It seems that these watches are a 'special build' for Argos (which we knew), and that Rotary UK donâ€™t keep any bills of materials; part number lists or spares for them. So, for any of us who _might_ be concerned about the longevity (and future post-warranty support) .... it seems we may have a potential problem.

Undeterred, I went back to the drawing board. There was of course another option. Go into Argos; buy the rose-gold / black strap version of the 'Chavitimer' @ Â£68.49. Carefully remove the strap; fit it to my black-faced 'Chavitimer', then put the dog turd-brown 'mock croc' strap on the rose gold-plated Chavitimer (where it might possibly look better anyway) and flog it on eBay (probably at a loss). But then there was also the issue of matching / swapping the colours of the one-piece buckles â€" (presumably chrome plated on the brown strap, versus rose gold on the black).

So I decided not to pursue it any further. Dumb idea, anyway !


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Because of the double spring bar issue (of more anon) ....


I should say now, that the Rotary leather strap is very firmly attached by those (curved) double spring bars. 

Without the proper Bergeon Spring Bar Removal Tool ....

(Which I purchased from Roy: http://www.rltwatches.co.uk/acatalog/Tools.html  )

.... I doubt that I'd have managed to remove the strap (without graunching the watch body - which, fortunately, I didn't  )


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> So I decided not to pursue it any further. Dumb idea, anyway !


Sighs. Nah. (_To mis-quote Monty Python_) This is getting silly. So I also dismissed any ideas of fitting a Hirsch; a Toshi strap, or .... _Heaven Forbid_ even a pukka black Breitling leather strap - simply on the basis of cost. This is a 70 quid watch (tops) at times also available recently on eBay for under Â£50, from private sellers. *So IMHO it warranted a strap costing Â£15 or less.*


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> I also have a 'personal thing' about matching watch face colours to straps ....


But apart from the Black face, the Mk1 'Chavitimer' also has a significantly-sized *white* slide-rule bezel (and silver sub-dials).

So, I went searching on eBay, for a 22mm Black leather padded strap with *white stitching *and a stainless / chrome buckle ....

.... and found what I was looking for, almost straight away.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> .... and found what I was looking for, almost straight away.


I know we're not supposed to 'plug' any other seller's on here, but I wanted to thank this particularly helpful eBay seller ....

.... whose username is something similar to 'rancidflesh' and is based in the South-West of England.

The strap I purchased cost a mere Â£8.99 (plus postage), and was the last one he had. Item # 250317915341


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> > .... a 22mm Black leather padded strap with *white stitching *and a stainless / chrome buckle ....
> ...


Here it is fitted to my 'Chavitimer'. Looks the part, eh ? 










(With apologies for my cr*ppy photo. :blush: )


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> But apart from the Black face, the Mk1 'Chavitimer' also has a significantly-sized *white* slide-rule bezel (and *silver* sub-dials).


But, _Jamais Contente_, I wondered if I could get a better match still. <_<

I happened to browse the same eBay seller's other offerings, and came up with what might be the 'perfect match'. :blink:

Check out eBay item # 250240032471. There you have it. *Black* and *White* with *Silver* stitching !!! :lol:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Here it is fitted to my 'Chavitimer'. Looks the part, eh ?


So I asked this same eBay seller if he'd be so kind as to send me one 'on approval', on a 'sale or return basis' ....

.... and he very kindly obliged.  Here it is 'offered up' to the watch (but without any spring bars fitted):


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

'Perfect match' it may be, but a little bit O.T.T. !! Well, I did try to warn you in the title of the thread ! :lol:

All I need now (not) is a pair of matching Black & White 'Wingtip' shoes ! 

http://www.nextag.com/black-shoes-white-wi...p/products-html (in case anybody isn't au fait with the pimp / gangster thing).



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> So I asked this same eBay seller if he'd be so kind as to send me one 'on approval', on a 'sale or return basis' ....


Needless to say, the offending strap will be returned to the eBay seller on Monday. 

In the meantime, I'd also been looking at photos of a few other people's efforts at 'Chavitimer' strap swaps.

Here's one I found on *another* UK watch forum (using a slightly more expensive white-stitched black pigskin strap):










(A rather better photograph than my efforts, too. :blush

In my post #95 of the main 'Chavitimer' thread, I summarised a few posts on fitting alternative straps:

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?s...st&p=423515

So letâ€™s see your '*pimped*' 'Chavitimers'. How about it, Defender ?


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Full marks for endeavour, but I quite like the colour of the original.

The rose gold item is probably more like "chavitimer world", the subdials being a different layout to the navitimer.

How about a S/S mesh?

Roger


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## Defender (Jan 27, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> 'Perfect match' it may be, but a little bit O.T.T. !! Well, I did try to warn you in the title of the thread ! :lol:
> 
> All I need now (not) is a pair of matching Black & White 'Wingtip' shoes !
> 
> ...


Hi Paul,

Thought I'd replyed to this the other day? Must have disappeared into a vertual 'black hole' :blink:

My black faced 'Chavitimer' is currently still on the 'tyre tread' patterned rubber deployment strap.

Sorry can't do a picture very easily, I don't do the 'Flickr' etc. thing, and the pictures from my camera seem to come out huge? :huh: show much of the detail?

My phones camera isn't great so wouldn't

I'll have to try to find some other way of getting the pics to reasonable size to post?

So till then you'll just have to imagine it! 

Best regards,

Defender.


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## Moore73 (Mar 18, 2009)

I hate the brietling navitimer so i had best just say no comment.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Moore73 said:


> I hate the brietling navitimer so i had best just say no comment.


Nice concise first post ! :lol:

Although I like most 3-register chronographs (besides the Seiko 7A38), it's not exactly to my personal tastes, either. :yucky:

Which is why I thought 'Pimping' a Rotary 'Chavitimer' might be good for a laugh.


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## Parabola (Aug 1, 2007)

I wanted to pimp my O&W MP Auto because I'm a bit bored of it, I decided to PVD it until I found out it costs $650!


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## Regal325 (Aug 5, 2005)

I hate the brietling navitimer so i had best just say no commentWTF was the point of posting that??

I doubt anyone gives a stuff whether you like it or not......jees!


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Footnote:



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Because of the double spring bar issue (of more anon) ....


But first ....

A couple of quotes copied over from posts #39 and #40 (on page 3) of the 'Cheap Navitimers at Argos' thread:

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?s...33840&st=30



dougal74 said:


> One set of lug holes are close to the case (approx. 2mm) and the second set further out on the lugs at about 4mm.
> 
> I presume it is to help stabilise the chunky curved end of the leather band?





stifflersmom said:


> Ah, I think I see. If you use the holes furthest from the case there will be a large gap between the case and the strap/band end, and if you use the holes nearest the case the lug ends will appear to stick out too far. Hmm, let us know if you come up with a good solution - there must be some bands that work!


What had been written previously (in that other main thread) had got me thinking. :huh:

As I'm fairly handy with a Dremel Moto Tool (and have other much smaller mini-drills), I had actually contemplated drilling *another* set of spring bar holes in the lugs, between the existing pairs â€" in an effort to get my replacement strap to fit / sit nicely. It would have been a b*gger of a job, as even the smallest chuck / collett would have meant attacking the watch lugs from a less than perpendicular angle.

So, I first tried the strap in the outer set of lug holes. No problemo. Athough of a fairly substantial thickness, my chosen replacement strap (see photo in post # 7 ) was considerably less bulky than the original Rotary 'mock croc' strap in the area of the (double) strap pins. Also (_as I think I wrote in the other thread_) having a relatively small 7Â½" wrist, the strap pulled down nicely, either side of the watch, without the ends of the strap protruding. It turns out that the partial quote highlighted in red above really is not an (aesthetic) issue - assuming you find a strap that 'works'.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Because of the double spring bar issue (of more anon), my first thoughts were to try and source a 'correct' black leather 'Chavitimer' strap from Rotary. Such a thing *does* exist, and is fitted to another yet another (third) version of the 'Chavitimer' (it's rose gold-plated, with a slightly different face layout), available under Argos cat. No. 283/5297
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Bit of an update on this. Not strictly 100% true - anymore. :huh: Particularly the last part of the post (in *Bold*). 

I found a sympathetic ear in Rotary's Materials department - a helpful young man, name of George. 

He said, that if I got him the Rotary model # off the back of the relevant watch, he would get me a 'spare' black strap for it.

So, earlier in the week, as I had to go into town, I called into Argos, and asked to see a 283/5297 Rose Gold 'Chronospeed'.

The model number on the case-back is indeed different to the normal 'Chavitimers' (both the Black and Blue-faced versions).

It's *GS03355/06(12952)*

Called George yesterday. 'Correct' Black Rotary leather strap, complete with double spring bars is in the post to me.


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## wrenny1969 (Jun 24, 2008)

I bought one of these about 2 years ago.

Didn't much care for the strap but recently bought and fitted a black rubber strap and it's been sitting on my wrist since.

It looks pretty nice in my opinion.

adios

ps mine is the chavitimer

http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/picture.php?albumid=382&pictureid=7016


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## Defender (Jan 27, 2009)

wrenny1969 said:


> I bought one of these about 2 years ago.
> 
> Didn't much care for the strap but recently bought and fitted a black rubber strap and it's been sitting on my wrist since.
> 
> ...


Sorry couldn't seem to get that link to work for me?

When I get home I'll post up some pitcures of my pair of the infamous 'Chavitimers', until then have this one to be going on with, not a Chavitimer, but quite close really.










ATB,

Defender :astro:.


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## wrenny1969 (Jun 24, 2008)

here's another attempt at a link


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## Defender (Jan 27, 2009)

wrenny1969 said:


> here's another attempt at a link


Thanks, that's much better :thumbsup:.


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## sangman2000 (Mar 30, 2008)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> O.K. So I bought an Argos Rotary Chronospeed (a.k.a. 'Chavitimer') â€¦. or two.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## wrenny1969 (Jun 24, 2008)

Excuse my ignorance I have this one. but i donâ€™t get the, aka Chavitimer, what is a Chavitimer?


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

wrenny1969 said:


> I bought one of these about 2 years ago.


So did I (or two of them, in fact, if you count the blue-faced version on a bracelet). :blush:

Don't think I've worn either for the last 2 years - not since I last posted in this thread. :lookaround:



wrenny1969 said:


> Didn't much care for the strap but recently bought and fitted a black rubber strap and it's been sitting on my wrist since.


Your rubber strap looks very tight on your wrist. Maybe it's the angle. 

I presume you used the outer sets of lug holes. No sign of the springbars pulling out ? :huh:


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


>


now don't get me wrong, am not really keen on these - but that is since i saw one in the metal, on my next rood neighbour's wrist.

before then i flippin' hated 'em. i can sort of see the attraction, sort of.

not my bag, but as ever judgement of a watch without trying it on isn't really judgement.

not sure if this is off topic or merely a backhanded complement or what.

and put the durn thing on a bracelet!

or a toshi


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## wrenny1969 (Jun 24, 2008)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> wrenny1969 said:
> 
> 
> > I bought one of these about 2 years ago.
> ...


It's the angle - I was struggling to position the watch so that I could take the shot.

Yes I used the outer lug holes.

Springbars fine and dandy


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