wow that's lovey mate, you done a nice job on it. :thumbsup:

By sheer coincidence, it has taken me just as long to finally get round to modding one of mine - the main reason I bought it in the first place. Fitted a new dial and hands. I was hoping to change the bezel insert as well, but it's an odd size and I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement.


Lume is much better now.

Yes but took me 10 months to do it. lol

Only took 10 months mate to get the batteries in mate lol

I must admit, this made me chuckle somewhat. No idea if there's any truth to this though.

The weak link (ha) is that if the Mirvaines are "reasonable" watches, why do they have such tinny and awful straps? I suppose that may be a clue. I bought one of the Geneva pretend "Michael Kors"-style watches from Aliexpress a while back for around £3 and (as I bought this Mirvaine for boyf) I assume the "Mirvaine" bracelet is similar - hollow, fragile, not able to stand up to long-term use.

Many of these Mirvaines had rubber seals that had perished, though I'm not a watch expert and not sure if that's a definitive clue that the watches are decades-old stock.

I was of the mindset that the Chinese only copied well-known and costlier brands until I saw fake Koss PortaPros on dx dot com for £2-odd (back in the days when you could get genuine PortaPros for around £15 from Amazon).

Who is this madman? Has samoflondon got another account??

Personally, I feel completely betrayed for having spent 8 quid on a watch that is worth 8 quid. Also, I'm heartbroken that a 40 year old South American made watch that is shipped from Manchester had to spend a month on a ship to/from China in order to flatten the battery. oO

It's worth 8 quid whatever way you look at it, and the backstory published last year more than adequately explains what these watches are, where they came from, why they're a bit knackered, etc for pretty much everyone that bought one. That's why they bought one.

You're telling me I've bought a couple of fake Mirvaine diver style watches! I'm off to the trading standards first thing tomorrow morning, around 2.16 or 4.55 according to me.

It takes over a month to get a ship transport from China. That's why batteries are dead.
Or simply someone ordered those watches and never paid or something. Wholesaler offered them dead for 1 pound, someone bought them and now is feeding this **** to you for 7.50 I wonder how he got to know the automatic offer right?

Haha good spot! Anyone want a cheap rolex :stuck_out_tongue:

Do they negotiate a lower price for the non working battery?

You guys are being conned. This is not 'NOS' it's a Chinese made watch. Wholesale OEM where someone has used Mirvaine logo. Don't buy this ****.
Like this one: wholesaler.alibaba.com/pro…tml You just email them and negotiate how many you need and what logo they have to use.
Looks familiar? wholesaler.alibaba.com/pro…tml

Sadly, it stopped working again. Guessing it's faulty :disappointed:

Very smart.

Finally managed to get some time and sort this out. Lovely looking watch now its done.

Have you looked inside to see if the movements are different?
Seems some are chinese after the original ones were miyota.
No etching on my movement to tell.[/quote]
Both labelled Japan

Have you looked inside to see if the movements are different?

Seems some are chinese after the original ones were miyota.
No etching on my movement to tell.

Replacement arrived after 3 days,put in battery and it works :stuck_out_tongue: Did not ask for non working watch back.
This seller shows how Ebay should work.

oh crap.....i'm in for the black one now........blue face looks great on a £1.20 nato......who's the baller now

Thanks for the feedback. Both of mine have Japanese Miyota (Citizen) movements, as stated in the first post. Where did you get the idea they were Swiss?

very good for price, and very fast delivery. royal mail 1st class. The watch movement is Chinese not swiss like the deal suggests but that is to be expected for such a cheap watch. Ive had it for a few weeks now and the bezal is showing signs of scratches in the black. For someone looking for a cheap watch that looks nice i would recommend it, a few people have commented on it and couldnt believe it was so cheap as the overall finish does look nice. Im not sure I would take this diving but is fine for everyday use.

Boyf got his watch working with a little WD40 on a blunt knife and turned some "stem" with it (note I have no idea about watch innards, this is my uneducated summary!) - it's been working faultlessly for the last 10 days.

I could message the seller and pretend it's still kaput but that's bad karma :stuck_out_tongue: Just wanted to ensure it wouldn't die on him again, seems okay so far.

That's good to hear. Looks like they are back in stock (again) as well. :smile:

My watch did not work after fitting a new battery so tried another one but still no joy.
Messaged seller and I am being sent a replacement .

Yeah, I got the battery from ebay, new stock, didn't buy from a Pound shop (though only ever saw no-name silver cell batteries in there).

The seller was really quick at replying - messaging on ebay always fills me with dread somewhat as sometimes there's hostile sellers, people who take weeks to reply, etc. They're getting more in a few weeks, so I'll try another battery whilst waiting.

Depends where you got it from, too. Off the back of comments on this thread, I opted to ignore the pound shops and bought a bulk pack of 5 x renata 377's from ebay for about 2.5 quid, which was well worth the investment. I've had duracell and all sorts just totally fail on me from the inferior stores in town.

Oh no. It might be worth trying another battery. You do sometimes get a dud even with branded ones.

Well random! Boo to that... :disappointed:

Well, his happiness has turned into disappointment now, after only a few days, the watch is completely dead. Brand new Sony battery so not sure what's wrong.

Boyf has finally changed the battery and strap - he says his dial has a "little" lume on the markers - like a few others, the rubber seal inside had perished. He's very happy with it otherwise.

just got mine today, only order it sunday pm, impressive!!
Any ideas about the colour of nato strap to match the blue face?

Still not here

I ordered one of these just after this link was posted and it still hasn't arrived. So don't expect it before Christmas now unfortunately

Did this work?

112188094209

Got the ebay link?

What?

Search new Mirvaine, replace watch made by the new incarnation of the Mirvaine brand

Better?

...if it WERE new, would you go to all the effort of removing the back to fit a dead battery ??
(which would be harder to find than the watch ffs ! )

There are two "versions" of Mirvaine mentioned in the thread if you read the proper back story link. The likelihood that it's a new Mirvaine is approximately zero, given we have already said its definitely not and is in all probability thirty to forty year old stock that has "turned up". God alone knows what the real story is.

The more of these that turn up the more I'm thinking that they're probably not made by the Mirvaine mentioned earlier in the thread. Still not a bad product for £8 but not worth anything more. That being said I like my blue dial and it will get worn in the rotation!

Here we go again, seems they have found yet another boxful of both colours. :neutral_face:

Looks a treat on a £1.60 ebay leather strap... feels waaaay nicer too !

Just had offer of £7.50 accepted +99p postage.

... ask Tom Arnold

​Sometimes the occasion does call for depths beyond 50m oO

If you're struggling with the nail varnish thing, you could first try my method. The "superglue" I used was the Tommy Walsh approved Poundland special...

I basically just shoved the watch/nut (padlock in my case!) into hot water and then snapped off the padlock. I'm guessing a) the glue is **** and b) the expansion of the two pieces of metal just causes it to break away. The remaining glue simply peeled off and I maybe scratched a bit off with a fingernail.

It depends on how tight the back is on initially, some had luck using blue tack and turning whereas mine wouldn't open without using the glue method as it was on extremely tightly, you can get nail polish remover from loads of place now so might be worth just noting it down and remembering to pick some up whilst you're out and about if you go the super glue method


Also thanks for all the advice in this thread, been a great quirky deal and topic!

Tried a dishcloth stuffed inside a rubber glove?

Nail varnish remover is fairly cheap- £1 in boots (not that I would know *ahem*), so if you've got a nut and super glue it may still be the best method

How did you get your backs off then? I've just received mine and haven't got any nail varnish remover to attempt the nut trick.

Apologies if posted already, but here's a Youtube video showing how to remove a metal strap from a divers' watch and change to a NATO strap youtu.be/tXR…t_E

Does anyone know what width the ladies' watch straps are? Obviously they won't be quite as thick as the mens' 20mm. Maybe I should try emailing the seller. Really want one with a blue face :smile:

If anyone is still looking for a ladies version, it seems they have found yet another boxful. :wink:
ebay.co.uk/itm…193?hash=item360c5c2c29:g:Y60AAOSwcLxYH3tJ

Pepsi bezel as well.
ebay.co.uk/itm…193
...along with another 3 mens black ones.

Well this thread has been a hoot! Maybe I've been lucky but I haven't had to resort to superglue and a big nut with the 2 examples I bought. Still searching for a suitable bracelet so I'll post back if ever I find one. Can't understand all the love for NATO straps myself but each to their own.

The key with any superglue is less is more!
I spread a drop on a brass 15mm plumbing nut (the flat face with the writing) , wiggle on the watch back and leave alone for at least 20 minutes... Poundshop nail varnish remover soaks it off again (away from the watch ! ) once cleaned, its replaced using a blob of bluetack.

Image shows a compression "T" but they all use the same nuts..
[img]s7g3.scene7.com/is/…235?src=ae235/95632_P&$prodImageMedium$[/img]

One more tip on the big nut removal method. I used Loctite but probably too much of it and/or didn't leave it long enough, so first attempt failed. Second attempt: less glue, longer drying with help of gently heating with a hair dryer. This could also have softened the seal as the back then came off smoothly.

Nut came off again OK and wife's nail varnish remover cleaned the glue residue off easily.

20mm

What size strap is needed for these watches?

Thanks for the tip about supergluing a nut to the back to open it, I've opened the back and fitted a new battery all within this afternoon.

I've ordered the Orange/Grey/Black strap from here but it'll be a while- as it's coming from China.

First impressions of the watch are good. The strap feels like it's made out of tin foil.

I'm going to keep the nut on the back for some time while I decide whether to re-paint the luminous elements of the face.

Has anyone found a decent replacement metal strap?

.. perhaps he's met his missis !

was out shopping earlier and stumbled across a little side street key cutter, watch repair shop.
charged £20 to fit a new battery but used decent quality batteries and also guaranteed them and the work for 3 years.
bit dearer than I wanted to pay but saved me the hassle of glueing stuff etc...

Finally got the back off using the super glue method, used some £1 one from Poundland and a medium size bolt, it took a lot of force as it was on really tight, picked up a cheap battery and like others it started working again, just to change the strap and it's a nice everyday watch for around £10

You totally missed the joke on this one.

Oos

The rating of watches in terms of metres has nothing to do with depth.

It's static pressure.

I wouldn't swim with anything below 100m, and wouldn't dive with one below 200m.

Its waterproof so unless you're going deeper than 50m you should be all good.

This any good for m*ff divers?

OOS

Yeah that was me :smile: Okay then, cheers :smile:

OOS

If anyone's thinking of buying the bracelet discussed earlier (link below) then don't bother. Although the bracelet is good quality and fits on the watch, the end links are too small and so the bracelet doesn't sit right on the watch. They don't butt up to the bezel enough and are too small to re-shape to fit. Also the original end links don't fit with the new bracelet, and even if they did, the design is different so it wouldn't look right. So, I'll continue my search for a bracelet with bigger end links, but it's hard to tell from pictures on the internet.

ebay.co.uk/itm…548?var=&hash=item43c0219a84:m:m7yE7vHXWhNCTyJiTSB7Xsw

As for people trailing round jewelers trying to get the back off, try harder yourself! I've got something like this below. Although the case back remover isn't made for removing backs like the one on the Mirvaine, you can still manage to grip the back a little (with careful adjustment) to loosen it a smidge, then get going with the dishcloth in the rubber glove idea. Timpsons can stick their stupid prices!

ebay.co.uk/itm…442?hash=item3d1a3616c2:g:96wAAOSwl-FXM6uV

They tried but said they didn't have the proper equipment.
I don't mind trying the superglue method but have no clue what you use to get off glue once done?
Suggestions?

I to tried 3 different watch repair shops today and all couldn't do the job.
Timpsons could get it done if sent away and cost would be quite high.
I do have a vice in the garage so may try gripping it up and lightly tapping a small screwdriver at the teeth

That Chinese back remover tool night be worth a go - I got boyf one but don't think he'll have it yet. ebay.co.uk/itm…022 (mentioned earlier in the thread - assuming you haven't already done the nut/superglue route).

I just used big nut and pound shop super glue was stuck fast but came undone.

£55?!!! what a rip-off! Did the others try and fail or refuse to try at all?

Sigh.

Been to three watch shops today and all three couldn't get the back off.
Timpsons could but wanted £55 for the pleasure and it'd have to be sent away.

I don't have the tools myself. So this is destined to sit in a drawer unworn.

What superglue and remover do people recommend as i'll have to order some.

Thanks, I have tried but it seems the mods will only do it once. :disappointed:

Edit: As you were, looks like they have done it anyway. :smile:

Thanks for the bigger nut idea.
Used loctite super glue rather than the pound super glue work uses and it came off finally. :smile:

Now need to buy some acetone/propanone to gets the residial glue off the back =)

Back in Stock. Time to unexpire again!

That's a bummer, sounds like the crown was over tightened at the factory. Is the threaded bit still in the crown? If so, could you extract it and superglue it back on the case? Just taking wild guesses here.
In theory you can get replacement threads but it might well be more hassle and expense than it's worth.
cousinsuk.com/pro…bes

Just stripped it and looks like the threads have snapped where the crown screws in I can se thread on the inside but is smooth on the outer.

If anyone has a case with crown they don't want let me know :grin:

Yes after I had changed the battery so I could change the time.

did you unscrew it to star with ?

Yeah, its like there is no thread for it to grip to the body :disappointed:

Is it possible the threads have threaded? if so can they be replaced.

Have you pushed the crown back into a screw-able position? Also note that in order to engage the screw mechanism, you'll first have to push the crown towards the body of the watch while you rotate it as it's spring loaded.

Apologies if you're aware of all this of course.

the crown on mine won't screw back in :disappointed: wasted and hour glueing a nut on to change the battery gutted..

Could you use the old ones?

Ahhhh that's better! :smile:

[img]dropbox.com/s/d…jpg?raw=1[/img]

You need to push a pin through one of the holes in the lugs to release the spring bar that is holding the end link in place.

How are you guys reluming ? ive had a close look and unlike good quality watches with "buckets" to fill... these look like flat markers with bits of precut lume stickers !

Silly question, how can the strap be taken off, do you just flip the clips up on the back?

If only, oi be a Devonsher lad born and bred. :smile:

Lets us know if it fits ok without modifying the curved ends.

You must be minted by now...
Container in Manchester = manchester in Lancashire =lancman

I claim my £5 hahahahahaa

Ahh well, it was fun while it lasted, but both colours are now all gone. :disappointed:

Oh dear, looks like you got all the bad luck. If it were me, I'd just put some grease on the threads, assume the watch is not waterproof and use it accordingly.
You quite often see poor finishing between the lugs. Those areas are normally hidden by the bracelet.
Black permanent marker is useful for hiding minor scratches on the bezel. Bezels are usually just clipped on and in theory can be pried off with a knife blade but I've never tried it.
ehow.com/how…tml
Acetone (nail varnish remover) is supposed to dissolve superglue.

DOH!!

Good idea, but also the body on the black one is a lot better than the blue. I'll see how I get on...

Why not just swap over the movements ?

Which forum was that?

It was Watchuseek but I can't remember which thread.

Thought so but for some reason I thought it may be opposite thread..

You could always wear as some sort of broach?

Well... this is a proper job and no mistake. Couldn't get hold of a proper tool for the job. Superglued a padlock on the back! Got the back of the watch off... The seal is totally mangled tho :disappointed: What the hell do I do about it? Does this metal-on-metal screw thread not keep "a bit of water" out?
[img]dropbox.com/s/k…jpg?raw=1[/img]
[img]dropbox.com/s/s…jpg?raw=1[/img]
For god's sake, if you can get the battery out/in without removing that tiny screw DON'T TAKE IT OUT it's a nightmare to get back in. Unless you have superb tools and you are Ant Man.

Example of the bad milling on the watch casing, see the rough edge between the strap mount points
[img]dropbox.com/s/4…jpg?raw=1[/img]
Noticed also that the bezel on my black one is really quite badly scratched (gorged, even) - can I swap the bezels between the watches? I have no idea how to remove a bezel.
[img]dropbox.com/s/z…jpg?raw=1[/img]

Also how the hell do I now detach this massive lump of brass from my watch? :grin:
[img]dropbox.com/s/0…jpg?raw=1[/img]

Lefty loosey, righty tighty. So, anticlockwise!

Actually cheaper here (bah!) £1.38, UK seller ebay.co.uk/itm…238

£1.33 here (display picture is a bit confusing!) ebay.co.uk/itm…722

Can't speak for the length of the straps, never bought one before.

Mine came today :smile:

quick question the back does it come off clockwise or counter clockwise.

Can you get different length NATO straps? I've seen some where they're so long that when fastened on the smaller holes the back of the strap loops back over the front of the watch and it just looks silly.

An hour

Theres a few on ebay if you search for 20mm curved straps (the proper term is bracelet however they're sometimes listed as just straps). Some are a few quid, some are nearer £20. I'm going to go for the £4.95 on that Lancman posted above, available from Watchgecko.

Key is to find a BIG nut ! I dug around my toolbox and found a nut used in plumbing.. all 15mm screw connections use them, and it had a nice flat face that matches the flat face on the back.... also had a failure due to impatience - you need to let the glue set before applying force.

Any other recommendations for a stainless strap.

Here's 20mm NATO straps for £2.45 delivered (from the UK) - the colours might not appeal to everyone though! ebay.co.uk/itm…588

Went for Blue/Green/Blue.

Nice picture. I also bought the same band, should have been here today.




First off, don't hit it.
I used a scalpel hobby knife and just flipped it right off with hardly any effort.
The adhesive was a bit of a pain to get off but I just used some ultrasolve solvent on a wrap to melt it away.

I think rubber is the way to go. Try my dishcloth in a rubber glove idea! Or as a last resort use a good quality superglue and leave it a good hour to properly set.

My question (should I decide to lose the cyclops) is how are you guys hitting it with the chisel/scalpel? Are you hitting it say, half way up its side? Surely you can't be placing the flat chisel edge on the crystal and then tapping it along the base of the cyclops as you'll risk digging the chisel into the crystal?

Got my 2 yesterday and impressed with them for the money. One of them was easy to change the battery using a ball of blue tack to undo it but the other I had to use the glued nut, thanks for that tip, worked a treat.

Any other suggestions on how to remove the back?
Tried gaffer tape ball.
Super glue and nut has the nut coming off straight away.

Yes, it's not so easy when you haven't got a 'bucket' to fill. The existing lume is painted on and I carefully scraped it all off before proceeding. The round dots aren't so bad, but the oblongs and triangles can be a pain to get looking neat and tidy without the lume going all over the face. Best advice is watch a few YouTube videos and have lots of practice before going anywhere near the watch.

​Cheers!

My £3 ebay strap arrived today so done for now. Not bad for £12.50 all in!
It keeps good time too, around a second out over 24hrs against my Atomic G-Shock.

Which forum was that?

[quote=Lancman]

Hi missleading, where'd you get the ladies' one? I saw old cached ebay pages for the womens' variety but they were from about a year ago.

ok... no probs, thanks for getting back to me..
ebay it is then ;-)

Mine arrived today too! First job to remove the back took some time. Tried Lancman's method of putting it in a vice an using a watchmakers hammer and a mini screwdriver on the knurled ring. No joy. Then tried a normal watch case back remover (more for the slotted backs rather than this 'Rolex' style screw down but thought it was worth a try). No joy. Finally rolled a j-cloth (aka dish rag) into a ball, put it inside a rubber glove to make a rubber ball and with some strong wrist action it freed up and a sigh of relief was breathed! Perhaps my previous efforts helped loosen it a bit.
As mentioned, the pre-fitted battery was a Sony with 'made in Japan' on it. I didn't need to remove the screw inside the mechanism as some posters mentioned. With a mini screwdriver the old battery popped out and new one (Renata) fitted with ease. To my delight, the second hand jarred into life.
The bracelet is cheap and nasty. And jangly in a 'this is a cheap watch' kind of way. But still, in the absence of anything else, I removed a link (puny wrist), but it's worth noting that the split pins didn't come out without a fight, and I had to use a pair of pliers and some judicious elbow grease after I'd managed to initially push them out.
Worth mentioning that mine also had a protective film around the bezel (like the type you get on a brand new mobile phone screen or TV surround) so that gives some credence to it being proper new old stock. Consequently, no scratches on the bezel.
I'll be leaving the cyclops on mine for now as I'm ambivalent towards it. Suppose it's part and parcel of the 'diver' look.
Next job is to find a new bracelet. I hadn't realised until I took delivery that the bracelet needs a curved end, so the ones I'd been eyeing up on ebay were no good. Again, Lancman thanks for that link above. You're right, you should be on commission! I do worry that the 'jangly' nature of this watch is due to the end links though, and any replacement bracelet with the curved end links would also be rattly. Must say, I'm only a novice watch DIY'er, so are these meant to be pressed/nipped up once fitted for tightness? They're supplied rather loose on the supplied bracelet.
All in all, I'd say this was a real bargain. The watch has a weight to it that I wasn't expecting and certainly doesn't look like a "sub" £10 watch (see what I did there).

The strap came from Watchgecko (one of their £5 ones), but sadly no longer available.

Lancman... where did you get the black strap with white stiching please ? looks great

Received today. As per previous poster, bezel markings not lining up too well but can't grumble for less than a tenner. Date magnifier / Cyclops thing was easily dispatched with a thumb nail, no need for any tools. Remaining residue was dealt with a scrub with a Tesco baby wipe! Cheers op.

Got mine today as well and i am wondering if its a frankstein watch.

Some good attributes and some bad comes up with a inconsistent watch.

Sharp case edges, awful cyclops and a bracelet that locks itself in the wrong position.
Impressed with the bezel and the crown quality though hence i am wondering if its a job lot of parts.

Purple rather than blue face but the sunburst look is nice

Only 10 left of the blue one. Over 400 sold, most of those in the last week - such is the power of HUKD!
Just wish I was on commission. (_;)

Not sure I can be much help there, I prefer leather straps so have never bought a bracelet. I did read on one forum that someone was quite impressed with this eBay one, but I can't vouch for it personally. It's coming from China though, so you will have to be patient.

Edit: Looks like it's also available from Watchgecko if you want it quicker. Bit more expensive though.

Took delivery of blue & black today. Housemate threw them up the stairs to me... oO Batteries not here yet so don't know if they work, but... looking nice. Few niggles. Reverse-side milling is pretty poor on both, my blue one has a very jagged bottom edge too. Bluey also has a rather loose bezel.

Removed both the "cyclops" (didn't even know what the hell that was til yesterday) as they were both not 100% evenly placed, a little rough around the edges and not super attractive. I stuck a piece of tape on the glass, and bopped it off with a watchmaker's screwdriver and a weighty object. The residue was easily removed with a fingernail and some saliva to polish.

I received my NATO strap in black/olive today too, mounted on the black faced watch as planned. It looks great; very pleased with this for 16 quid all-in (7.50 watch, 8 strap, ~50p battery) Photo tomorrow cos the lights faded...

Yep !

My battery arrived today and working ok. I did manage brute force it without problem with a pair of tweezers. Just awaiting a strap now :smile:

Does/should the bezel rotate?

if you look at post #50... its the big screw bottom/right. . .

Mines turned up, same padded envelope with a plastic bag and lume really good, strap is rubbish, so I would also like recommendations for a stainless strap.
The old battery is a Sony one which was a supprise.

Got any photos? Don't want to be trashing the internals! :smile:

Took you ten mins to set the time?? Did you have some atomic clock to hand and adjust it manually or something? :grin:

Mine turned up today... padded envelope with a plastic bag on each watch - not sure these are as old as we're led on !
The lume IS glowing, but my is the strap small ! Im no wrestler, but its tight on me - with no more adjustment... so new strap needed.
Dont think its been mentioned before, but the winder is TWO stage.. ie fully out adjusts the time, one click back adjusts date... but its so subtle, its easy to miss !

Waiting on 2 batteries now... my poundshop stock is dubious, but they BOTH work !!!!
DIYers, please note that you need to loosen/remove the large screw next to the battery - first brute force attempt revealed this !

Had to use the superglue trick to remove the backs... 10 min setting time and bingo !!!! Then removed the nut+residue with nail varnish remover (non acetone... Im sure the real thing would be quicker)

Crikey, so you want a Swiss Made watch in original packaging delivered to your door for under £7.50?!

Anyways, I'm awaiting delivery of mine. Assuming it's wearable I'll be upgrading the strap, but rather than a NATO strap I'm thinking of a better quality stainless bracelet, similar to the one that's on. Any recommendations Lancman? There seems a few on ebay for under a tenner but are they any better than what it comes fitted with?

I think HUKD's search function is heavily dependent on the tags each Deal poster adds, or doesn't add. I got told off for putting too many on mine!!

Nearly as bad as their Search!

No, I just removed the cyclops (magnifier). See post #48.

I think some Mirvaines are/were Swiss-made, no expert on them or watches in general but the one I saw had "Swiss Made" clearly shown on the dial and on the back case. forums.watchuseek.com/f29…tml

Ok i didn't know that about NOS (never purchased before)
There was a link in an earlier comment to an external website that has details of the brand Mirvaine that stated they were produced in Switzerland. (i did think it was unusual given the Jap movement, but im not a watch guru)

They're "New Old Stock" so arriving in a jiffy bag isn't unusual. As for the "Swiss made" comment - don't see it anywhere on this thread?

It has a Japanese Miyota quartz movement.

From Post #1:

safe to assume then that these are not the genuine article? I also guess these were not made in Switzerland as stated in a previous post. Maybe I shouldn't have ordered two. Having said that, they haven't even turned up yet.

Mine arrived this morning, comes in a plastic bag in a jiffy bag.

Bracelet is horrible but to be expected for the price. Mine has a few scratches on the bezel again to be expected. The Cyclops came off easily with a scalpel and a bit of pressure, an old knife or narrow chisel should do the same job. I got the back off using the ball of gaffer tape method so now awaiting battery and a NATO band.

Cheers op :-)

Hi, Can I ask if the watch comes in original packaging? thanks

The price has changed slightly, it's now £8.99 Buy It Now or Best Offer + 99p P&P (may well have been like that for the last day or two but only just noticed X))!

Have you changed the glass on yours? Notice it doesn't have the magnification on the date?

I don't understand what's going on with those eBay links. They work one minute but not the next. HUKD being picky again?

Not working again - seller is 'uk-sparkle' - well recommended. eBay item number: 250970945208. Then select 377 from dropdown list.

Well they must be going on late 40s early 50s now and I can't feel too bad for working practices that happened before I was even born.

I don't have massive wrists and it's uncomfortably tight on the last but one pin set. It has loads more smaller size settings and I think you will be just fine unless you have twig arms.

Looks pretty smart for £7.50 and hopefully will be a bit better made than most "new" watches at that price. There are older cached ebay listings for the ladies' equivalent Mirvaine divers watch but don't see any others out in the wilderness currently. I tend to wear a Citizen Eco-Drive day to day and a Accurist gold watch for special occasions but it's nice to have a change - I'd have considered one for myself. The mens' version would maybe be too big for my skinny wrists!

Thanks OP...ordered one a few days ago.
Oh...and could the terriblefakesub/homage/lookalikey/howcouldyoupossiblywearthat
crowd stop trying to spoil what is a good bit of fun for the money.
Life is too short:-))

Shame, I've just dumped rather more than perhaps I ought on a NATO olive/black in faux-Bond for my black one: ebay.co.uk/itm…922

Working link for Renata batteries tho (also ordered): ebay.co.uk/itm…208

Just been playing with straps myself, my Seamaster normally has a stainless bracelet of course, but I got a nice funky orange rubber one for my hols, thought it was a bit more appropriate 'poolside' :smile:

[img]scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t…jpg?oh=d8934d77d90ede4ad823a9bd5eed217f&oe=58CF0BAD[/img]

Other than the article in post #11 I haven't had much luck with the history. I did send a message to the seller asking if they knew any more but never had a reply.

As for straps, it's a common size so there are literally hundreds out there to choose from, it just depends what you want to spend. I have my black one on a WatchGecko leather strap (see first post) and I think the combo works well. I also tried the blue on on a cheap Infantry leather nato. They are very comfortable and regularly on auction so can be had dirt cheap, but I wasn't quite so keen on that look - too bulky.
. I'm not a fan of nylon natos, I find them itchy and to me they look a bit cheap and nasty.
With batteries I tend to stick with Renata. I have a lot of watches so I buy them in strips of 5 for around £1.80 on eBay (36p each). Never had much luck with cheap Poundland ones.

I mean a Brazilian wife matey, not one of these watches, unfortunately!

Back in stock by the looks of things, won't be bothering myself, but understand why many people fancy one, good find OP.

Made up brand and the legend for another Chinese knock off Submariner.

You just need to insert the battery electrolytes correctly.

I used to have one, but it turned out to be faulty...

I bought one of these watches on eBay back in March.

It didn't work with a new battery.

Had to get eBay involved to get a refund.

Bagged one, but what's the best replacement battery type, lithium, silver oxide or alkaline?

My 377 batteries are silver oxide.

A dive-style watch is a style of watch in its own right. Almost every mainstream manufacturer makes them. They are not a copy or homage to a Rolex, although some manufacturers do make homages e.g. parnis, alpha etc.

So you can wear this with pride knowing that you are NOT trying to appear like you are wearing a Cholex rip-off.

With respect, you just need to read up a bit more about watches. If you're interested, check this out.

Still the wrong straps on his. He's a cheeky fellow advertising them as new because they're modified!

rolexmagazine.com/200…tml

My wife recently got her battery changed in HSamuel and I'm sure it only cost her about £8.99 for the battery and the work.

He's selling 7 sets of 25 of the original straps from these watches, meaning he's "refurbished" at least 175 watches.

Damn, black went out of stock just as I was about to buy.

Someone on ebay is selling it with a new seal and battery fitted, and a NATO strap, but it's three times the price (!) - ebay.co.uk/itm…345

I think if you're teaming your "rolex" with some hi-tec trainers, lidl's finest esmara clothing, and carrying a primark bag of shopping, I think any mugger is smart enough to realise it's not real.

honestly, I see wearing this akin to sticking a Ferrari badge on your Fiat and driving around town. It's not real and when people notice, it just makes you look daft/cheap/desperate. There are plenty of £9 watches out there if that's your budget, that don't ape a design so obviously.

I really wish we could flesh out the backstory to these a bit. There's a few detractors on this thread that are sullying the nice idea that it started with. Anyone care to dig a bit more or make some enquiries?

Further to similar looking styles, and the strap being (potentially) a bit crap, what are the options to replace it for a sexy, affordable makeover? I swim a lot so a metal and/or resin strap is a plus for me.

If people have stories of what batteries they've got from where to replace the obviously knackered ones within that would be cool too. Similarly the seals; I want to swim in mine and am a bit reticent at this point.

TYVM

do these watches come in original packaging?

Bolex

Bought another for xmas present, £7.49 automatically accepted.

I do agree in some ways, but there are so many similar designs by large makers, principally Omega, Tudor and the like that bear all the same hallmarks you mention that I think it is fine now to wear a submariner-style dive watch. Just so long as it isn't actually bearing any logo that is remotely similar to Rolex and just so long as you're not wearing it with the intention of trying to seem flash then it's fine. Dive watches are classically good looking.

If it is too close to the Rolex look then you can always swap out the bracelet for a cheap 007-style NATO strap and try to copy the Seiko look.

It's all personal taste, of course.

Rolex, at a guess.

Just about to treat myself but OOS

Ever wonder who makes your £8.99 watch? :disappointed:

Granted it may have all the functionality of a divers watch but with the exception of the brand name on the face, it looks too damn close to a submariner to be a coincidence; the "pearls", the rising star hour hand, the shape/style of each hour marker, even as the OP put it - the "rolex like" back plate etc. These things are not pertinent to being a "divers watch"

There are plenty of similar divers watches; Tudor Heritage, Omega Seamaster, even Seiko do a similar watch but they're all clearly different enough to not be mistaken: imgur.com/4VF…rpl

Cold, not named after a fragrance or sportswear manufacturer and dial not bigger than my palm (_;)

now that's a watch I can get behind X)

‌ :smile: I had to smile because the cynic in me considered that too.

That's weird, they must have found another boxful in a corner of the warehouse. That or they needed a rest from the relentless onslaught of orders. :smile:

Both showing stock again for anyone that was still undecided (_;)

Ah well, looks like the fun is over. Both models are now out of stock. :disappointed:

Id be happy if the wife had a Brazilian...

​I'd be happy with a Brazilian wife...

Quick post as well as automatically accepting £7.49 Best Offer! Posted within a few hours :smile:

The seals on mine looked OK, I was half expecting them to be perished. Having said that, they are 30-40 years old so I personally wouldn't risk it.

I use ordinary Ronseal clear varnish for the yellowish vintage look or clear acrylic varnish otherwise. There are probably better alternatives but I just used what I had to hand.

Yes, I have found old eBay listings going back over a year, so they have been around under the radar for a while.

You floss your watches? :neutral_face:

What's the likelihood of the seals being intact. I swim and sauna regularly and no issues with other watches (inc a IP67 (lucky?)) but not sure here.

Many thanks to op.. ordered 2, plus tweezers and hands puller, now to source some paint !
Im seeing powder, but what do folk use as a base? matt nail varnish maybe...

If you like Dive style watches check out the Soki s84,s85,s86t on eBay. They look like this, but are automatic and start from around £9.99. Mine has been super reliable so far and keeps great time. You can buy one of those after you buy this.

I think these watches have been on ebay for a while - I can see watch threads where people are saying "So what's with the Mirvaine £10 divers watches on ebay?" from around February 2016 - nobody's really elaborating, though!

Thanks to the OP, it's a nice watch. Now I can be flossing...

For anyone unsure whether to bother with a Best Offer (as stocks are getting low, thanks Lancman) mine was accepted right away. The seller must have set an automatic offer price.

Quirky is good X)

Who are you calling quirky? :face_with_monocle:
Not surprised about the lack of discussion since the brand were never sold in UK (as far as I know) and how this lot ended up here is a mystery. I wouldn't wait too long to make a decision, they have 28 of the blue ones left and have sold over 100 in the past 24 hours. You do the maths. :smile:

I love these quirky HUKD threads, obscure brand, a spot of DIYing and some brand history discussed - I'd try re-luming myself but don't think my eyes are up to it these days (eyesight getting worse!). Tempted to buy this as a daily beater for boyf. Not a lot of chatter about Mirvaine on Watchuseek etc, though.

To remove the movement you first have to pull out the winding stem. To release the stem you have to push down on the little dot which I have circled in the picture below:

Maintain pressure on that dot as you remove the stem. Then remove the white plastic surround (it just clips in) and the movement will then drop out. To re-lume the hands you will have to remove them as they are done from behind. There are lots of videos on Youtube showing how to do this. Good luck!

How did you remove the movement please? (to get at the dial... and did you remove the hands.. as these are painted on the rear)

Thanks

Mine came off quite easily. I just chipped them off using a chisel point Xacto blade.

Didn't need any heat, one tap and they flew off (never did find one of them). Any residual glue can be carefully scraped off with the same blade or dealt with using nail varnish remover.

Thanks OP, bought one of each colour to go in the collection,

Looks like you took the time to remove the cyclops from your crystal. Did you just heat it and chip it off, or did you replace the whole crystal?

Thanks op, nice looking watch bought for £7.50 will go nice in my collection and great for work use.
Great feedback on the battery change techniques.

Ive changed batteries on a few screw backs... I use a blob of bluetack big enough to cover the back and about 10mm thick... press the watch into it on a smooth surface - glass table is good, or clean kitchen worktop, then twist the watch and strap ! zero chance of scratches.

I have a Tag and after 6 years I had to change the battery which cost me £70.00. The battery change in my Seiko (after 7 years) cost me £20.00. To change the battery in my Astron (hungarian made quality watch) cost me £7.00

I have a Tag and after 6 years I had to change the battery which cost me £70.00. The battery change in my Seiko (after 7 years) cost me £20.00. To change the battery in my Astron (hungarian made quality watch) cost me £7.00

Muggers need a very keen eye these days with so many Rolex homages around!

Did you see migavupe's link (post #11)? That's all the information I have been able to find.

Two more watches that I desperately don't need, thanks OP! Bought partly because of back story. Anyone got a link/reference to that? Also any more info about this company or *anything* that makes it interesting?

You will see that several of the links are held together by visible pins. You have to punch these pins out in the direction of the arrows on the inside of the links. Reconnect the links by tapping the pins back home in the opposite direction. There are several videos on YouTube eg: youtube.com/wat…PqA

There's lots of cheap watch repair took kits on eBay which include watch back removers, we're talking seven quid or so. You can pay more for better tools as you gain experience but no need to spend a mint. I'd say a cheap kit and a card of batteries from a pound shop (check the sell by dates) will still set you back less than a high street jeweller doing the job for you. From the second watch battery you change you're in pocket plus it's one less mundane trip into the high street.
I'm the family go to guy now for batteries, bracelet adjustment and spectacle repairs! Sad git that I am. :disappointed:

EDIT: Kit
Back Removers

Hi, thanks for your superglue tip, it worked a charm. Can you tell me how you remove the links please?

You can get batteries at the pound shops in multi packs

Glad you like it. Perhaps you could ask your good wife what the PRZF stands for? My guess is 'Product of the Free Trade Zone' (Zona Franca) ?

Ok, received the watch, plus a 377 battery, 99p from ebay delivered. Took about 15 min to replace the battery, via the old nut-and-superglue trick described in my earlier post, which again worked like a charm. Put the new battery in, and after 30 odd years of hibernation, the movement came back to life. Astonishing. Be careful, the battery is tiny and you need good eyesight, and probably tweezers.

First impressions - the watch looks OK, the bracelet is terrible. Light and rattly, and the split pins basically disintegrated when I tried to take a link out. Also, it isn't actually terribly long, so if you have Arnold-esque wrists, it might be too short. However, I had a 20mm leather band available and just put the watch on this band, and it looks so much better. Actually, it looks properly good! And the wife, who is Brazilian, gets a kick out of the PRZF Manaus imprint on the case back.

I think I will wear the watch as a cool and ironic anti-consumerist statement. The next time you send your Rolex in for a £600 service, I shall be ordering another 99p battery, and once again get out the old superglue. What a time to be alive!

ebay.co.uk/itm…022?hash=item1c680a885e:g:rKsAAOSwR5dXR~~J

Going to try one of these to remove the back for the battery

Mines turned up today. Really nice watch, bit tight so will have to get the strap adjusted.

Thanks mate :smile:

It takes 20mm wide straps.

The numbers were cut into the bezel so I just had to fill the depression with luminous paste then carefully wipe away any excess from the surface. The paste shrinks a bit as it dries so I had to do two coats to get a good even result.

Sorry, I've always replaced watch batteries myself so I have no idea. With the right tool it's a simple 5 minute job so shouldn't cost a lot. Try your local Timpsons perhaps?

What size strap does it take?

That looks great, how did you apply it?

Anyone know where's the cheapest place on the high street to get a new battery installed? What sort of price are we talking? It's been a long time since I've owned a watch!

Wow there, please don't glue a knife to the back of the watch! Instead, super-glue a decent-sized nut into the centre of the caseback, then open with a ratchet. When done replacing the battery, thread the caseback back on, and tighten with the ratchet. In the process, the nut might well come off by itself, if not, loosen with acetone (nail polish remover) and then clean up any residue. I recently tried this on a Seiko which refused to open, and it worked like a charm.

The case back can be opened without specialist tools. I used the Lancman brute force and ignorance approach:
Remove the bracelet, secure the case in a vice (cover the vice jaws with something to protect the case from scratching), take a watchmakers screwdriver (or something similar) and wedge it in one of the serrations on the back then gently tap in an anti-clockwise direction with a small pin hammer. Obviously you have to be very careful not to let the screwdriver slip or you will scratch your shiny (not so) new watch.
I also heard of someone supergluing a knife to the back and using that as a lever to unscrew it. How he later separated the knife from the back is another story! oO

Ordered two, one of each colour at £7.49 per offer. Getting the batteries replaced well be another story in time. . .

It lasts a good few hours. As long as it's pitch dark I can still tell the time at 6:00am. I did get the powder from eBay:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/332005424545?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
The particle size is a little on the large side so the finish is a bit rough, but at normal viewing distance it's not really noticeable. I had a go at doing the bezel on a cheap Naviforce watch and that came out surprisingly well:

wow, spot there lancman! How long does it stay 'lit' for? Fleabay for the powder yeah? Got one for £7.50 an fancy a dibble!

Another thing I love about these cheap 'n cheerful watches is that you can muck about with them without worrying too much about stuffing it up. I did a (very rough) re-lume job on my black one using some cheap luminous powder mixed with clear varnish. Makes it look even more 'vintage' (see pic in first post) and much more useable at night.

I'm saving the blue one (my favourite) until I've improved my technique a bit! (_;)

Just had an offer of £7.25 rejected but £7.49 accepted. Cheers OP

​Lancman - Top man, lots of info and interesting back story.
Thanks for taking the time to update post, I've ordered one.

It takes a 377 (SR626SW) battery.

What sort of battery does it need?

It has a screw-down crown with two O-ring seals and another seal under the screw-down back. I willing to bet the waterproofing is perfectly adequate for normal everyday use and way better than any other £8 watch. :smile:
Nobody is pretending this is a divers watch, just a divers style watch.

Nice little write up on the history of the company.
sojh.ch/?pa…297

50m? You must be kidding.

Bought one .
I love N.O.S. watches.
This one is at least 30 years old ( 1971 till 1983 )
What's not to like ?

Not needed... Ordered! As someone above said, decent enough work watch. I won't care if it gets damaged for £7.99 (best offer auto accepted) thanks op

I just updated the first post with that info. Whether or not they are still an active brand in South America, I don't know.
Quality-wise they are a bit hit and miss: The bracelet is typical low-end fare with thin folded links and is a bit rattly, but it's easy to adjust and quite comfortable. The drilled lugs make it dead easy to change straps anyway. The bezel insert is painted aluminium and the paint scratches easily. On one of mine, some of the bezel markers don't line up very well either. But for the price, they make great little beaters.

Are Mirvaine a proper brand or a cheap Chinese knock off?
Can't find much about them online?

The last thing I need is another watch. I bought one. Thanks.

oO

Work watch . perfect.

OK, looks like we're safe - I posted this a few weeks ago and it got kicked off as the seller didn't have enough feedback or something.
Anyway, these watches have quite an interesting back story. They were apparently made in Brazil - Manaus to be exact, which is in the middle of the Amazon rain forest. I believe they were intended for the South American market but somehow a container load ended up in a warehouse in Manchester almost 40 years after they were made. Go figure. oO
There are two colours available - blue and black. The blue one has a very nice sunburst dial whereas the black one has a matt finish.

Full specs:
Plated brass case with drilled lugs (makes strap changes easy)
Screw down stainless back (Rolex type)
Screw down crown
Japanese Miyota quartz movement
Rotating bezel (40mm dia.)
Mineral glass crystal
Stainless bracelet.
Hands and dial markers are luminous but this has faded over the years so isn't much use.