Amusing failure in Omega analogue watch

[Franc Zabkar]

My father gave me his gold watch, a 25 year old Omega analogue quartz.
It had been lying idle in his drawer with the time-setting pin
disengaged. After re-engaging the pin, the hands began advancing at 4
times the normal rate. After 1 hour it has gained 3 hours. I assume
the crystal is oscillating at a higher overtone, maybe due to a weak
battery.

In any case I now have a watch to match the reverse Dick Smith wall
clock above my desk. Maybe I should start collecting misbehaving
timepieces.

- Franc Zabkar

 

[William Sommerwerck]

This might be normal behavior for the watch. You might have engaged a mode
that moves the hands rapidly.

Or not.

 

[cjt]

This might be normal behavior for the watch. You might have engaged a mode
that moves the hands rapidly.

Or not.

That's how you set my Tissot (an Omega brand, I believe).

 

[Trevor Wilson]

My father gave me his gold watch, a 25 year old Omega analogue quartz.
It had been lying idle in his drawer with the time-setting pin
disengaged. After re-engaging the pin, the hands began advancing at 4
times the normal rate. After 1 hour it has gained 3 hours. I assume
the crystal is oscillating at a higher overtone, maybe due to a weak
battery.

In any case I now have a watch to match the reverse Dick Smith wall
clock above my desk. Maybe I should start collecting misbehaving
timepieces.

**When I was at tech (well, at the Department of Civil Aviation Training
School, more correctly), a couple of guys decided that some of the electric
(synchronous motor type) clocks required their special attention. They
carefully stripped the clocks apart, removed the motors, then removed the
reverse prevention thingys, reassembled the whole thing with a clock face,
carefully printed in reverse.

It was kinda nice watching the hands of the clock moving backwards.

 

[Polyp]

I have a watch that detects a quick twist of the crown and steps the
hands around 12 indicated hours (in the appropriate direction) in
about 3 seconds.

4:1 just sounds annoying.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
[email protected] Info for manufacturers:
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Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers:
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To speed it up leave it on your wrist when using a hefty spot welder.....

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

That's how you set my Tissot (an Omega brand, I believe).

I have a watch that detects a quick twist of the crown and steps the
hands around 12 indicated hours (in the appropriate direction) in
about 3 seconds.

4:1 just sounds annoying.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany

 

[N_Cook]

My father gave me his gold watch, a 25 year old Omega analogue quartz.
It had been lying idle in his drawer with the time-setting pin
disengaged. After re-engaging the pin, the hands began advancing at 4
times the normal rate. After 1 hour it has gained 3 hours. I assume
the crystal is oscillating at a higher overtone, maybe due to a weak
battery.

In any case I now have a watch to match the reverse Dick Smith wall
clock above my desk. Maybe I should start collecting misbehaving
timepieces.

- Franc Zabkar

I (in the UK) once had to repair a bedside clock radio that was running hot
and running slow. It was actually made for the USA and 110V / 60Hz that
someone had put a UK plug on the mains cable. Not burnt up running at 240V
but the 50Hz meant it was losing exactly 10 minutes an hour.

My local has a few disguised clocks including a reverse one. I though about
making one with a pointy-tooth eliptical gear and axially sprung loaded
conical pinion so it would run alternately fast and slow each hour.
There is a church near me that has a clock in the tower that is so old that
it has only one hand, other not dropped off, minutes weren't needed prior to
the railways coming in.

 

[Don McKenzie]

Have you thought of maybe changing the battery ?

geoff

My Omega costs $35 a battery change.
They give you a 2 year warranty, and they always run out in 26 months.

Have seriously though of getting a $19.95 throw away watch, and flogging
my engraved gold retirement Omega.

Don...



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[William Sommerwerck]

My Omega costs $35 a battery change.

They give you a 2 year warranty, and they
always run out in 26 months.

Have seriously though of getting a $19.95 throw
away watch, and flogging
my engraved gold retirement Omega.

You can purchase tools for opening the back of a watch. I've never paid
anyone to change watch batteries.

 

[F Murtz]

My father gave me his gold watch, a 25 year old Omega analogue quartz.
It had been lying idle in his drawer with the time-setting pin
disengaged. After re-engaging the pin, the hands began advancing at 4
times the normal rate. After 1 hour it has gained 3 hours. I assume
the crystal is oscillating at a higher overtone, maybe due to a weak
battery.

In any case I now have a watch to match the reverse Dick Smith wall
clock above my desk. Maybe I should start collecting misbehaving
timepieces.

- Franc Zabkar

I made a reverse clock years ago with a movement that I got from an
electronics shop, still works and confounds people. I have been trying
to get more of the movements recently but I am having no success.

 

[F Murtz]

I (in the UK) once had to repair a bedside clock radio that was running hot
and running slow. It was actually made for the USA and 110V / 60Hz that
someone had put a UK plug on the mains cable. Not burnt up running at 240V
but the 50Hz meant it was losing exactly 10 minutes an hour.

My local has a few disguised clocks including a reverse one. I though about
making one with a pointy-tooth eliptical gear and axially sprung loaded
conical pinion so it would run alternately fast and slow each hour.
There is a church near me that has a clock in the tower that is so old that
it has only one hand, other not dropped off, minutes weren't needed prior to
the railways coming in.

Some of the old 240 volt ac clocks would go whichever way they were started

 

[Samuel M. Goldwasser]

Some of the old 240 volt ac clocks would go whichever way they were started

And othres would reverse if you simply flipped the motor stator.

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Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
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subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

 

[F Murtz]

Try looking for a "Barber shop clock movement," which leads to (for
example) this page:
http://www.jknowles.com.au/shop/product.php?productid=16177&cat=261&page=
1

While traditionally used with a mirror image dial, so as to appear
normal and operating in the right direction when viewed in a mirror,
there is naturally no reason why you can't put whatever dial you desire
on the reverse direction movement.

Disclaimer: I have never dealt with the Jonathon Knowles Clock Company,
so have no data to recommend for or against them.

Thanks, they are not far away from here

 

[Don McKenzie]

You can purchase tools for opening the back of a watch. I've never paid
anyone to change watch batteries.

Thanks Bill,

struth, so the cost for an Omega is really in the cost of the tools, not
the battery?

I know when it first went flat, I took it to one of the little arcade
shops that do that sort of thing, and they couldn't get the back off,
and all they managed to do was scratch it.

So I had to take it to Cobblers Plus Watch Works, and they charged $35
and gave a 2 year guarantee.

Took it back 26 months later with the receipt, and they wanted to charge
me the same, so I told them I was going to replace it with a junk watch,
and they immediately dropped the price to $25.

Where do you get the tools, and how much would you expect to pay?

I don't want to be a jeweler, but at $35, when I know the battery could
be purchased $35 a 100 from China, seems a little rich.

Cheers Don...



--
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[William Sommerwerck]

Where do you get the tools, and how much would you expect to pay?

I don't know what the Omega back is like -- it might require some special,
hard-to-obtain tool -- so I can't give a definitive answer.

The most-common backs use either a slotted ring -- which can often be
removed with a pair of chain-nose pliars -- or a press-to-fit back, which is
removed with a "case-back knife".

The latter is simply a knife with a very thin blade. You simply press the
knife into the seam, and twist a bit. (Well, that's the theory. It's
sometimes a bit more difficult, and there is the chance of scracthing the
back.)

These are available from Zantech (http://www.zantechinc.com/store). They
have all kinds of watch-repair equipment and supplies. You'll have fun
browsing the site.

I don't want to be a jeweler, but $35, when I know the battery
could be purchased $35/100 from China, seems a little rich.

You can get batteries even cheaper than that from Zantech and similar
companies.

Any jeweler who charges more than $5 for a battery replacement -- including
the battery -- is gouging. Most batteries cost the dealer less than 25
cents, and replacing one takes less than five minutes. That's a gross profit
of more than $50 an hour. Not bad.

 

[L.A.T.]

Let it run.
When it has made up the time it missed when it wasn't running it will resume
normal speed.
Not many people know this.

 

[Don McKenzie]

I don't know what the Omega back is like -- it might require some special,
hard-to-obtain tool -- so I can't give a definitive answer.

yes, it appears that it does.

These are available from Zantech (http://www.zantechinc.com/store). They
have all kinds of watch-repair equipment and supplies. You'll have fun
browsing the site.

thanks William,

gee that seems a very slow site.

Couldn't find anything apart from a knife for opening watches.

You can get batteries even cheaper than that from Zantech and similar
companies.

Any jeweler who charges more than $5 for a battery replacement -- including
the battery -- is gouging. Most batteries cost the dealer less than 25
cents, and replacing one takes less than five minutes. That's a gross profit
of more than $50 an hour. Not bad.

Zantech are quoting on their pages $5 to $15.

I wanted a calculator battery a few months back. The common CR-2032.
Tried the little battery-clock shops at the local shopping centre. $9.95
Checked DSE etc, $4 to $5.

Bugger them, bought a bag load from Hong Kong for that sort of money. I
think I got an assortment of 30 batteries for around $10, inc postage.
http://www.wizard-from-oz.com/dx_2.html

Still not sure what to do about my $35 battery problem when it arises in
26 months time.

Cheers Don...





--
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[William Sommerwerck]

Let it run. When it has made up the time it missed
when it wasn't running it will resume normal speed.
Not many people know this.

Very good. I got a chuckle out of that.

 

[terryc]

I wanted a calculator battery a few months back. The common CR-2032.
Tried the little battery-clock shops at the local shopping centre. $9.95
Checked DSE etc, $4 to $5.

Also keep your eye open at $2.

Bugger them, bought a bag load from Hong Kong for that sort of money. I
think I got an assortment of 30 batteries for around $10, inc postage.
http://www.wizard-from-oz.com/dx_2.html

Also available from $2 shops around here (Our 'city' is infested with
them).

 

[Tom]

Still not sure what to do about my $35 battery problem when it arises in
26 months time.

I've stopped wearing watch about 20 years ago and never missesd it. Funyy thing I've bought a couple since then (I like nice watch) but they just sit in a drawer.

Tom