RWG Technical

Glad to see you taking up the challenge. I am guessing you bought this used from another member, the hands are full of finger prints and the hand at 6 had not fallen off, it's broken off. Looks like someone has been in there before you were and didn't know what they were doing and left finger prints everywhere and broke the post off the 12 hour counter. The type of damage is not from shipping, it's from poor workmanship. The only way to fix this is to teardown the movement and replace the gear with a new one, and I suspect that the remainder of the post is stuck in the hand, and this is going to be a real problem trying to remove and reuse the hand. RG

I can't even get my kids to pick up their clothes... Well done. RG

Well done Francisco, thanks for this. RG

Thoughts are with you, get well soon. RG

Is it a ETA 6497 or an Asian one. ETA is worth about $75 Asian would probably be half that amount... RG

Yes RG

They are listed around the $125 range from the various watch supply houses...PTS Resources is the maker. RG

Great stuff, if you find that the tubes don't hold them in place, you can always epoxy the bar to the end link, it's not going anywhere anyway... Well done, RG

I cut them open with a Dremel cut off wheel, then I open them up and file as needed to get the spring bars to fit. Once the spring bar is installed, re-bend the cut portion of the tube to secure and hold down the spring bar in place. RG

Excellent news. Remember, winding position only for stem removal. RG

It's the crown gear from the keyless works. Remove the stem and insert it in place, then re-insert the stem. DO NOT remove the stem in anything but the WINDING position, this is why the gear fell out, nothing to hold it in place. If your unsure of where and how it goes into the keyless works, check out the ETA docs on their website with the breakdown of the movements. RG

That's a beauty. Always nice to find a diamond in the rough or a surprise now and then. Great pictures as well, thanks for sharing. RG

It looks like you spent a lot of time doing the research, well documented. First, a word of warning, if your hearing spinning sounds from the click wheels, you will damage them. Keep in mind that one full turn of the crown, is dozens and dozens of turns of the reverser click wheels. The gear train is designed to step down the rotor turns to the mainspring, winding by hand is doing the reverse and is very damaging. As for the clicks you hear that is the mainspring bridle sliding from one notch in the mainspring barrel sides to the next notch as the mainspring reaches full wind. It's not existing on all models (depending on the age of the movemnet, some mainspring barrels have smooth sides, others have notches), and there are many other variables as well, how new or old the mainspring is, when was the movement last serviced and was the mainspring lubricated with the correct grease, etc... I would not state that clicking or not or the rate of clicking is a sign of the type of movement you have, there are just too many other variables. The easiest and most sure way to find out, is to open the caseback and have a look. Please keep in mind, that winding these movements by hand enough to reach full wind, unless done extremely slowly, really slowly, will damage the gears. Gears cost big dollars to replace, ETA parts have shot up in price during the past 18 months. RG

Can't beat rouge (green and red) and a nice cotton buffing wheel to get a beautiful shine. Amazing quality workmanship, totally different watch. Wow. RG

I must have missed this one, sorry... The pusher either has a screw or "C" clip that was holding it in place, with the pusher fallen out the screw or C clip is floating around in the case and could damage the movement. Pushers are common parts, meaning that they are simple to replace (but you would probably have to replace both pushers so they match). Easy fix, if you can find someone local to do the job. RG

Pretty well everyone...you guys have no heart... On a good note, I am getting to be quite the dancer since signing up for lessons since the fall. And what have you done to improve yourself over the winter? RG

Ok, I'll admit it, "Watchdog" as a new board name was not a great choice. So lets try "The Zigmeister" instead, I think it conveys who I am, and does what the name change was intended to do. Sorry for all the confusion, blame it on male menopause... Thanks everyone. RG

Thanks for the update and glad it all worked out. On the spring bars, the reason the one side is stuck is because it's bent, common issue and a result of the bracelet end link holes and the case lug holes not lining up. You should be able to pull on the plunger and it should spring free. Good job, great to DIY and get a feel for watchmaking and what is involved. RG

Theory is one thing, putting what your proposing into reality is another thing altogether. I would have to guess that you don't have any practical watchmaking experience. Do you think you have started enough posts on this one topic ? RG

Sorry to rain on your parade, the only way to modify this movement is to make it the same design as the ETA 7753. And the only practical way to do this would be to purchase a ETA7753. Parts for ETA 7753's are not available, I have tried for years to get some...and I have worked on these movements for 4 years, there is no other solution...unless you have a watch parts factory at your disposal. RG

It looks great. We all have to start somewhere, the fact you took on the challenge and in the process learned some important skills is great. A new dial or having this one lumed would probably make a world of difference, I was never a fan of the too green dials... Well done. RG

Well said and well done FGD. Cheers all around... RG

This sounds like it was written by the person who worked on a watch I had in house one time... The watch was running slow, so the watchmaker (?) cut 1/4 from the seconds hand to make it run faster...the seconds hand was only 3/4 as long as it should be. Watches dont' run slower or faster when the hand it going up or down, this is not correct, and hands are balanced as well. To answer the original question, it could be a couple of things, shaking hard is a really bad idea, because the balance will probably overbank (spin completely around and hit the outside of the pallet arm), my guess is that the balance and pallet are jamming up from the shaking, and/or as someone already said, the movement is probably indirect center seconds drive. Indirect seconds have slack between the gears and do odd things, you can check easily by holding the watch vertical, watch the seconds hand from 12-6 and watch it from 6-12. If on the way down with gravity you see the hand jumping, and on the way up against gravity the hand is smooth, it's indirect drive. Mechanical watches will overbank when shaken, all of them, jogging with any mechanical watch or playing tennis for example, is a bad idea...I could tell you about the IWC that arrived with all the dial markers broken off...from a good backhand swing... RG

I just did a double check, and the reversing wheel does fit the 28.8K Asian models, it doesn't fit the earlier versions. The cost of an ETA reversing wheel for me is $40...when you add this to the cost of the full servicing, it is pushing the limits of value for the money... I can't think of one occasion where I would have needed to replace this gear with the ETA one, it's the other gear that always gets damaged and stripped and that the ETA part is not interchangeble. RG

That is not my area of expertise, you have to do your own research and source the parts...all I do is what I already listed. RG