Help Vintage Seamaster, second hand stops intermittently

[cajunjay]

I just got myself a Vintage Omega Seamaster but have a small problem (I hope)

The second hand just stops by itself but then continues on with a little tap on the watch. Not sure if this is an easy fix or Im gonna have to fork out for a service.

Thanks

[FxrAndy]

I had this same problem a few years ago, infact this started me off working on watches as the local omega shop said it could not be fixed (could not does not feature in my vocab)

So i took it apart and found the problem and fixed it

This is a 552 movement and you can see the gear indicated @1 was slightly warped and was riding over the pinion @2 every couple of mins and the second hand would stop. I straightened the gear and it has been perfect for the last 3 years

Now your problem may be different to mine but this may help

[cajunjay]

Thanks for your reply.

I checked my movement and there is no warped or broken cogs, the secondhand movement does work just seems to get stuck for some reason.

I know its not a good idea but i used a cotton bud and some wd40 and now its working like a charm.

Hasnt stopped yet after 10 minutes which previously only lasted 10-20 seconds before stopping.

[FxrAndy]

Where did you put the wd40????????????

Maybe you just had a build up of dirt in the gears.

I would really recommend a complete service by a competent watch smith to get it properly clean with the correct oils.

[ubiquitous]

I second the suggestion of a movement overhaul. Mechanical movements require a precise amount of oil for lubrication; too little or too much can cause problems, and using the correct viscosity is also necessary for reliability, accuracy and longevity.

[freddy333]

Ditto Ubi.

[panerai153]

I may be wrong, But wasn't this a recurring problem with some Omega movements used in Seamaster 300's? i had on e a few years abck that had almost the same problem, sent it to Jack Alexion @ IWW. He overhauled the movement, cleaned it and lubricated it and it worked fine. WD40 has a kerosene base, so it is not particularly good as a lubricant, it's designed to penetrate and help free up rusty bolts, etc. What it may do is actually wash out the lubricant in you watch and make things worse. We use lots of WD40 around the farm, freeing up stuck parts on tractors, combines, etc.

Arthur