My quartz project went wrong!

[eezy]

I have a nice case and dial so decided to make a custom watch for mrs eezy with a new Miyota module.

No dial feet so I used sticky dial pads. I put it all together, it worked fine and looked good so left it on my bench for a few days with the back off. Eventually decided it was OK, put the back on and presented it to mrs eezy. It ran for about 24 hours before it stopped so I reset the time and ran it for a day or so. She wore it and it stopped again.

So further investigations and I find if I hold the watch vertical and tap it, the hour hand moves. The hands are new and not loose so I start thinking.

Conclusion:- The dial is not flat, it's convex, but the module is flat meaning the edges of the module are touching the dial but the hour wheel has a gap above it allowing it to jump out of mesh, even though I inserted the wavy washer.

Ah well, a novice error I guess

[AndyHull]

Can't you simply shim it with another washer?

[eezy]

7 minutes ago, AndyHull said:

Can't you simply shim it with another washer?

Yes but those washers are so thin that 1 won't make much difference.

I've since had a thought that I could put another wavy washer on the other way up and that should work. I could shim it with anything but it's about calculating the size of the gap.

[watchweasol]

Hi  unfortunatly shimming in this case will be a matter of trial and error to achieve the correct gap. Try putting a bit of rodico under the dial then fitting it then remove dial and measure the thickness of the rodico after being squashed you will be near the size required

[yankeedog]

Beer cans.nice aluminum. excellent shim stock.

[AndyHull]

.. and a paper hole punch cuts nice circles of about the right size. Thin plastic sheet would also work.

 

[eezy]

Thanks guys, all good tips.

[yankeedog]

Plastic is nice...but it doesn't give you an excuse to have a cold one.

[eezy]

36 minutes ago, yankeedog said:

Plastic is nice...but it doesn't give you an excuse to have a cold one.

Actually I was trying to work out if I could use the top off a vodka bottle.

[yankeedog]

you would be my hero if you could do that