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1971 Timex 21 Jewel Date Wheel Issue

kma2018
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kma2018 New Member

kma2018

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Hello Vintage Timex Fans,

I picked up this 1971 Timex 21 Jewel (Model 75) a while back and started working on it this weekend. After winding and letting down the mainspring a few times, and lightly oiling, it's running like a champ! I have a replacement crystal ready to go as well. The only problem is that the date wheel keeps slipping off. I've already reopened and disassembled the watch several times to set the date wheel back in place. I've also wiped down the edge of the date wheel and cleaned the pegs that it rests on. I hold the dial down against it pretty tightly when I seat the movement back in place, too. Yet each time I have everything back together, a slight rap, turn, or even pushing the crown back in knocks the date wheel off again. The date wheel shape looked pretty uniform throughout, but I went ahead and swapped out a date wheel from a Model 25 just in case, but still have the same problem. Any advice would be appreciated.

The attached pic is the watch in its original condition. I'm guessing the previous owner stopped wearing it when the date wheel came off. 

IMG_1909.jpg

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kma2018 New Member

kma2018

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Oops. My apologies for breaking protocol and not introducing myself first. I've been a member and following the site for almost a year now, but this is my first posting. I've developed an interest in watches over the last few years, and have a special love for vintage timepieces. Since I live on a budget, I mostly pick up more affordable non-working watches and have learned to work on them by reading outstanding forums like this and a variety of other sites and books. I'm especially drawn to vintage Timex watches, and have been amazed at the variety and beauty of their mechanical offerings from the 50s through the 70s. They can be a little finnicky to fix sometimes, though. I'm hoping the wealth of experience from the watch repair talk members can push me in the right direction. Many thanks!

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kma2018 New Member

kma2018

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Hi JerseyMo, Thanks for taking an interest in this. Here are 2 pics of the dial side movement with and without the date wheel. The date wheel slipped off entirely when I removed the dial so I just set it back into place for the photo. This is how it would look before I reattach the dial, so feel free to point out anything I missed.

A separate, but possibly related question I have is whether there is any way to realign the date wheel if it's not centered in the date window. When I reattach the dial to this movement, the date shows a little high in the date window (that is, before the date wheel slips off again), so maybe that's another symptom of whatever is causing the problem.

Thanks and best regards.

IMG_1988.jpg

IMG_1989.jpg

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JerseyMo Distinguished Member

JerseyMo

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do you notice any play in the date wheel when it sit atop the four pillars?   Also check that the detent spring fits up tight to the notches on the date wheel.  You can test the date advance when the dial is off.  make note of how the small brass wheel turns and that little pin pushes the wheel.  When you place the dial back on you can try to align the date window. that is about the only adjustment there is.

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kma2018 New Member

kma2018

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Thanks for the good advice, JerseyMo. I checked everything out as you suggested, and also went ahead and swapped in another Model 25 date wheel just in case. So far, so good! Attached are some pics of the watch on both a vintage expansion bracelet and a sporty plastic/resin watchband. The date still rides a little high in the window, but I can live with that.

Cheers and many thanks for the assist.

IMG_2018.jpg

IMG_2021.jpg

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kma2018 New Member

kma2018

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Lol. Yes, always happy to learn from your wealth of experience. As for the Timex day date watches, I love them when I get them working well. I have a bunch of Timex Model 27s that need fixing still sitting on my shelf. At least half of them have some kind of day or date wheel issue. I usually need to set aside a quiet, long weekend when I want to tackle one of those.

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