Timex Electronic

[HectorLooi]

I just received a Timex Electronic in the mail a couple of days ago. It still had the original Timex Type A battery inside. But luckily it hadn't leaked.

The hand setting is fine, but the day/date function seems to be stuck.

The balance is able to swing freely. A quick test with my Accutron test meter shows that the coil is still ok.

How is this movement different from the Timex Electric? At 1st glace it looks identical. 

How do I get to the calendar works? Do I need to pry open the dial tabs to get the dial off? I hate doing that. I just can't get the dial factory tight again. 

Thanks in advance.

[Melt]

Ok not sure why some are called Electric and some Electronic.

I believe the dial must come off to get to day & date.

The crown should quick set the date in the in position.

I have a similar Q quartz version but with a circuit board

 

[JerseyMo]

that is a model 52 - there is a diode integrated into the balance assembly.  That is what makes it electronic.  I rarely work on them and tricky.  you really need to have the service manual to explain the workings of the day date and how to get it back together.  I'd guess one the detent springs may have slipped out of place.

Good luck!

[HectorLooi]

Just an update. I removed the watch stem and manually turned the date wheel with the tip of my tweezers and it clicks normally. I applied a tiny amount of grease on every 6th tooth of the date wheel and it turns much smoother now. I also grease the spring of the date quick change wheel. The date quick change appears ok now.

But there doesn't seem to be any quick change mechanism for the day wheel. Do I advance the time by 24hrs to change the day?

Can I use the Russian watch method of advancing it past midnight, then turning it backwards to 8pm and advance to 12mn again? Will it damage anything? 

[JerseyMo]

you can try to turn back and forth as you mention, I just don't remember if it works on that model or not.

[HectorLooi]

I finally got down to fixing this watch. I disassembled it completely, cleaned and oiled it. Put a new battery in and nothing happened. 

Took the balance off, inspected it under my microscope. Tested coil for continuity. Cleaned and polished the contact spring. Put it back together. And still it wouldn't move.

Finally, I remembered JerseyMo's advice of using contact cleaner. I was skeptical at first. I use a lot of contact cleaner for electronic and electrical repairs. But I've always thought of contact cleaner as a lazy man's hack. But.... It's finally alive! 

Thanks Mo.

[JerseyMo]

most likely the contact wire has some oxidation preventing a complete circuit.  

[HectorLooi]

I've been wearing this watch for about a week. It's keeping pretty good time, less than 10 seconds a day. 

But my problem now is that when the watch is tilted at a certain angle, the ticking becomes really loud, like a time bomb about to go off. Like when I bend down to tie my shoelaces, that's about an arm's length away.

I noticed that there is excessive endshake of the balance wheel which is probably causing the wheel to knock against something.

This is probably a question for JerseyMo. Is there any way to reduce the endshake? In other Timex watches with a conical pivot, the end screw could be adjusted to adjust the endshake. But in this watch, it appears to be a jewel, with no means for adjustment. 

[JerseyMo]

On 7/19/2020 at 9:31 AM, HectorLooi said:

I've been wearing this watch for about a week. It's keeping pretty good time, less than 10 seconds a day. 

But my problem now is that when the watch is tilted at a certain angle, the ticking becomes really loud, like a time bomb about to go off. Like when I bend down to tie my shoelaces, that's about an arm's length away.

I noticed that there is excessive endshake of the balance wheel which is probably causing the wheel to knock against something.

This is probably a question for JerseyMo. Is there any way to reduce the endshake? In other Timex watches with a conical pivot, the end screw could be adjusted to adjust the endshake. But in this watch, it appears to be a jewel, with no means for adjustment. 

Hector - see the attached photo related to end shake on Timex electric such as the one you are working on.  The loud sound is common to all of them.  As you state it does at times depend on the angle the movement is in. If I wear one of my 'Electric' watches and leaving it on the night stand next to the bed, at some point it gets tossed to the carpeting on the floor so I can go back to sleep without hearing the 'ticking'.

[HectorLooi]

Thanks JerseyMo. But it looks I'm out of luck. The endshake adjustment screw is already screwed all the way down. I'll try using a more viscous oil in the pivot wells first. If that doesn't work, then I'll see if I can reset the endstones.

[JohnD]

7 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Thanks JerseyMo. But it looks I'm out of luck. The endshake adjustment screw is already screwed all the way down. I'll try using a more viscous oil in the pivot wells first. If that doesn't work, then I'll see if I can reset the endstones.

Are you sure that you used the correct screw for the end float adjustment and not the one with the slight chamfer on the head?........With every single one of these that I have worked on the balance can be locked by tightening the screw too much......

In true 'Blue Peter' fashion, here's some I did earlier......

[HectorLooi]

Really? I'll go back and take another look. The entire movement only had 3 screws. 2 longer ones for the balance plate and a shorter one for the magnetic keeper plate.

[JohnD]

I had a closer look at your video and you do appear to have the chamfered headed screw in the correct place, the magnetic keeper plate. These movements are a bit 'agricultural' in design  and you will probably find that exerting a bit more force on tightening the end float adjustment screw than you would normally feel safe on a 'normal' movement, will take that last bit of end float out.....

[watchweasol]

Hi Hector   Attached is the 52 Manual  a bit of reading for you.   I think the butler did it.

timex 52.pdf

[HectorLooi]

3 hours ago, JohnD said:

I had a closer look at your video and you do appear to have the chamfered headed screw in the correct place, the magnetic keeper plate. These movements are a bit 'agricultural' in design  and you will probably find that exerting a bit more force on tightening the end float adjustment screw than you would normally feel safe on a 'normal' movement, will take that last bit of end float out.....

Thanks a million, John. I managed to reduce the endshake to where I want it. It took a bit more torque than what I would normally put on a watch screw. 

Thanks for the service manual, Watchweasol. It was really helpful. Good to know how the factory did it. 

[JerseyMo]

is the sound reduced now as well?

[HectorLooi]

1 hour ago, JerseyMo said:

is the sound reduced now as well?

Yes. Almost inaudible now. No more loud ticking when I tilt it too. 

[HectorLooi]

I've got another Timex electric with a "limp" contact wire. I'm going to try replacing it with an old hairspring wire. I don't know what happened to this wire. It's so soft that it'll bend if I stare at it hard enough.

[JerseyMo]

13 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

I've got another Timex electric with a "limp" contact wire. I'm going to try replacing it with an old hairspring wire. I don't know what happened to this wire. It's so soft that it'll bend if I stare at it hard enough.

Like this?

[HectorLooi]

Yes, that's the one. Are all Timex contact wire identical or model specific?

I have another two Timexes in the mail. One is a electric, the other is a Q quartz.

[JerseyMo]

12 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Yes, that's the one. Are all Timex contact wire identical or model specific?

I have another two Timexes in the mail. One is a electric, the other is a Q quartz.

No they are not all the same.

[LittleWatchShop]

On 7/21/2020 at 5:32 AM, watchweasol said:

Hi Hector   Attached is the 52 Manual  a bit of reading for you.   I think the butler did it.

timex 52.pdf 3.99 MB · 8 downloads

Do you have the document that this document refers to for the Model 50?

How do you remove the stem?

[HectorLooi]

2 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Do you have the document that this document refers to for the Model 50?

How do you remove the stem?

This uses a spring like a pincer to hold the winding stem in place. If you look through the 2 holes in the plate, you will see the spring. Take a straight tweezer and insert the tips, one in each hole, within the pincer and then wedge a peg wood between the tweezers to force the jaws of the pincer apart and release the stem.

[watchweasol]

Hi Hector  attached is the mod 50, within the text there is a drawing showing how to remove the stem.     cheers

214788740_50(1).pdf

[LittleWatchShop]

So I tore one down, cleaned it carefully just using one-dip and pegging the holes.  Reassembled, adjusted the contactor per the specification.  Does not work.  Checked the coil resistance--30-50 ohms which seems a little low.

The balance has a lot of end and side shake.  Makes no sense.  I have checked the plates and alignment.  Manually nudged the train wheels and they seem free and fine.  But even with this issue, it should still get some impulses. 

I am measuring the coil resistance at the battery terminals, so that means there is a closed loop when the balance is at the proper angle.

I am walking away from it for now, clear my head!!