Automatic watch with date stopping around 11pm

[UnHommeQuiDort]

Hello all, apologies if this question has been asked previously - I did search the forum and couldn't find what I was looking for, but maybe I'm not using the right keywords. I have a 1960's Zodiac Olypmos with a 70-72 movement that was recently serviced by a local repairer and all seems fine with the running, except that I have noticed on several occasions that late at night, the second hand (and the rest of them) will freeze at around 11pm, maybe earlier, but will restart again with even a light tap on the glass. The date complication snaps over at about 12:03am no problem, and although i wondered if this was being caused by a lack of movement in the evening running down the spring, the watch seems to hold it's wind for eight hours overnight, so there's no way it's wound down at the point it's stopping. I'm quite keen to know what the likely cause of this issue would be, so any suggestions would be very appreciated.

[clockboy]

Most likely the seconds hand is slightly bent and is just catching in certain positions. 

[UnHommeQuiDort]

1 minute ago, clockboy said:

Most likely the seconds hand is slightly bent and is just catching in certain positions. 

I did consider this, but surely that would be happening more often than once a day?

[Nucejoe]

Repairer should fix it.

If it stops at 23 hr only, the fault is with date change mech. In case it stops at hr 11 as well, the fault can also be of causes elsewhere.

[UnHommeQuiDort]

6 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

Repairer should fix it.

If it stops at 23 hr only, the fault is with date change mech. In case it stops at hr 11 as well, the fault can also be of causes elsewhere.

Yeah fair enough. I'll give him a bell. It's only at night right before the date changeover so it's most likely that I would assume, but I wanted to see what someone with more (see: any) knowledge thought cheers

[Nucejoe]

5 minutes ago, UnHommeQuiDort said:

I did consider this, but surely that would be happening more often than once a day?

so, date jumper and date ring(plate)   plus its groove should be checked, further a possibilty of date ring rubbing on dia plate.

[AdamC]

I’m sure I had this happen once when the canon pinion was slipping slightly. Just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Nucejoe]

1 hour ago, AdamC said:

I’m sure I had this happen once when the canon pinion was slipping slightly. Just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi Adam, Note that seconds hand stops too, which is not driven through canon pinion. 

 In this case,  movement stops altogether. Multiple fault is not yet rulled out.

Regards

[clockboy]

I agree with AdamC re-canon pinion could be the issue. However if it is happening in only one position it points to a hand position issue. 

[UnHommeQuiDort]

When I took it to the repairer, the second hand was running but neither hour or minute hand were moving, which I seem to remember being told was a canon pinion issue - so maybe it's just not been ironed out 100%. I assume he wouldn't try to charge me for another look at it since it's not been functioning correctly since i got it back, but who knows.

[AdamC]

UnHommeQuiDort, I would hope he doesn’t charge you again if the original fault hasn’t been fixed! It’s likely no replacement part would be required as it is just a matter of tightening the existing canon pinion if this is still indeed the issue. Surely there is some kind of guarantee for the work carried out?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jdm]

4 hours ago, AdamC said:

Surely there is some kind of guarantee for the work carried out?

For an honest watch repairer it's not a matter of formal warranty, but personal achievement and reputation. Unless criminal damage can had been inflited to the watch, repairers should be given a chance to fix what they didn't do right first.. 

[AdamC]

[mention]jdm [/mention] Completely agree with you there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[UnHommeQuiDort]

Hey, just to close this off with the results - after a month at the repairer, it's working again. Apparently the glass was coming into contact with the minute hand at some point in the rotation, and I guess as the power built up to turn the date wheels over instantly, this was enough to cause the mechanism to stick? Which would also probably explain why it would start again with a tap on the glass, since it wasn't a mechanical fault within the movement. I've got a new glass in there now and apparently all is well.

However, annoyingly - I noticed to my horror that there's an extremely fine white fibre (like a synthetic one off a jumper or whatever) around 2cm long caught between the glass and the edge of the main body of the watch, on the inside! I was only able to see it because it was midday when I collected the watch, and in full sunlight there was a shadow being cast by the damned thing onto the gold dial. From what I can tell, the second hand brushes it slightly as it goes round, but the thing has been running fine for a week at the watch repairers with this trapped in there - and I'm so burned out on the whole fiasco that I just can't face going back to request another fiddle. There's almost no way to see it in normal light conditions, it's much finer than a human hair - so I'm not surprised it wasn't visible, although I'm still a little annoyed that it's there. Maybe I'll take it for a service somewhere else next time. Though I should mention he didn't charge me for the additional work, or the new glass.

Edited July 29, 2020 by UnHommeQuiDort
adding something i forgot