Lorus Analogue/Digital copper tail

[WatchWood]

Hopefully someone can enlighten me?

The image below is from a Lorus with analogue and Digital display that I bought a few months ago. All was good until last week when the analogue hands started losing time. I assumed the battery was in need of changing so replaced both - there is a second battery under the one you can see. Unfortunately the problem persisted.  Lacking any test equipment I did the next best thing and held the watch to my ear. The 'tick' sounded regular until the second hand got to the same section (about 20 seconds) when it was obvious the hand was struggling to move.

After a long head-scratch I noticed the coil of copper that comes from the digital display circuit board (the one just above the battery in the image) and makes contact with the case back. Being loose I removed it and replaced the case back. The watch returned to keeping  perfect time again (for days). Putting the coil back reproduced the problem. It seems the coil is too long and the pressure from the case back is causing the hands (or stem) to bind somewhere. Simple solution was to shorten it. The 'ear' test suggests the issue has largely resolved itself (along with the time-keeping).

What I'm curious about though is what does this coil of wire do? - with or without, the watch functions!

Thanks

PS I should have sent the watch back as it is (was!) still in warranty but where's the fun in that?

[Plato]

Probably for the piezo sounder on the inside of the case back, have you tested the alarm function?

[WatchWood]

That'll be it, thanks. I need to look at this although I hardly ever use the chime/alarm feature of any watch I've owned!

[watchweasol]

I think Joe is right . If you look above the battry there is a small coil spring this is the contact for the pizo alarm disc.

[WatchWood]

Yes he was right. After a bit of tweaking I've now fixed it so the alarm/chime works without putting pressure on the movement below. The watch also keeps time. Not sure why it happened in the first place but it definitely seemed to be longer than it needed to be.

Thanks again.

[Plato]

1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

I think Joe is right . If you look above the battry there is a small coil spring this is the contact for the pizo alarm disc.

Who's Joe?

[WatchWood]

5 minutes ago, Plato said:

Who's Joe?

Obviously not you

[WatchWood]

I'm new round here and didn't like to question it!!

[Plato]

18 minutes ago, WatchWood said:

I'm new round here and didn't like to question it!!

I'm more confused now. 

[WatchWood]

41 minutes ago, Plato said:

I'm more confused now. 

Fear not! It's all been sorted and I've learnt something new

[Plato]

25 minutes ago, WatchWood said:

Fear not! It's all been sorted and I've learnt something new

Replace confused with drunk!! 

[HectorLooi]

11 hours ago, WatchWood said:

Lacking any test equipment I did the next best thing and held the watch to my ear. The 'tick' sounded regular until the second hand got to the same section (about 20 seconds) when it was obvious the hand was struggling to move.

OMG! You can hear a quartz watch tick? You must be young. I don't think I could hear a quartz watch tick by the age of 30.

Anyway, that little coiled spring is an electrical connection, usually for contacting the piezo sounder on the caseback or sometimes between a upper and lower circuit board.

Edited October 18, 2021 by HectorLooi
Remove some text

[WatchWood]

5 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

OMG! You can hear a quartz watch tick? You must be young. I don't think I could hear a quartz watch tick by the age of 30.

 

No, not so young unfortunately. I now need glasses to read but for some reason my hearing seems to getting more sensitive!!

[watchweasol]

My Apologies  Plato. a senior moment confused with Nucejoe,   why, old age decrepitude,.