HP6881 Quartz Movement

[valleyguy]

Does anyone have a photo of a HP6881 Quartz Movement, i can't find any photos of the HP6881 online to compare against the movement in my Sekonda lunar calendar watch.

I'd like to find out what movement it is before i have a go at stripping it down and rebuilding it so that i can try get parts if needed when i take it apart.

I've added a photo below, is this a HP6881 movement

Thanks...Mark

[jdm]

16 hours ago, valleyguy said:

I'd like to find out what movement it is before i have a go at stripping it down and rebuilding it so that i can try get parts if needed when i take it apart.

Does it work? If so, the best approach is to leave it alone. Alsi, when is about of extremely economical quartz mov.ts like the in picture (whatever it is), getting parts isn't really an option. 

[valleyguy]

It doesn't work, i broke the crystal years ago when i was a teenager, so not sure if it was that stopped it working or a leaky battery over the years as it has been sat since the early 1990's

It has now taken on sentimental value over the last month as it was a gift from my mum when i was a teenager, i want to try repair it, i've replaced the crystal, the next step is try get the movement working.

I was informed it was an HP6881 movement, it clearly isn't that movement from a canadian ebay listing with a photo, they don't look the same.

I have found out by lots of googleing  it's probably a France Ebauches FE 7229 movement, 11 1/2''', date at 6. it looks identical to my movement but there are no id markings on my movement but a small FE near the stem release pin, this one looks like it, it's the same size, date in right position, same moon phase.

I will try to get the original movement working first but will order a new movement if they have them in stock.

I've been watching lots of youtube videos of movement strip downs and rebuilds, this will my first so will take it slow, i'm just glad i've finally found out what model it is.

[HectorLooi]

I don't think Sekonda would be using a non Eastern Bloc movement.

Your watch appears to have 3 winding stems, the FE 7229 only has one.

The Sekonda movement is most likely a Slava or Raketa movement.

[JohnR725]

22 hours ago, jdm said:

getting parts isn't really an option. 

Yes the classic problem of getting parts that don't exist.

12 hours ago, valleyguy said:

France Ebauches FE 7229 movement,

If your guesses right here is a listing of parts. Just because as a listing doesn't mean they actually exist

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=FE_7229

Then just in case technical documentation attached.

2815_FE 7029,7129,7229.pdf

[jdm]

8 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

I don't think Sekonda would be using a non Eastern Bloc movement.

They had no choice other than importing, they wanted to meet the 'lunar fashion' in the 90s. FE was one of the very few making these. 

 

8 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Your watch appears to have 3 winding stems, the FE 7229 only has one.

The additional crowns operate the day and dates rings, which are otherwise static. This way you can know on which date a given weekday falls, or vice-versa, by setting them at the beginning of the month. Of course it could have been done with just one moving ring, but this way makes the watch seem even more sophisticated.

[valleyguy]

I downloaded the FE7229 technical document that you linked to, i've been studying it for when i start the strip down.

I haven't started to disassemble the movement yet as i wanted to a get a donar movement that i could use for parts, i got a Sekonda watch from ebay it has the same movement but with a different style watch case, it came yesterday.

I ordered one of the cheap 4 in 1 quartz watch testers labelled "quartz micro test"  that tests if the electronic module is pulsing by beeping and a flashing LED,  it also winds the hands round, i take it this function is to test the gear train.

When the quartz micro test came today i tested my Sekonda, i put a fresh battery in, when i tested no beep or flashing light, so i will replace the module. When i did the mechanical test only the minute and second hand revolved the hour hand stayed still, does this show that there is a problem with the hour wheel.

I also tested the micro test with a working watch, these little test unit do really work.

Now that i have donor parts i will have a go at disassembling and cleaning the movement replacing any parts that i think look damaged.

I've been looking at the small circlip holding the moonphase plate on with a loupe you can't see it without it, now this is bluming small, is this the smallest and trickiest part to remove or are they all that small when you get behind the moonphase and date ring.

I will pick a day when i'm in the mood to consentrate before i start, thanks again for the pdf data sheet.

Edited March 22, 2022 by valleyguy

[jdm]

21 minutes ago, valleyguy said:

it also winds the hands round, i take it this function is to test the gear train.

No, it is meant to free the train from old oils or whatever that makes it stuck and not run with a new battery.

21 minutes ago, valleyguy said:

.When i did the mechanical test only the minute and second hand revolved the hour hand stayed still, does this show that there is a problem with the hour wheel.

It could be that the hour wheel has lifted up, needing a dial washer.

 

21 minutes ago, valleyguy said:

Is this the smallest and trickiest part to remove or are they all that small when you get behind the moonphase and date ring

All watch parts are small or smaller, and the hardest is putting them together without breaking or loosing anything. On a quartz watch that can also be daunting and very difficult for beginners,  e.g.  when finding that the rotor doesn't want to stand upright, that 4 pinions under a bridge is a lot to align, etc.

That is why quarts or small mov.t in general are no recommended to beginners, incidentally they are not even very interesting to most.

[valleyguy]

I got it working for the first time in over 30 years, i replaced the hour wheel as this was damaged along with the electronic module, i could see the damage with a loupe on the hour wheel, i thought i'd give it ago to see if the movement would work without a full strip down and it worked, it's been running for a day now. Thanks Everyone.

Edited March 27, 2022 by valleyguy