omega 681 timekeeping

[robdavidson]

Im working on a ladies Omega Seamaster with a 681 in it (scary tiny!),  had to replace the automatic rotor bridge as the pivot was badly worn, and while it was in there cleaned and lubricated the balance cap jewels as I figured it was most critical (relax shoulders, breathe normally)... waiting to go any farther as Im very much learning and this is a complex tiny movement (auto/date), relatively expensive, and not mine... 

When I got this watch it was also magnetized (compass) so I put it on my cheap chinese de-mag tool which vibrated the bejezus out if it... which caused the outer loop of the balance spring to get hung up on its own tail past the stud... which took a while to figure out (1 hr fast in 12).  remove, replace, check with high mag... sitting as it should, doesnt appear to be bent or touching or hung up...

Alas so far so good, all back together and let it sit on a desk overnight and its within 1 minute!  hooray, flip it over for the day, same, on its side, same!!!  (I dont have a timer).  Give it to lovely partner and she wears it all day... and its running 9 minutes fast in 8 hours.... Back on desk overnight, its right on...  

Not too enthusiastic to deal with poising on this tiny machine, or even have a clue how to proceed, so hoping thats not necessary.  Do  I just need to get all watch zen and service the whole thing, or is it likely that ill just end up with the same result - ie. its not just old oil...  Perhaps body temperature/oil viscosity...?

[JohnR725]

16 hours ago, robdavidson said:

so I put it on my cheap chinese de-mag tool which vibrated the bejezus out if

picture of the tool and better description just so we can see if you actually used it correctly

16 hours ago, robdavidson said:

Alas so far so good, all back together and let it sit on a desk overnight and its within 1 minute!  hooray, flip it over for the day, same, on its side, same!!!  (I dont have a timer).  Give it to lovely partner and she wears it all day... and its running 9 minutes fast in 8 hours.... Back on desk overnight, its right on...  

Not too enthusiastic to deal with poising on this tiny machine, or even have a clue how to proceed, so hoping thats not necessary.  Do  I just need to get all watch zen and service the whole thing, or is it likely that ill just end up with the same result - ie. its not just old oil...  Perhaps body temperature/oil viscosity...?

this is aware and investment in a timing machine is well worth it. It might seem like a luxury item but it really isn't. So typically if you had a timing machine you look at the watch ideally you look at dial-up and dial down or the other way around they both should be identical. Then you move it to her crown down position and see what it's doing and you can look at the amplitude in the timekeeping and the graphical display to see if there's any issues. Because there's things the machine will see that you cannot.

and yes important to use the timing machine somebody in the past had her Omega don't remember what and perfect on the machine in one position which it almost always looks perfect dial down. Then on the wrist didn't keep time because they never looked at it in any other position. Then what they did there was a problem and no I cannot remember what the problem was.

Then what makes you think it's a poising issue?

16 hours ago, robdavidson said:

or even have a clue how to proceed, so hoping thats not necessary.  Do  I just need to get all watch zen and service the whole thing,

yes I had to reread things. If you are really good at reading a crystal ball he would need a timing machine otherwise a timing machine would be really helpful here. So let me get this straight you did a minimalistic repair and put a little fresh oil on the balance pivots and it seems to have running issues? Plus originally you replace the rotor bridge it didn't say if to replace the part with the bad wheel and I wonder why that pivot was bad anyway?

16 hours ago, robdavidson said:

Im very much learning

okay this statement is interesting by the way were all learning here so say that your learning is not helpful at all. What you want to rate your skill set at extremely good super good very good or very very at the bottom of the food chain just learning just starting out perhaps? But you're learning like all the rest of us. By the way to like painful expensive lessons? Sometimes expensive lessons a really good?

So the blood version of this is if you like a painful lesson proceed the service the watch otherwise find something bigger something to work on it's less expensive and build up your skill sets then come back to this. And then either invest in a crystal ball and the lessons to learn how to read it or a timing machine I would prefer the timing machine I think it be a lot happier with the results.

oh and thinking about timing specifications I'm attaching an image. Because it is a tiny ladies watch their much more tolerant than they would be something bigger it looks like you want to be around 15 seconds fast. Or probably between zero and 15 seconds would be acceptable.

oh and regarding your poising issue I have a go find a picture of the balance completes it's a screwless balance it's extremely unlikely it's a poising issue. It may very likely be improper use of your Chinese tool and of course when was the last time this watch was properly serviced?

 

[Nucejoe]

Can we have side and end shakes on balance and fork arbour, also useful to bench time it in vertical positions PU and PD. 

Rgds 

Joe

1 minute ago, Nucejoe said:

Can we have side and end shakes on balance and fork arbour, also useful to bench time it in vertical positions PU and PD. 

Rgds 

Joe

Further test would be to time it on wrist without the winder rotor.

[robdavidson]

On 11/15/2022 at 5:23 AM, JohnR725 said:

picture of the tool and better description just so we can see if you actually used it correctly

placed watch on surface for 15sec, removed watch by 4' with power still on, release button.  Repeat with watch at 90deg to original.

On 11/15/2022 at 5:23 AM, JohnR725 said:

reading a crystal ball he would need a timing machine

Ok, timing machine on order...

On 11/15/2022 at 5:23 AM, JohnR725 said:

when was the last time this watch was properly serviced?

unknown

On 11/15/2022 at 7:19 AM, Nucejoe said:

Further test would be to time it on wrist without the winder rotor.

will look at side/end shakes this evening, remove rotor and re-send for field testing.