Gucci 978.002 movement won't start after battery swap.

[Wibble]

Hello there one and all,

A friend inherited and gave me a collection of watches (which apparently were all bought in the early 1990's according to a receipt or two which are still in the boxes) and asked me to change the batteries for her. I believe the watches just lay dormant for a good many years.

In 2019 I had changed the battery in a Gucci 6000L 0102947 with a Gucci 978.002 quartz movement in it which only ran for a few months according to her. I have just put a new battery in the watch and now it won't start. A couple of questions come to mind;

1/ Could old age and not being used for a very long time somehow ruin a quartz movement?

2/ Is there a way of 'kick-starting' this movement, which I don't remember having done the last time that the battery was successfully swapped out?

Thanks a million for any help afforded.

All the best,

Martin

[tomh207]

Hi Martin, that age of watch could very easily have gunked up oil that is causing the problem for you. First I would try is something like a demagnetiser or if you do watches regularly something like the horotec turbo. This will energise the mechanism and hopefully free it up. Otherwise it is a strip and service if possible or a movement replacement. As it is possibly a fashion watch I expect the latter. If you can provide photos we may be able to help further, that is of the movement for clarity.

 

Tom

[JohnR725]

11 hours ago, Wibble said:

early 1990's

unfortunately for watches like any mechanical device they need to be serviced from time to time. The lubrication can go bad with time and in the case of battery watches people keep popping the back to the change the batteries and stuff can get in there. Or the batteries themselves can leak out and that's particles of stuff that shouldn't be in the watch. or the biggest thing of all is the gaskets will disintegrate with time and that let moisture and that's very bad. in other words quartz watches are very intolerant the things in the with them like dust rust or bad lubrication

1 hour ago, tomh207 said:

horotec turbo

then yes there's things like this you put the watch on it can spin the entire gear train knocking off the offending stuff possibly freeing thing is up but it's not necessarily a permanent fix. 

12 hours ago, Wibble said:

Gucci 978.002 quartz movement

then one of the interesting things in watch repair is typically the movements are made by somebody else not always but in the case of Gucci they don't make movements they do is put their name on them so for instance the movement is really this ETA 978.002.

 

[Wibble]

Thank you both Tom and John for the help.

 

12 hours ago, tomh207 said:

Hi Martin, that age of watch could very easily have gunked up oil that is causing the problem for you. First I would try is something like a demagnetiser or if you do watches regularly something like the horotec turbo. This will energise the mechanism and hopefully free it up. Otherwise it is a strip and service if possible or a movement replacement. As it is possibly a fashion watch I expect the latter. If you can provide photos we may be able to help further, that is of the movement for clarity.

 

Tom

Tom, this is the culprit. I guess it's about as "fashion" as they come. When I first saw "Gucci" I broke into a sweat thinking $$$$$$$ but that doesn't appear to be always the case.

[tomh207]

@wibble it looks to be an ETA 978.002 movement which would be considered a decent quartz. It looks like esslinger could have them or replacement alternatives. Sorry, my internet connection is playing up this morning, I’ll try again to get some links for you later. I have seen some fashion watches that are very expensive but with $3.00 movements in them, this is jewelled and is a reputable movement manufacturer.

https://www.esslinger.com/harley-ronda-2-hand-quartz-watch-movement-hq751e-hq978-o-a-3-7mm-to-replace-eta-978-002-and-eta-578-004/
 

 

Tom