Omega X-33 not coming out of "energy saver" mode with new battery

[Tudor]

Hi guys.

I've not been around for quite a while... too much going on.

Anyway, today I did a "simple" battery change in my Omega X-33 (first generation) as it had slowly migrated to jumping every five seconds, which indicates needing a battery.

Got the battery, opened the back, cleaned everything, added a tiny bit of anti-seize to the threaded holes (or the screws can gall VERY easily), cleaned and lubed the gasket etc. and quickly swapped the battery (it doesn't lose memory if you are quick)

Put it back together and the watch remains in the "power save" mode, jumping every five seconds, with the new battery.

I have set the time and synchronized the hands per the manual, but it continues in power save mode. The backlight is not working either... Maybe a "dead" battery fresh out of the package? (Renata brand CR2320- correct per manual and what I removed). Counterfeit battery? the marking on the battery itself is slightly different (they added a person keeping them out of reach of children), but the packaging seems legit... is counterfeit batteries a "thing"?

I had heard one can "remove it from power save mode" but I can't find any procedure for this in the owner's or service manuals.

 

Anyone have a clue?

 

(Photo below is of the old battery in place)

Edited September 18, 2023 by Tudor
Added clarity on the photo

[RichardHarris123]

Can't you test the battery?  

[Tudor]

I do not have an independent battery tester, no.

I'm guessing it is a bad/counterfeit battery. I'm inclined to send it to Omega for an overhaul... it probably needs more than I'm willing to risk (and even Omega often do a complete movement swap when they get these for some reason) I have two more of these batteries I bought recently for this watch, so I've not had them long.

Just looking for a procedure, which I guess doesn't exist, and also any info on possible phony batteries.

[RichardHarris123]

I have read that duff batteries aren't uncommon.  Buy yourself a  cheap multimeter, very handy.  Sorry but the only information I can find states to send it back to Omega.

[Tudor]

I have a very nice multimeter, but that will only confirm voltage. It won't indicate the battery "condition" at least I don't know how it would.

Do you have a procedure? If so, I can give it a try.

[RichardHarris123]

I may be wrong here but I think confirming voltage is adequate for a battery.  Test the voltage, if it's correct then the fault lies in the watch or it needs resetting which we don't know how to do. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

33 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I may be wrong here but I think confirming voltage is adequate for a battery.  Test the voltage, if it's correct then the fault lies in the watch or it needs resetting which we don't know how to do. 

No not wrong Rich voltage under the specified is an indiction of low power. I would test all the batteries you have, a fully loaded battery can be a little above what it says on the tin.

[JohnR725]

 

10 hours ago, Tudor said:

I have a very nice multimeter, but that will only confirm voltage. It won't indicate the battery "condition" at least I don't know how it would.

Do you have a procedure? If so, I can give it a try.

I'm curious about what you mean by condition?

From a quick searching of the Internet apparently battery voltage is the key for this watch. Even though you may perceive your new battery is new or as others found their generic batteries renew if the voltage drops then it goes into the various power saving modes or it just doesn't run at all. So basically want to be as close to 3 V as you can be and since you have a voltmeter what voltage do you have? Then for checking battery voltage I found a service manual and they checked the battery out of the watch claiming it should be 3 V. But they also do tell you the other voltage is where the watch will go into the various power saving modes so that's not 3 V and it's less then that's why you're having a problem.

http://www.chronomaddox.com/omega/manuals/service/1666/cal_1666_service_manual.html

 

[Tudor]

I'll measure battery voltage of the other two that were on the same card as the one I installed (I can also check the old battery that behaved the same as the new one does). The titanium case back screws are prone to galling and breakage- why I used anti-seize compound on them- and I don't want to open it unnecessarily.

I am familiar with the voltage tests in the chart. My understanding is the voltage is checked on the movement while in the different modes to verify sufficient voltage to operate.

Backlight also does not work but this is not surprising while in power save mode. The backlight did work when I first received this watch, about a year ago.

 

(old battery on the left; pack of three new ones, one of which is in the watch)

I may have solved the issue!

Notice the old battery is marked "lithium". The new batteries are not. Maybe this is the reason? The Omega literature does not specify the battery beyond the "CR2320" number...

Maybe not, but I just ordered two more Renata CR2030 cells clearly marked "Lithium" on their top, like the old one. However, the "CR" is standard nomenclature for a lithium cell:

"CR or BR represents lithium while L, LR or AG is for alkaline and SR or SG for silver oxide."

But what IS clear is that the Lithium cells have a longer life (higher mAh) than either alkaline or silver oxide. This amperage is what I cannot test without a proper battery tester...

This will remain on hold until the new batteries arrive...

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, Tudor said:

I'll measure battery voltage of the other two that were on the same card as the one I installed (I can also check the old battery that behaved the same as the new one does). The titanium case back screws are prone to galling and breakage- why I used anti-seize compound on them- and I don't want to open it unnecessarily.

I am familiar with the voltage tests in the chart. My understanding is the voltage is checked on the movement while in the different modes to verify sufficient voltage to operate.

Backlight also does not work but this is not surprising while in power save mode. The backlight did work when I first received this watch, about a year ago.

 

(old battery on the left; pack of three new ones, one of which is in the watch)

I may have solved the issue!

Notice the old battery is marked "lithium". The new batteries are not. Maybe this is the reason? The Omega literature does not specify the battery beyond the "CR2320" number...

Maybe not, but I just ordered two more Renata CR2030 cells clearly marked "Lithium" on their top, like the old one. However, the "CR" is standard nomenclature for a lithium cell:

"CR or BR represents lithium while L, LR or AG is for alkaline and SR or SG for silver oxide."

But what IS clear is that the Lithium cells have a longer life (higher mAh) than either alkaline or silver oxide. This amperage is what I cannot test without a proper battery tester...

This will remain on hold until the new batteries arrive...

I might have this wrong but something in the back of my mind is saying there is a reset button sequence for omegas.

[JohnR725]

5 hours ago, Tudor said:

But what IS clear is that the Lithium cells have a longer life (higher mAh) than either alkaline or silver oxide. This amperage is what I cannot test without a proper battery tester..

I would be curious as your definition of a proper battery tester? typically the battery testers that watch shops have are pretty cheap things. Just an analog meter and a resistive load when it checks the battery voltage. versus using a DVM which basically places no load on the battery. Somewhere out there in the universe it probably tells you what the load resistance is to check a lithium battery if you're really concerned.

Another thing you want to check for when you are purchasing your batteries is the expiring date on the package. Depending upon where there purchased from even though you are purchasing a brand-new battery it might not actually be a new battery depending upon the volume of these batteries they go through.

3 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I might have this wrong but something in the back of my mind is saying there is a reset button sequence for omegas.

yes typically anything that's complicated perpetual calendar whatever there is a reset procedure to put everything back where it's supposed to be. but if you're reading carefully up above you would've noticed this?

On 9/18/2023 at 10:49 AM, Tudor said:

and quickly swapped the battery (it doesn't lose memory if you are quick)

this is telling me that somebody does not actually want to do a complete reset and start over with the setting. A lot of times with really complicated watches the setting can be really complicated.

that I did take a quick look at the service manual and in the quick look I'm not seeing an actual reset procedure. It might be there but I'm not seeing it. A lot of times with the watches there will be a indication of a reset contact visible and usually chart that to the ground of the watch and that will do a full complete reset the other on this I don't even see that listed in the electrical tests or any reference to it at all? That might be there somewhere it should be there I just didn't see it.

 

[Tudor]

Yeah, I couldn't find anything either, other than newer revisions of the movement have a "power save" mode where the hands park at 12:00 and only the digital functions in the background with the screen blank. Then you hold two pushers at the same time to "wake it" where the hands jump to current time.

These early movements don't have this feature.

A "full reset" on this is to leave the battery out for five minutes or so. Then you get to reset everything... fast swap and you don't have to set date, time, GMT, and perpetual calendar over again.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Tudor