Mira Wrist Watch Runs Hands Don't Engage

[vivib]

I have a dear little vintage wrist watch. The movement runs well and the 2nd hand turns (it is on its own small dial) but the hour and minute hands don't turn unless the watch is face down.. You can set the time easily, but then they don't move when face up.   Any help would be most welcome.

[rogart63]

Hi vivib

Welcome to the forum. The small little dial is called a subdial . Just to clarify the problem i will ask you? When you pull the crown out? Can you set the hands? In any position the watch is? Or just face down? Sounds like something is loose and moves in to place when the watch is upside down . A picture would be great? 

[vivib]

Thanks for replying. The hands move freely in any position and can be easily set. The hands don't move for long upside down, and not every time I try it, just some of the time.

[Marc]

Sounds like a loose canon pinion to me.

 

When you set the time with the crown how much resistance is there? does it turn really easily or is there a bit of drag?

[vivib]

It turns almost too easily, quite loose

[Geo]

Are the hands always in the correct position relative to one another, or do they go out of register. If they go out of register when upside down, the dual washer is probably missing. It could be a combination of slack cannon pinion and missing washer.

[swordfish]

My bet is a loose canon pinion, too. The fact that the sub second hand works well shows that the gear train is intact from mainspring to balance. The fact that the hands can be set tells us that minute wheel still enmeshes properly with the hour hand. A loose canon pinion could gain some traction if placed dial side down.

Do let us know what you find, vivib.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[clockboy]

  On 10/20/2015 at 10:06 PM, vivib said:

It turns almost too easily, quite loose

 

 

  On 10/20/2015 at 9:26 PM, vivib said:

IMG_0855.JPG

Thanks for replying. The hands move freely in any position and can be easily set. The hands don't move for long upside down, and not every time I try it, just some of the time.

Welcome to the forum vivid. As the guys have indicated it is in the area of the cannon pinion that will be the problem. The only way to investigate will be to remove the movement from the case, remove the hands & possibly the dial. 

PS if you are not confident with this but you are willing to cover the post someone in your area (i.e. UK)  will have a look & see. I live in Kent & will have a look just PM me.

[vivib]

Thanks for all your advice guys. The hands work together and can be set correctly. I have sent for a watch repair tool kit which should arrive today or tomorrow. I was planning to take the movement out and will see if I can squeeze the canon pinion. I will let you know how I get on!

[vivib]

Incidentally, I can't pm you clockboy as it said you can't receive any new messages :(

[rogart63]

Nice looking watch Mira. Hope clockboy can help you . I do think like the others . Loose cannon pinion . 

[clockboy]

  On 10/21/2015 at 7:50 AM, vivib said:

Incidentally, I can't pm you clockboy as it said you can't receive any new messages :(

Sorry Vivib there was an issue with my PM box (full) the issue has now been resolved.

[clockboy]

Final update on this watch repair. You guys were correct the cannon pinion was the fault. 

A simple job!!!!! WELL

When I tried to remove the CP it would not budge yet it was clearly too loose. Eventually I removed the CP by levering it off using small hand levers. When I inspected the CP all was revelled. A good guess being a previous repairer had tried to tighten the CP by putting 3 or 4 extra friction divots on it,s shaft & had just distorted the CP hence why it would not come off but still had no friction. Also the centre wheel pinion was very badly scratched. The normal way around this (so I have read) is to broach out the old divots & start again but this watch had no centre seconds & the CP,s top was closed so broaching was not possible & a replacement CP & centre wheel was required.

 

NEXT problem the fhf 189 was manufactured with different size CP,s & the first replacements were the wrong size  (To big) but a big thanks to Rogart 63 (member) I finally got the correct size CP & fitted it after giving the divot a bit of a squeeze,. I also got the correct centre wheel from another supplier. The watch now works fine but really needs a service & possibly a replacement mainspring but the main fault has been fixed.

Sorry no pics just got involved with the repair & forgot.