Seiko 7002-7000 Runs Too Fast

[todd75]

I am new to watch repair. My SEIKO runs too fast. I am aware that it has an adjustment lever, but even at its' max slow (-) increment it is way too fast. We're talking minutes\hr. On the same stem as the +\- lever is another adjustable lever which is probably in the wrong position. Can anyone tell me what this lever is for and where it should be positioned? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

[clockboy]

I am new to watch repair. My SEIKO runs too fast. I am aware that it has an adjustment lever, but even at its' max slow (-) increment it is way too fast. We're talking minutes\hr. On the same stem as the +\- lever is another adjustable lever which is probably in the wrong position. Can anyone tell me what this lever is for and where it should be positioned? Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks

It could be a number of faults.. A pic might be of some help. Normally it will be hairspring related either magnetised or dirty. Both of them faults cause some of the coils to stick together which makes the watch run to fast.

[noirrac1j]

Clockboy  has mentioned the two likeliest culprits: either the watch has become magnetized or the hairspring is dirty (or has oil on it) that is causing oscillation at a much faster rate because the coils are sticking.

 

JC

[todd75]

Hi...Thanks for the info folks....here is a picture of the same movement. Does anyone know the function of the tab\lever on the same mount\post as the adjustment lever? the lever is shown to the right of the adjustment lever and pointing up. It's fatter and it moves as well.  Thanks again.

[Geo]

That lever holds the end of the hairspring, and used to adjust the beat. Do not adjust it.

There are many posts on the forum about setting a watch in beat, but you will require a machine called a timegrapher and knowledge to do this.

[JohnR725]

A really nice close-up picture of the balance wheel and hairspring would be nice. Then background history did the watch suddenly changed to going fast or has it been a gradual thing and when was it last serviced?

 

Then regarding moving things minutes per hour is outside of the range of the regulation system. Then moving things without proper knowledge could lead to bad things happening. I've occasionally seen people pop the regulation system off or you can sometimes bend a hairspring. Then it's also possible to adjust things out of the range of even the timing machine/timegraphe

 

Then as already mentioned you've come to the right group all kinds of messages on adjusting and regulating watches and learning watch repair. There even videos like this one which explains and shows problem similar to what you're having. But it assumes that you have knowledge of how to disassemble a watch without destroying it. Absolute beginners have a much higher rate of bad things happening especially with hairsprings.

 

http://www.watchrepairtalk.com/page/watch_repair_videos.html/_/balance-escapement-videos/watch-fault-finding-the-watch-is-gaining-r21

[todd75]

Wow...excellent response from this community. These operations are instantly out my league. It's off to a jeweler for my beauty. Thanks again for your time and knowledge.

[Ado213]

Wise move, tap into the community here and you'll learn a lot. I am new also, but I'm begining to learn it's a hub of information.

[ramrod]

i bought a 7002 dive from fleabay with the knowledge that it ran fast. when i got it, i had no idea! this thing gains about 5 minutes per hour! it ticks like a house afire! i know it's probably magnetized but i don't own a demag unit. i gotta get it to the jewelers.

[jdm]

i bought a 7002 dive from fleabay with the knowledge that it ran fast. when i got it, i had no idea! this thing gains about 5 minutes per hour! it ticks like a house afire! i know it's probably magnetized but i don't own a demag unit. i gotta get it to the jewelers.

 

You can get cheap demagnetizer for less than $10, or a good one for $35. Better than paying or asking favors.

Edited December 26, 2015 by jdm

[JohnR725]

I would suggest opening the watch up looking at the balance particularly the hairspring. Modern watches can be affected by magnetism to varying degrees. For instance you take a super magnet and place it next to a nonmagnetic hairspring it still will move around but remove the magnet the nonmagnetic hairspring goes back to where it's supposed to be. I seriously doubt if you're ever going to see a nonmagnetic hairspring magnetically stuck together. So it will have some minor effects on timekeeping depending upon a variety of things but you're not going to see five minutes per hour. You would on a ancient watch with a blued steel hairspring where the metal will stick together because it is magnetize.

 

The problem with eBay is For instance on pocket watches where they can get into the watch their usually played with. A lot of times they'll be even bad components but on wristwatches in a sealed case your little better off but the quality of watches you can find on eBay varies considerably. So I would look at your watch rather than making an assumption of what the problem is. Perhaps somebody was in there before you and magnetism will be the least of your problem. Or a much more common scenario lubrication is on the hairspring and it is sticky and the hairspring of course being stuck together runs really really fast.

 

So visual verification of the problem is almost always a must rather than assuming certain things.

[jdm]

It should also be mentioned that running fast is a common issue for movements that simply run on dried up oil for lack of maintenance and need servicing.