ETA 2788 - Weird keyless works behavior

[Michalzeszen]

Hi there.

I have been trying to finish a service, but the keyless works is not activating the time setting feature. I have made a video to demonstrate the issue.

Some problems I currently have regarding this issue:

- This is only my fourth service, and the first ETA, so I have barely any experience;

- Due to the lack of experience, I didn't completely assess the issues with the movement before disassembly, so I don't know the keyless work's past behavior.

Since the ETA 2788 lacks online documentation, I can't accurately verify the parts it came with. I'm guessing this movement was sold as is because someone tried to assembly the keyless works with 2789 parts and couldn't, but I can't confirm it.

 

[AndyGSi]

Welcome to the forum.

Clutch wheel looks wrong or maybe just the wrong way round compared to this.

As far as I'm aware the only difference between the 2788 & 2789 is the Date & Day/Date

Edit

Should have watched more of the video as you went into it but around 2:00 it's too far off the screen to see what's happening.

Edited January 10 by AndyGSi

[nevenbekriev]

Looks like this lever is bend up, so the small intermediate wheel that stays on the post is up.

[Michalzeszen]

3 hours ago, nevenbekriev said:

Looks like this lever is bend up, so the small intermediate wheel that stays on the post is up.

Thank you and nice catch!

Can you point me out the best way to straighten this lever? I can give it my best shot and if it fails order another one, but we are talking 40 days to the little thing to arrive from outside my country.
 

 

[Michalzeszen]

4 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

Clutch wheel looks wrong or maybe just the wrong way round compared to this.

Hi there. Before recording this video, the clutch wheel was my hypothesis, but upon researching the part I'm sure it is the right one and the longer teeth are pointing towards the movement which documentation says is the right way.

[AndyGSi]

9 hours ago, Michalzeszen said:

Can you point me out the best way to straighten this lever? I can give it my best shot and if it fails order another one, but we are talking 40 days to the little thing to arrive from outside my country.

Not sure how strong these are but you maybe able to flatten it by hand.

Where have you tried buying from and is this more to do with your postal service than the seller?

[nevenbekriev]

Do You have stacking set?

Edited January 11 by nevenbekriev

[Michalzeszen]

4 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

Where have you tried buying from and is this more to do with your postal service than the seller?

It is more related to the postal service. Cheaper delivery options usually have a very long waiting period.

1 hour ago, nevenbekriev said:

Do You have stacking set?

Unfortunately, I don't. It is on the list but at my level of experience, the price of the set versus the utility makes it a low priority. I will try it by hand, perhaps using a plier. If all goes wrong, eBay and patience!

[AndyGSi]

7 minutes ago, Michalzeszen said:

It is more related to the postal service. Cheaper delivery options usually have a very long waiting period.

Unfortunately, I don't. It is on the list but at my level of experience, the price of the set versus the utility makes it a low priority. I will try it by hand, perhaps using a plier. If all goes wrong, eBay and patience!

Have you ever tried buying from Cousins here in the UK?

[rjenkinsgb]

20 hours ago, Michalzeszen said:

Can you point me out the best way to straighten this lever?

It looks like the recess it fits in, in the watch main plate, is level? (no depth changes).

If so, one possibility is a staking block, a metal block with holes in? You can make a temporary one by drilling a suitable hole in a really flat bit of reasonably thick steel.

Put the lever on the block with the pin in a hole just smaller than the width of the lever (so the pin itself has no force on it) and use a bit of brass and a small hammer to gently flatten the lever to the block?

 

[GPrideaux]

On 1/11/2025 at 11:08 PM, Michalzeszen said:

the price of the set versus the utility makes it a low priority.

I get that: it's a significant investment. But regarding utility, until I got a staking set I had no idea how much I would use it.

[Michalzeszen]

Hi everyone.

I am just giving feedback about the ETA 2788. It is finished!

It is only my second service, and working randomly when I have the time. I liked the result, but I think at a later time I'll purchase one of those luminous kits to live up those hands. The patina on the dial and the small crack on the glass are fine with me. The strap is at best questionable, but I'm patiently awaiting for a used Technos to pop up on the market.

Thank you all for the help!

 

[Michalzeszen]

On 1/12/2025 at 11:08 PM, GPrideaux said:

I get that: it's a significant investment. But regarding utility, until I got a staking set I had no idea how much I would use it.

Do you think this would be a good set? I have the skills to restore it.

 

[Knebo]

3 hours ago, Michalzeszen said:

Do you think this would be a good set? I have the skills to restore it.

 

Frankly, the set doesn't nearly have enough stakes. You'll be very limited in using it. 

[Michalzeszen]

2 hours ago, Knebo said:

Frankly, the set doesn't nearly have enough stakes. You'll be very limited in using it. 

Thank you!

 

Do you know if I can find stakes on the market? I believe it is a matter of compatibility, right?

[Knebo]

13 hours ago, Michalzeszen said:

Hi everyone.

I am just giving feedback about the ETA 2788. It is finished!

It is only my second service, and working randomly when I have the time. I liked the result, but I think at a later time I'll purchase one of those luminous kits to live up those hands. The patina on the dial and the small crack on the glass are fine with me. The strap is at best questionable, but I'm patiently awaiting for a used Technos to pop up on the market.

Thank you all for the help!

 

Can you tell us how you fixed the problem you had? It's useful to everyone to see the ways that worked (especially without a staking set).

 

 

7 hours ago, Michalzeszen said:

Do you know if I can find stakes on the market? I believe it is a matter of compatibility, right?

If you go down the mix-and-match route, you need to make sure that the base set has 4.7mm diameter stakes. I believe that's the most common. And you can buy individual stakes of that size at CousinsUK (and others).

I'd highly recommend a set that can take stakes "as stumps" in an extended bottom part of the tool. Also called "inverto". Just increases the use options be a mile.

[Michalzeszen]

6 hours ago, Knebo said:

Can you tell us how you fixed the problem you had? It's useful to everyone to see the ways that worked (especially without a staking set).

 

It was nothing special. As pointed by @nevenbekriev, the lever above was bent. Since I didn't have the tools to fix it, I found a donor movement on eBay and after it arrived, I unrusted the lever and installed it.

It was not the best option, but it was dirt cheap. After servicing, the whole watch cost me about 20 USD and I have loads of spare parts from the donor.