Quartz Watch Not Starting After Battery Change

[Albert]

Hello!

 

I took my trusty Swiss Army Watch (24221) to an electronics store for a battery change, and they tried a battery that was a hair too thick, then one that was too thin, before we found the proper size (Renata 371 in case anyone has the same problem). However, the watch did not spring back to life. It had worked fine prior to the battery change (except that it was signalling low voltage with that jumpy sweep of the second hand every few seconds). Also, I was present for the whole procedure and didn't see any undue handling or any insulators falling out or anything that could explain it not restarting.

 

 

Does anyone have an idea what the problem could be? I'd prefer not to throw out one of my favorite watches if there is still something that can be done, or at least know how to verify that it is really dead. I read that sometimes the "gears have to be spun" to resuscitate the movement, and that this can be done physically or magnetically. How is that done?

 

I'd appreciate any advice from the highly skilled readership here!

Cheers!

[watchweasol]

Hello and welcome to the forum.   What you could try is putting it on a line release tool.  (available online,  Ebay,   this is essentially a coil and as current is passed through it it creates an electrical field and spins the watch at speed and frees any particals jamming the train. If this fails to restart the watch It wtll need further action, dismantling and repair (if possible or replacement).

Best to post some pictures of the back of the movement with the cover offo determine its make and caliber.

[ro63rto]

Were all the batteries the same voltage?

[Mark]

I think this is an FE movement. There is a positive contact (the one you slightly unscrew to release the battery). and obviously a negative contact. Make sure the battery is not upside down. The writing on the battery should be facing upwards.

 

The second thing to look for is to make sure the battery isolator is not missing. This, I think, is orange in colour and resides between the lower negative contact - between the negative contact and the lower plate. If the negative of the battery is in any way touching the metal plate of the watch movement (e.g. if the isolator is missing) then the battery will be shorting and the watch will not work.

 

Isolators can easily be overlooked when removing the battery and a less experienced technician will not realise it was there in the first place.

 

I hope this helps.

[Lee]

I'd take it to someone else myself, if he was fiddling around with different batteries, he was rubbish & didn't  have a clue! if you take it to the right person they can

 

A. make sure the battery is in properly.

B. do a simple test to see if the movement is running electronically.

C. use something like a witschi cyclonic to clear any debris from the train.

D. diagnose & fix what everys gone wrong!

[bobm12]

I think some of the (maybe older?) movements need a reset after a battery change. I remember doing it once but it was so long ago I don't even remember the procedure. I believe some section needs to be shorted or something.

 

Recently I had my neighbor watch for a battery change. After replacing with the correct battery number the watch wouldn't run. It checked Ok in the tester (good coil, pulse) and then I dropped it accidentally....when I picked it up it was running again. Please, don't try that at home!

 

Robert

[Lee]

then I dropped it accidentally....when I picked it up it was running again.

 

 

 

C. use something like a witschi cyclonic to clear any debris from the train.

 

Or drop it! :D

[Geo]

Or drop it! :D

Worked with my radio clock yesterday!

[Lee]

lol.

[bobm12]

Lol.

[AndyHull]

18 hours ago, Andre99Nunes said:

 

Now I'm not sure if I am being 'trolled', or 'botted', but either way, I can absolutely assure you that this wont work with watch batteries. Once they are dead, they are dead, and no amount of snake oil will bring them back to life. Furthermore, considering how cheap they are, messing about with some half baked re-charging technique that is likely to cause the cell to leak in the longer term is not even going to come close to appearing anywhere on my radar. 

[m1ks]

I've changed a good few that require an 'additional step' in either shorting the + terminal and the case or a press and hold of two or more of the buttons, (if a chrono style quartz with two or more pushers).

Try the latter if you have pushers, press and hold all or variations of for a few seconds to see if anything happens, as above though. Check for an isolator AND if you find one check to see if there is anything printed on it or the inside of the case back, if so these are often instructions on how to reset the watch after a battery replacement.

You may need a loupe or good magnifying glass to read them.

[Mark]

17 hours ago, AndyHull said:

Now I'm not sure if I am being 'trolled', or 'botted', but either way, I can absolutely assure you that this wont work with watch batteries. Once they are dead, they are dead, and no amount of snake oil will bring them back to life. Furthermore, considering how cheap they are, messing about with some half baked re-charging technique that is likely to cause the cell to leak in the longer term is not even going to come close to appearing anywhere on my radar. 

He's a spammer - and he's now banned. 

[Hamish]

A bunch of good advice above. I remember saying I would never work on a quartz watch but once folks hear you 'fix watches'.....

One trick that has helped me quite a bit is to look at the little stepping motor magnet. Sometimes they gather a tiny chunk of metal something that needs to be removed. Your quartz tester will tell you if the pulse is happening which would be a further clue. At other times I have found that very gently giving a wheel a slight hand to start is all it needs, but this helps mostly with watches that have been stopped for some time. Perhaps try cleaning the battery contacts too....

Good luck

[jdm]

Somewhere else the cheap "quartz tester/starter" is discussed. That's the electrical equivalent of nudging a wheel. I don't have one or the need, but I suppose it may work sometime.

[Lizab]

On 4/15/2019 at 6:44 AM, Hamish said:

A bunch of good advice above. I remember saying I would never work on a quartz watch but once folks hear you 'fix watches'.....

One trick that has helped me quite a bit is to look at the little stepping motor magnet. Sometimes they gather a tiny chunk of metal something that needs to be removed. Your quartz tester will tell you if the pulse is happening which would be a further clue. At other times I have found that very gently giving a wheel a slight hand to start is all it needs, but this helps mostly with watches that have been stopped for some time. Perhaps try cleaning the battery contacts too....

Good luck

Hamish

Thank you so much for your suggestion, it worked, the watch just needed a bit of help to get going again.

Saved me a trip to the jewellers.

 

[GlasWolf]

Hi guys, I have a very similar problem with my Wenger (Swiss Army) Commando watch.  The battery ran out a few months ago and I've just got round to replacing it.  I can see the second hand "pulsing" back and forth very slightly every second, but it doesn't move.  The orange isolator is in place.  I've set the time and date and tried another replacement battery, but no joy.

 

Any ideas how I can get it started?  The movement looks almost identical to this one, although the plastic cover is slightly different.  As in the video I'm replacing the original Renata 371 with an Energiser 370/371.

 

[jdm]

12 hours ago, GlasWolf said:

Any ideas how I can get it started? 

Give a read to the answers above.

[JohnD]

Sadly some ham fisted battery changers, when removing the back of a quartz watch, 'follow through' with the back removing implement and nick an exposed coil, rendering it open circuit, and surprise surprise, it doesn't run with a new battery...............

[GlasWolf]

Thanks both for your replies.

1 hour ago, jdm said:

Give a read to the answers above.

There are no instructions either on the case, in the booklet, or online (as far as I can see).  There is a tiny hole in the cover with an arrow pointing to it.  I have poked it to see if it's some kind of short or reset, but to no effect - maybe it's for lubrication?  I don't have a tester, and don't have screwdrivers small enough to open the cover of the movement (though I could buy some).  It was only an occasionally worn watch so it's very clean inside.

1 hour ago, JohnD said:

Sadly some ham fisted battery changers, when removing the back of a quartz watch, 'follow through' with the back removing implement and nick an exposed coil, rendering it open circuit, and surprise surprise, it doesn't run with a new battery...............

I certainly am a ham fisted battery changer, but I don't think I did this.  My continuity tester shows resistance between the battery terminals, which hopefully is a good sign.

[JohnD]

11 minutes ago, GlasWolf said:

Thanks both for your replies.

There are no instructions either on the case, in the booklet, or online (as far as I can see).  There is a tiny hole in the cover with an arrow pointing to it.  I have poked it to see if it's some kind of short or reset, but to no effect - maybe it's for lubrication?  I don't have a tester, and don't have screwdrivers small enough to open the cover of the movement (though I could buy some).  It was only an occasionally worn watch so it's very clean inside.

I certainly am a ham fisted battery changer, but I don't think I did this.  My continuity tester shows resistance between the battery terminals, which hopefully is a good sign.

What you must see is continuity (usually about 2Kohms) across the coil, but to do this you usually have to remove the circuit so as not to get a false reading...

 

[watchweasol]

Hi  Have you got the case back off =, If so what make is the module. Can you supply close up pics of the movement..   The hole you mentioned marked push is for stem removal. Them perhaps I can find the tech sheets for this module and be of some help.   Cheers

[GlasWolf]

34 minutes ago, JohnD said:

What you must see is continuity (usually about 2Kohms) across the coil, but to do this you usually have to remove the circuit so as not to get a false reading...

Don't think I'll be doing that!  I'm getting 3Kohms between terminals, not sure whether that's meaningful or not.  Nothing on the coil itself, I assume it's coated.

 

36 minutes ago, watchweasol said:

Hi  Have you got the case back off =, If so what make is the module. Can you supply close up pics of the movement..   The hole you mentioned marked push is for stem removal. Them perhaps I can find the tech sheets for this module and be of some help.   Cheers

It's a Wenger 70160 watch, all I know about the movement is what's written on it.  As I said, I don't have a small enough screwdriver to open the movement cover itself, but could get a super cheapy set if it's worth a bet that they'll help.

[JohnD]

18 minutes ago, GlasWolf said:

Don't think I'll be doing that!  I'm getting 3Kohms between terminals, not sure whether that's meaningful or not.  Nothing on the coil itself, I assume it's coated.

 

It's a Wenger 70160 watch, all I know about the movement is what's written on it.  As I said, I don't have a small enough screwdriver to open the movement cover itself, but could get a super cheapy set if it's worth a bet that they'll help.

Looks to be some coil damage here:-

Just where you would catch it if the screwdriver slipped when undoing the battery clamp screw.......

The movement is a Ronda 517, which can be obtained new HERE for £7.14...

Edited March 1, 2020 by JohnD

[GlasWolf]

Think you might be right, John - it's from pushing aside the clip, I think.  It's actually clearer in the photo than it is in real life.  What a shame.

 

Is the movement glued to the back of the face?  Would it be possible to remove the crown and swap it without specialist tools?  I'm not normally as clumsy as this, I promise...

[philipk5]

Surely if the second hand is "pulsing" then the coil / circuits are OK, and the problem is a mechanical one? Such as dust or dried/sticky oil gumming up the works. Before delving into a replacement movement try a small quantity of lighter fluid on the mechanical parts (not so much that it floods through and stains the dial) &/or invest in a demagnetiser / line release tool which will spin the hands quickly, usually freeing up the movement. 

Good luck