ETA 955 missing parts ? See photos

[Balidey]

Hello all,

I have a funny feeling I know the answer to this, but need confirmation from some experts before I progress much further.

Back story: I recently took a chance on an unusual quartz divers watch on ebay that 'needed a new battery'. Upon fitting a new battery, the watch was still not working. So I decided to do a bit of investigating as a keen viewer of Mark's Youtube tutorials, I thought I could find out what is really wrong with this watch.

It has an ETA 955 movement, but it seems unusual in that it has both Day and Date. And from what I read, the 955 is a relatively robust and well regarded movement. But looking at online photos, and comparing it to my watch, I think I may have spotted the reason. The bottom of the battery compartment is open. No isolator and no arm to the negative. I initially assumed that the bottom was the contact to negative, but all other photos of this movement I can find show the isolator and contact arm.

So some questions please.

1: Is there actually two parts missing, or is what I have actually OK?

2: Is it repairable? Is the pad and contact something that can be placed in from above, or is it (the movement) likely to be damaged and need replacement?

3: If it needs replacement, are the Day and Date rings going to cause me grief, or are all 955 movements compatible with what I have and it's just a case of swapping over the electrical side?

Your help and assistance (and perhaps encouragement) would be greatly appreciated if I do need to do some work on it.

The watch in question is the centre one, with black PVD body.

Steve

[Tiktok]

The negative connection on the circuit has been snapped off and the isolator is missing.

Easy fix, undo the screws holding circuit board on, replace circuit board and fit a new isolator under connection on new circuit board.

presuming everything else is ok with movement you won't have to remove anything else and can even be done whilst still in its case.

[rogart63]

Not all 955 are compatible. There are to make things more complicated? different heights . But you will probably only need a new circuit?

[Neileg]

30 TAG 955 movements on eBay for 15GBP + post.

One day you'll say "I remember when you could get scrap 955s for 2 quid"

[Balidey]

Thanks for confirming that. I think I'll do the circuit swap and get this watch some wrist time.

[Balidey]

Not my finest repair, but from the posts above and some time looking at photos online, it was confirmed I was missing the isolator pad and negative contact. I decided to give it a try. For my insulator I used a clear disc of plastic that was part of my watch battery blister pack, cut into the neatest circle I could manage. The contact was a few strands of copper wire coated with solder, one end turned up slightly. Up turned end placed against the contact pad and a two second touch with the soldering iron. Not neat, but it works. Watch now on my wrist. I imagine it will break off at some point, so I will be getting a replacement movement or circuit, but no rush for it now. I'll have a little time wearing the watch before it comes apart again.