Omega 1345 stepper motor.

[Len33]

For a project that I am working on, I recently purchased (From the USA) an Omega 1345 (7 jewels) movement only, in 'working order.' (Some bits missing, but in 'working order') I paid way too much for it in the first instance then, the added cost of insured/tracked postage and...................never gave this another thought....................an extra £33.80 for customs duty, including £8.00 to Royal Mail for their services has, in retrospect, made this a really unatractive purchase.

Oh well, it's done now, the commitment made and the prospect of restoring another 1342 eased the paain of the financial loss. 

Anyway, after what seemed like  a long wait, the watch duly arrived. It was well packed and everything looked fine. Eager to test it, I put a battery in and observed the stepper motor just rocking from side to side without completing a 'step' in either direction.

Ok then, a new battery was insrted and off we go again............same thing!

The gears were free and unobstructed, so no problems there. 

Maybe the circuit board was faulty, so I swapped it for one that I had taken from another known working 1342.

Still, the stepper motor continued to oscillate back and forth at about the one second rate.

The DC resistance of the stepper measured at around 4k ohms.

I removed the stepper motor from the 1345 and fitted it into a 1342 that I needed it for, because this 1342 had an O/C stepper motor.

I decided to strip and clean the movement. Everything that was possible to be thoroughly cleaned, was.

After that, It was re assembled/embalmed  (See later) and tested again.

 

Guess what? Yep, same as before. The stepper motor,  like a recalcitrant child on a visit to granny's, refused to cooperate! It couldn't make its mind up which way it would like to go, so it just oscillated......First this way, then that. 

Now, I would have thought that a stepper motor either works, or it doesn't work (OC winding or broken jewel) and there wouldn't be any 'in-between.' 

Seems that isn't the case, so what is the problem?

Internal shorted  turns, maybe, reducing the ability to perform its designed function?

What else could ther possibly be inside that tiny motor to go wrong, apart from the winding?

I'm not sure.

Anybody out there got any experience about these stepper motor faults? 

I hate to say it, but I think I've been well and truly "shafted"!

By trade, I am a Funeral Director and I am seriously considering a consultation in my book of curses, with a view to bestowing one of them on the darstardly perpetrator that, it appears, carried out the alleged "shafting!"

Len.

 

 

 

 

 

[Geo]

Hi Len, not my expertise at all, but this may help you check thing out.

http://www.witschi.com/assets/files/sheets/Knowledge Quartz Watch.pdf

[Len33]

"Thank you"  for your response, Geo.

That is a very interesting site and I will certainly pay it a lot of attention.

Regards.

Len.

[And73]

I have exactly the same stepper motor behavior on my Omega 1342 movement. Did you find a solution to the problem or got more knowledge about this issue?

I bought a donor 1342 movement for another empty watch case, and the donor movement worked just fine... before I moved it. I switched dial and hands, new stem and crown and recased it. Everything went fine until I put the battery back in and the step motor just rocked back and forth. Once a second. I find it strange since I was very careful with the movement during the switch and have no clue about what could have gone wrong.

Kind Regards

Anders

 

[Len33]

Hello, Anders!

No, I never got to the bottom of this problem. 

Nobody seems to know why this has occured.

I have  two 1342 's needing a stepper motor and all I can do is to carry on trying (Very patiently) to see if anything comes along.

Strange, really, that nobody can throw any light on this problem............apart from 'Swatch ' themselves and what do they care! 

Some time ago, I bought what was advertised on Ebay as 'a fully working 1432 movement' from the USA.

It rocked back and forth.

I returned it (At financiaI  loss) and was accused of cheating. 

I didn't cheat and I still have my two 1342's  in a box, not gathering dust!

Maybe, one day, they will be functioning again.

Until then, I will not hold my breathe.

Good luck with your search.........you will need it.

Len.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ecodec]

On 3/22/2017 at 11:01 AM, Len33 said:

For a project that I am working on, I recently purchased (From the USA) an Omega 1345 (7 jewels) movement only, in 'working order.' (Some bits missing, but in 'working order') I paid way too much for it in the first instance then, the added cost of insured/tracked postage and...................never gave this another thought....................an extra £33.80 for customs duty, including £8.00 to Royal Mail for their services has, in retrospect, made this a really unatractive purchase.

Oh well, it's done now, the commitment made and the prospect of restoring another 1342 eased the paain of the financial loss. 

Anyway, after what seemed like  a long wait, the watch duly arrived. It was well packed and everything looked fine. Eager to test it, I put a battery in and observed the stepper motor just rocking from side to side without completing a 'step' in either direction.

Ok then, a new battery was insrted and off we go again............same thing!

The gears were free and unobstructed, so no problems there. 

Maybe the circuit board was faulty, so I swapped it for one that I had taken from another known working 1342.

Still, the stepper motor continued to oscillate back and forth at about the one second rate.

The DC resistance of the stepper measured at around 4k ohms.

I removed the stepper motor from the 1345 and fitted it into a 1342 that I needed it for, because this 1342 had an O/C stepper motor.

I decided to strip and clean the movement. Everything that was possible to be thoroughly cleaned, was.

After that, It was re assembled/embalmed  (See later) and tested again.

 

Guess what? Yep, same as before. The stepper motor,  like a recalcitrant child on a visit to granny's, refused to cooperate! It couldn't make its mind up which way it would like to go, so it just oscillated......First this way, then that. 

Now, I would have thought that a stepper motor either works, or it doesn't work (OC winding or broken jewel) and there wouldn't be any 'in-between.' 

Seems that isn't the case, so what is the problem?

Internal shorted  turns, maybe, reducing the ability to perform its designed function?

What else could ther possibly be inside that tiny motor to go wrong, apart from the winding?

I'm not sure.

Anybody out there got any experience about these stepper motor faults? 

I hate to say it, but I think I've been well and truly "shafted"!

By trade, I am a Funeral Director and I am seriously considering a consultation in my book of curses, with a view to bestowing one of them on the darstardly perpetrator that, it appears, carried out the alleged "shafting!"

Len.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ecodec]

I had a quartz with a similar problem. I gave it the line free treatment. If you do not have this facility then your de-magnetiser should do the trick (50 or 60 Hz) Pop the watch on it and switch on for a few sec`s.  The watch should run very fast. De- gauss it and see if it works. I have had some success with this method on watches that will not go when the battery is changed or suffer the 1 sec back and forth jitter. Alternative if all is free is to get the scope out and check to see if the oscillator is running OK. I hope it works for you. Best regards, Mike.  

 

[And73]

Thank you for your reply and your support Len. At this point I'm still optimistic in finding a way to solve this - since I know that the movement worked fine two days ago (and that I still think that I have treated it nice during the switch).  Lets keep our fingers crossed that it is possible to get them going again.

And to Mike - thank you for your advice which sounds very good to me. Demagnetizer is now ordered at Cousins!

[Len33]

Hello again, Anders,

Once you get your demagnetizer from that most excellent firm, Cousins, could I ask you to let me know if Mike's little trick does the job, please?

I have two 1432 stepper motors, but both are beyond help as the winding on one is o/c and the bearing on the other one is broken.

I did enquire about getting them both repaired but, judging from the the price I was quoted, he must have got me mixed up with that other Len..........Len Blavatnik, the Russian billionaire!

Thanks.

Len.

[jdm]

On 11/26/2017 at 12:09 AM, ecodec said:

Alternative if all is free is to get the scope out and check to see if the oscillator is running OK. 

What you say is right, but not everyone has an oscilloscope... just like not everyone has a lathe, etc.

[rogart63]

Why demagnitize quartz movements . Think that is a bad advice? The risk of destroying something is high. The stepper motor has magnets inside like a electric motor. If the get demagnitized it's caput. besides there is a very little wheel on the stepper motor that easily breaks. High speed could kill it faster then a blink of an eye. 

Edited November 27, 2017 by rogart63