Jump to content

Zodiac SST 36000 hi-beat

anilv

By anilv
in Your Watch Collection

 Share

Recommended Posts

anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

Posted
Posted

Hi folks,

This Zodiac came my way and while its been over-polished, the price was right.

P_20170402_090806_1.thumb.jpg.7cd721a6ebe3cc40cab6f8395b9e74a0.jpg

Inside we find a Zodiac cal.86.

P_20170402_133404.thumb.jpg.528cb334e264ddbac8737fd857757ef1.jpg

Looking at the pictures, we have a puzzle. The dial is way larger than the movement so how does it come apart? Looking at the watch edge on, there's no visible seam so there appears to be no bezel to come off which will allow the dial/movement combo to come out thru the front.

Hmmmm..... let's take a closer look at the dial.

See it now?

58e1debf45cb3_Zodiacdialupclose.jpg.795659f3e5f04b372db2b97d73d0c090.jpg

The dial is actually a composite dial, the large square dial is fitted under the crystal, this has a large aperture thru which the 'Zodiac' brand and 'day/date window can be seen. This Zodiac brand and the day/date window is fitted to another dial which is fitted to the movement in the normal manner. To remove the movement you have to align the hands so that they will fit thru the large aperture in the square dial. The fact that this movement 'hacks' make it easier. You then remove the case screws and the movement drops out in the usual manner.

The date quick-set is not working. You can also see from the picture below the minute hand is slightly bent and the hands are generally not in good condition. The watch also looks a bit dirty as there seems to be some marks on the inside of the crystal at around the 7 o'clock area. I am loathe to remove the crystal as it seems to be an original one and I don't think it'll be easy to source a replacement.

P_20170403_134830.thumb.jpg.07698988fbf6afa73fe62b06f0962adc.jpg

The movement itself is running strongly but unfortunately its not so accurate in that its gaining about 4 minutes a day. In a normal movement I would not be really bothered as I know a good cleaning would sort this out and get it running well but this particular movement has me a bit pessimistic for the following reasons.

Firstly, its not that common and parts are difficult to source. Secondly, hi-beat models like these are notoriously hard to get running as per spec, they run very fast and its common for parts to wear if it is not serviced properly (and I suspect this is the case here). Thirdly, it is based on the AS1687/1688 movement and has the 'offset cannon pinion' which usually has its own problems.

On the plus side, it comes with the original bracelet with decent length and .... well thats it!

Anilv

 

 

 

Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

Posted
Posted

An interesting piece Anilv, I'm sure you will have it apart and serviced in the not too distant future.  I look forward to hearing how it goes. 

  • 2 weeks later...
ricardopalamino Distinguished Member

ricardopalamino

Posted
Posted

As Geo said, an interesting piece .

I have a thing for Zodiacs , especially the SST 3600 Hi-Beat although I have never worked on one . 

BTW , I just checked the Old Swiss Watches website and Sudarson seems to have a good supply of Zodiac parts . You can always E-mail him if you don't see what you're looking for listed .

  • Like 1
  • 7 months later...
anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Doh!!!

I decided to give this watch a clean, the hi-beat movements work hard and the crystal was also bugging me as it did not seem to be 'flat' on both sides.

Well the crystal was sanded and polished, watch was dismantled and all was going fine until I tried to dismantle the 'do not dismantle'barrel. The lid came off easily enough but the arbor came away with the lid.. yep the mainspring broke.

So now I'm looking for a replacement mainspring but may need to buy a complete barrel.  Ricardo, thanks for the heads up on Sudarson. I dropped him an email !

Pretty bummed and I just left it all on my desk. Shit happens I guess.

Anilv

 

anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

Posted
  • Author
Posted

update... contacted ''oldswisswatches''/ Mr Sudarson, and he has the mainspring. Probably a generic as I believe these sealed barrels would be sold complete with m/spring and arbor. Fair enough at USD12. He also had a balance bridge for an FL1188 which was a bit steep at USD35 but I've been keeping my eye out for one (see below) and they seem to be a bit uncommon so I bit the bullet and bought it. Shipping was USD2 , given the abysmal postal service between India and Malaysia I expect it sometime in February!

Cheers!

Anilv

 

 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • AndyGSi
      ETA 2472 - how to tackle this crown and stem?

      By AndyGSi · Posted

      Does the watchmaker know it's for a screw down crown and not just a standard split stem as the ones in the photo look standard?
    • dnhb
      Loose roller table

      By dnhb · Posted

      Thank you very much for this. Re: 1. I've so far found that this one needs something thicker than 2x kitchen foil (another suggestion in that thread)! 2. I've been checking where the roller needs to be in relation to the wheel, the hairspring stud/arm & the pallet fork to try to get it right first time. 3. Does one raise notches at both ends of the tube? 4. What is a "driver roller sharpener"?
    • mbwatch
      Elgin Grade 315: Runs/stops with dial down/up

      By mbwatch · Posted

      Hmm, if it is sitting that low I am not sure I would blame end shake (which would be to blame if you turned it DU and the hairspring touched the balance cock). If it is sitting so low that the balance rubs on the pallet bridge I would verify that the balance arms are not dished downward and also that the lower balance jewel doesn't have an issue such as being chipped. Or the balance staff is actually too short, which would have caused your earlier end shake problems too. If you install the pallet bridge without the pallet fork and install the balance, is your free oscillation still good or is it immediately bound up on the pallet bridge? (I have an elgin watch like that where someone in the past ground down the pallet bridge significantly) Yes, you'll need to rotate the hairspring but deal with the pallet bridge interference first.
    • docrpm
      Elgin Grade 315: Runs/stops with dial down/up

      By docrpm · Posted

      Ok. So given that I had free oscillations DU/DD for roughly the same time, I reassembled with the pallet fork and bridge underneath, and now I can see two more problems.    1. The arms of the balance are nearly flush with the pallet bridge. Bad. I can speculate as to why…the end shake still looks to be too much. Maybe other causes as well? 2. The balance doesn’t spin freely. In the resting position, it looks like the impulse jewel is outside the jaws of the pallet fork. Not by much, but still outside. If it needs be inside in the static position, then I’m guessing I’ll need to rotate my hairspring collet to change orientation by a few degrees.    The journey continues…
    • stm
      Doxa women's watch (radioactive)

      By stm · Posted

      Ok, that's good to know, thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...