Reply With QuoteI don't know anything about Tissot but my guess is a watch of that age could probably do with a servicing.
Welcome to the forum!
Hi guys. Just thought I'd say hello. Not really been into watches that much until recently. I have been given a Tissot Seastar automatic watch which belonged to my late great uncle. This has sparked off an interest I never had before. The thing is that I don't know too much about this type of watch.
It was boxed with all original booklets and tags so I was able to find out that it was manufactured in 1973, the movement is a 2571 and the case is a 46660. Remarkably it still keeps time very well indeed.
There is however one small thing but I'm not sure if it's normal or not (I suspect not). When I got the watch first, I put it on my wrist and with a couple of movements it started ticking. I never manually wound it at the start but a few hours later I noticed it had stopped (I was sitting at a desk by this point and not moving that much). If I moved my wrist a few times it started up again. So I'm fairly sure the auto winder is free and working. I wound it up and it went brilliantly the rest of the day and the next. The following morning I checked it was still running (I kept in beside the bed overnight) and it was, but as soon as I put it on, the watch stopped and moving my wrist did nothing to start it. I wound it up and away it went again.
As a test I wound it and left it running for 36 hrs without moving, checked when I came home from work and time was spot on and it was ticking away, lifted it and it stopped within a few seconds. Moving it did not start the watch again. Wound it and away it went.
I know the manual says to wind it before you put it on your wrist or when you take it off if you're not wearing it for a while, but does this behaviour sound normal?
Here's a couple of pics of the item:
Many thanks for any advice.
I don't know anything about Tissot but my guess is a watch of that age could probably do with a servicing.
Welcome to the forum!
Welcome to the forum, it's made me spend over 2K this week. Good luck!
It sounds like it's just a bit dirty or in need of a re-oiling. A general service should sort that out. As it sounds like it runs well when it's going that doesn't sound like anything has actually worn out or broken inside it, so I wouldn't expect a service to cost you too much. Maybe £100 - £150? Something like that.
Anyway, welcome to the forum!
Cheers
Can anyone recommend somewhere to service it? I'm in N. Ireland and don't know of any proper watchmakers about here, just jewellers who'd be happier selling you a new watch than servicing anything.
Definitely in need of a service, sorry no pointers for a N. Ireland..., but shouldn't cost you more that £100.
Welcome to the club!
The watch seemed to be getting worse, even fully wound this morning it wouldn't start. After a lot of movement and a few taps (which I felt bad about doing) it did start running. It would start for 5 seconds or so then stop.
I phoned a local shop called Watchcraft and explained the problem, I dropped it over this afternoon and the guy popped the back off for a look and straight away he could see that the gasket on the back had started braking up and there was a black powder all over the movement. He also said he could see the auto winder wasn't winding correctly. Full service time.
The guy does the servicing himself but has a 4-6 week wait (guessing thats a good sign if he's busy). Price he quoted was £70 + vat which I was very happy about. Can't wait to get it back now and have it in proper running order, I've no idea how long ago it started playing up but it's probably why it was put back in the box many years ago.
Imho you have a very nice vintage tissot. I have two Tissots and have know complaints. You imo have followed good advice in getting it serviced hope you get joy wearing it . By the way first offer please (only joking). Never sell it it, is a beuty and hope a start to a watch collection. You got a good deal on the service i am sure you could have paid much more elsewhere. I forgot, welcome to the forum.
Sounds promising.Originally Posted by gunman
When I've got a watch undergoing work, I always find myself looking forward to it coming back in better condition. Hope this guy does good work for you.
Thanks guys. This one will never be for sale. It was my great uncles and was given to me recently by my father (who is still very much alive BTW). As far as we know my great uncle bought it (or was given it) new in 1973 so it's been in the family for 41 years and it'll stay a while longer! My kids already joke about which one is getting it when I pop my cloggs.
And yes, I tend to find myself now looking up vintage watches on ebay every night. My uncle also had a Seiko 7123 in clean order but it didn't run. I've ordered a spare movement off ebay so I'm hoping to get it running too to wear it as an every day watch.
Hello and welcome!
Just off the phone with watchcraft, the Tissot is now serviced. He wants to hold onto it for a couple of days for testign but I will be collecting it on Friday. Looking forward to getting it back.
Nice Tissot with some history.
You got your eye on any other watches to make a collection?
Oh yes, I have my eye on a few things
I have a small, modest collection already. I have this tissot, a citizen chrono given to me on my 21st birthday, and Animal twister for surfing etc and a seiko 7123 that I'm trying to get working again, it was my great uncle's too.
I have been looking at some of the Citizen eco-drive watches to use as a daily and have fallen in love with some of the vintage Omega Speedmasters I've seen on here recently.
I`m happy to service it if you don't mind waiting a few weeks (references in H & V). I`ve done a few of these and they're usually straightforward. I`m sure the watch will be much better behaved after a stripdown and clean, it sounds like everything's working OK but the oil will be gummed up.
PM on it's way.
Paul
replied to.
Serves me right for not reading the whole thread
Glad the story had a happy outcome.......I`m knee-deep in non watch-related jobs (aka DIY chores) that my good lady keeps finding for me, so maybe another watch job wasn`t a good idea!
My enthusiasm for taking watches to pieces far outweighs my urge to decorate, mend fences, dig gardens etc.......and she can`t understand why!
Paul
Your Tissot looks lovely!
Tell me about it, My wife thought it would be lovely to put an oak parquet floor down in our kitchen, dining room, hall and downstairs bathroom. She bought 35 sq m of reclaimed flooring, all in bits the size of a letterbox which I have been cleaning adhesive off for the past 3 weeks. I have just about got enough clean to do the kitchen and dining room. I'll (She'll) be lucky if we have a kitchen floor by xmas! Of course, this work wasn't a consideration for her when she decided this!Serves me right for not reading the whole thread
Glad the story had a happy outcome.......I`m knee-deep in non watch-related jobs (aka DIY chores) that my good lady keeps finding for me, so maybe another watch job wasn`t a good idea!
My enthusiasm for taking watches to pieces far outweighs my urge to decorate, mend fences, dig gardens etc.......and she can`t understand why!
Paul
I just finished building a summer house in the garden for her and she landed me with this flooring.
I picked the watch up this evening and I must say so far I'm very happy with it, the new crystal has really made a difference to the look of the watch. The guy said he has serviced the watch and also there was a part in the auto winder which needed replaced. He had a few movements for spares and was able to use it to repair my watch. He didn't charge for the parts and gives a 12 month warranty so I'm happy enough.
Just remains to be seen how it keeps time now. I don't know if I could bring myself to wear this daily so I may have to go on the search for a daily beater (oh no, what a hardship that'll be)
Before:
After:
The dial is an unusual colour (to me at least), depending on the light it can look black, blue or silver top and bottom and blue in the middle. I really like it.
Lol! I thinks it a problem most of us have. I have to stay late at work to get my jobs done, else I get given home jobs as I walk through the door or have a three year old playing "There's a monkey on your back". Not ideal when you need steady hands.
welcome from another new member nice tissot
Hello and welcome, nice watch with a nice story.
Welcome to the forum.
What your seeing is not unusual for an old watch; it probably hasn`t been serviced in a long time and the lubrication will have dried up. A watch like this will sometimes run for a week or so, then give up the ghost.
The watch will probably be fine after a complete stripdown, clean, and reassembly with fresh lubrication. That's what a full service involves. It should then run like a good'un and keep good time.
I`m not offering to service it myself (unless you don`t mind waiting several weeks), I`ve far too many demands on my time at the moment, but I think that's what it'll need. Also worth getting the caseback seal checked/replaced, and the crown seal sorted out. Don`t be taken on by the fact it was water proof when new! Water resistance can usually be restored with a new caseback seal and crown, and it's something I`d recommend.
Paul
Thought you might like to see a similar Tissot... purchased new by me in 1973,
I noticed the 'automatic and seastar are reversed on my dial... oh and it needs a service and new crystal...
Yes, very similar, is the dial solid black on yours?
Thanks for sharing.
If that were mine I might enjoy polishing that crystal back to pristine shininess. Should look good after a bit of work. (Assuming it's acrylic, which it seems to be).oh and it needs a service and new crystal...
The colour varies when you move the watch, it could be silver with a blue horizontal band from the side or very dark looking straight on... and yes Mark, I should get the polywatch out soon.
Gadget
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