Reply With QuoteCould the new cell be a dud?
Bit of a random one - tried a search over on the old Electric Watches section of "The Watch Forum" (remember that place) and can't find any sort of answer....
My old but lovely Bulova Accutron Sputnik needed a new battery - probably been stopped 6 months or more being honest....anyway, popped a new cell in last night and hoped for the best, having done many battery changes on the watch myself over the years without issue.....and it's DOA....no movement, no hum, correct cell - in the right way round etc etc
The only thing I noticed was that during the battery change one of the little battery terminal screws that you have to loosen/remove, was sticking to the top of the screwdriver and tweezers I was using, and then as I was trying to position it to re-tighten it, it pinged off and stuck itself to the side of the coil compartment and had to be removed manually - it wouldn't just drop out...i.e. it was/is at least a little bit magnetized....It wasn't actually on the coil itself as I know they are fragile.....so there is definitely a little bit of magnetism going on in there somewhere.
I'm happy to try a £10 quid ebay special demag box, and worst case I'll sit tight for a running 2181F movement off of Ebay and have it swapped as I love the watch.....
BUT - are there any tips/tricks I can try to get it started again.....this happened again about 3.5 years ago when I sent it to Keith T after a similar failed battery change that time around (and I thought the watch was DOA at that time as there was no humming/movement from it again), and he got it going instantly apparently and literally just "fitted a new battery" as I recall.....
Appreciate it's very old school, but just wondered if any of the forum tinkerers could shed any insight/tips on these old girls as generally it's been bullet proof in the 12 or so years I've had it and having done this before, I'm hoping it's another easy fix.....juts not sure if I should "unleash" a demag tool on a watch such as this....but it would make sense that if it is partially magnetized this would stop the fork from vibrating maybe?
Hints/Tips/Suggestions gratefully received!!
Cheers,
Dave.
Could the new cell be a dud?
Just try plucking one of the cups of the resonator, its like a little kick start for the movement....gently mind you, gently.
Failing that, check the cell, check the insulators
I wouldn't be putting a demagnetiser near it.
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