CWC G10 Movement

[Hamish]

Hi
Not sure if this is the right place for this topic but I have a couple of questions.
My 1995 G10 has been playing up recently. Stopping and starting of it's own accord. I have replaced the battery but to no avail. I have decided that I would like to have a go at replacing the movement myself. I'm quite happy to do this and in fact look forward to the challenge. Would I be correct in thinking that the movement is an ETA.955.114 for this year of watch? I believe that this movement is no longer available but the ETA.955.112 is a suitable replacement. Is this correct? The 112 movements that I have seen for sale on the internet have a date wheel fitted. This would
be surplus to requirements. My plan is to remove the date wheel and fit this new movement. How does one remove the date wheel. Is it just a case of gentle leverage on it and it will pop off or is there more to it than that. While I am keen to have a go, I don't want to make an arse of it before I even get round to fitting it. The watch is special to me. Any advice would be appreciated. I intend getting some tools from Cousins for the job. Hand removers, movement holder,etc.
Cheers

[2kilo]

my personal experience [limited] is that you can spend a lot on tools when there are everyday alternatives. I'm sure others agree / disagree / recommend...

case back knife - can get away with a cheap version based on bergeon or swiss army knife [protect case at lever point]
screwdivers - i bought the expensive bergeon stand after using rubbish cheap sets [investment purchase]
movement holder - clamp type
paper - cut a slit and hole to protect dial [no need for expensive covers]

HARDEST PART FOR ME
hand removers - difficult, with practice the screwdrivers can be used, levers or presto [found presto quite brutal]
hand fixers - any tube, pipet, rubber on pencil or safer with real hand setters / stand - still Fcuk it up :)

blu tak - picks up dirt or small parts
scotch tape - can be easier than tweezer for holding hands / protect case

case / crystal press - I found it tricky even with this to push the back back on

I would look at load of you tube vids, there seem to be alternative tools / methods for just about everything.... They also give you an idea of the amount of force / pressure etc is needed... Cheap tools may need modding, smoothing off rough edges to avoid scratching....

[Hamish]

Excellent. Thanks for the tips. I think I may get a cheap watch to practice on first. Any thoughts on the date wheel ? Cheers.

[JasonM]

Can't you just leave it on?

[MartinCRC]

I did what you are proposing a while back, with the process detailed on my blog:

https://adventuresinamateurwatchfett...06/15/cwc-g10/

The date wheel removal is also illustrated there and so hopefully the entry should answer most of your questions.

Martin

Hi
Not sure if this is the right place for this topic but I have a couple of questions.
My 1995 G10 has been playing up recently. Stopping and starting of it's own accord. I have replaced the battery but to no avail. I have decided that I would like to have a go at replacing the movement myself. I'm quite happy to do this and in fact look forward to the challenge. Would I be correct in thinking that the movement is an ETA.955.114 for this year of watch? I believe that this movement is no longer available but the ETA.955.112 is a suitable replacement. Is this correct? The 112 movements that I have seen for sale on the internet have a date wheel fitted. This would
be surplus to requirements. My plan is to remove the date wheel and fit this new movement. How does one remove the date wheel. Is it just a case of gentle leverage on it and it will pop off or is there more to it than that. While I am keen to have a go, I don't want to make an arse of it before I even get round to fitting it. The watch is special to me. Any advice would be appreciated. I intend getting some tools from Cousins for the job. Hand removers, movement holder,etc.
Cheers

[2kilo]

Excellent. Thanks for the tips. I think I may get a cheap watch to practice on first. Any thoughts on the date wheel ? Cheers.

I would buy one of the 1989's usually mint / NOS to practice on - I found it takes a little time to get used the pressure needed to remove and install without bending hands, etc...

forgot to add: a paperclip with the end smoothed / filed worked for me, for pressing stem release buttons...

[Hamish]

I did what you are proposing a while back, with the process detailed on my blog:

https://adventuresinamateurwatchfett...06/15/cwc-g10/

The date wheel removal is also illustrated there and so hopefully the entry should answer most of your questions.

Martin

Thanks Martin. That was interesting and useful. May I ask how the date wheel was removed. Does it just pry off or does one have to unscrew the small bracket that overlaps it slightly.

[Hamish]

Martin. Please ignore my last post. I have enlarged the pictures on your blog (my eyesight isnt what it used to be) and I can see now what you have done. Thank you.

[rodabod]

Would I be correct in thinking that the movement is an ETA.955.114 for this year of watch? I believe that this movement is no longer available but the ETA.955.112 is a suitable replacement. Is this correct?

That should be fine. The only thing you need to check is that the wheels/pinions are of the normal length. I bought some 955 movements recently which have a shorter second wheel pinion, so I had to re-use the original second wheel.

The 112 movements that I have seen for sale on the internet have a date wheel fitted. This would
be surplus to requirements. My plan is to remove the date wheel and fit this new movement. How does one remove the date wheel. Is it just a case of gentle leverage on it and it will pop off or is there more to it than that.

There's no harm in leaving the date wheel on. Some might argue that it adds extra resistance during the date-change process, but in reality it should be fine with it left fitted. To remove, you'd remove the associated plate(s) which partially cover the inside of the date wheel.

While I am keen to have a go, I don't want to make an arse of it before I even get round to fitting it. The watch is special to me. Any advice would be appreciated. I intend getting some tools from Cousins for the job. Hand removers, movement holder,etc.

Get a decent tool for lifting hands. Don't waste your time with a Chinese presto lifter; it's not worth the risk of damaging the hands. Either cough up for a Bergeon presto, or get a pair of standard hand lifters. Use a thin sheet of clear plastic (eg. from a sealable bag) over the dial while lifting the hands - this stops the dial getting marked, especially because the matte surface can change appearance if it is scuffed.

A cheap double-ended hand setting tool is good enough for this job. Probably around £2 on eBay. Keep it straight, and don't use much force. Keep an eye on making sure the hands are parallel with the dial.

A pair of tweezers will make hand fitting easier. Something like a pair of Vetus ST-12 would probably suit.

A standard Chinese or Indian case knife will suffice for a CWC G10. Precistas require a stainless case knife in my experience as the case back fit is tighter.

A case press (crystal press) is used for fitting the case back as it's a pressure fit. These are cheap on eBay too.

Be careful you don't press the stem release button too hard when pulling the stem, otherwise you'll need to disassemble the movement further.

Enjoy!

Roddy

[Hamish]

Roddy

Thanks very much. Really useful info there. I'm waiting on tools arriving. Havn't purchased the hand remover yet so I will take your advice. I don't want to spend too much on tools but then I don't want to cause damage unnecessarily. Welcome to the forum by the way. Cheers.

[oldandgrumpy]

Slight thread hijack, but relevant :

Does anybody know the G10 gasket sizes please ?

There should be 4 :

1 on the case back
1 on the movement holder
1 on the battery hatch
1 crown stem

It would be very helpful - there is a thread concerning G10 gaskets but the sizes quoted didn't seem to bear any relation to Cousins' stock.

Thanks,

James

[HappyJack]

Not wishing to hijack the thread but looking to tap the wealth of knowledge on this forum - can anyone help me with the replacement for the movement in my 1981 CWC Fat Case Navigator, which has juts been pronounced beyond repair by my watchmaker?

The original movement was an ESA 536.121, which is not available. I'm told that the 2836-2 will fit and still allow use of the original hands. However, these are now quite pricey. Does anyone know where I could find one of the ESA movements, or source a cheap ETA 2836-2? Or is there an alternative quartz movement that will fit.

Many thanks, and hoping for a solution to restore an old and faithful friend to life...

[MartinCRC]

The ETA 2836-2 is indeed a direct drop-in for the 536.121 - same ligne size, same hand sizes (150, 90, 25), same stem height. The only possible snag might be thickness but even here I think the quartz may even be a bit thicker than the automatic movement so you should be fine there. But as you say a 2836-2 would be prohibitively expensive if you bought it new but second hand movements can be found very cheaply, fitted to undesirable watches. You'd have to factor in the cost of a service but it might be a possible option. I found one fitted to Swiss Army diver's watch for about £15!

There may be Chinese clones of the 2836, such as the Hangzhou 6311 or Sea Gull ST21, that could be had more cheaply but I've no idea from where you might source one - probably Ebay is your best bet.

I am not so sure though that fitting an automatic is really in the right spirit and so perhaps you are then left with two options: Have the 536.121 serviced and repaired (which looks like a dead-end according to your watchmaker) or drop in an ISA 1198/103. The latter can be had for about a tenner from Cousins and fits the bill in all respects bar the seconds hand hole size which is 0.2 mm to the ESA's .25 mm. You could potentially solve that by crimping the seconds hand tube or sourcing an alternative seconds hand. The ISA is not of the same quality as the original but that should not matter because it will work and work reliably - my limited experience of the 536.121 in the reliability stakes has not been confidence-inspiring.

Hope that helps

Martin

https://adventuresinamateurwatchfett...saeta/536-121/

Not wishing to hijack the thread but looking to tap the wealth of knowledge on this forum - can anyone help me with the replacement for the movement in my 1981 CWC Fat Case Navigator, which has juts been pronounced beyond repair by my watchmaker?

The original movement was an ESA 536.121, which is not available. I'm told that the 2836-2 will fit and still allow use of the original hands. However, these are now quite pricey. Does anyone know where I could find one of the ESA movements, or source a cheap ETA 2836-2? Or is there an alternative quartz movement that will fit.

Many thanks, and hoping for a solution to restore an old and faithful friend to life...

[Hamish]

Slight thread hijack, but relevant :

Does anybody know the G10 gasket sizes please ?

There should be 4 :

1 on the case back
1 on the movement holder
1 on the battery hatch
1 crown stem

It would be very helpful - there is a thread concerning G10 gaskets but the sizes quoted didn't seem to bear any relation to Cousins' stock.

Thanks,

James

Would love to know this too!

[rodabod]

Does anybody know the G10 gasket sizes please ?

There should be 4 :

1 on the case back
1 on the movement holder
1 on the battery hatch
1 crown stem

There is no straight answer for this question, as the part sizes vary depending in what year of model. You can measure with calipers.

On more recent models, for the movement holder gasket, a 0.80 x 28.40 x 30.00mm o-ring should do. Fit it to the caseback, and it should mate with the movement holder when closing.

I don't believe that the crown gaskets are replaceable. You can replace the crown with a new waterproof model.

[rodabod]

anyone help me with the replacement for the movement in my 1981 CWC Fat Case Navigator, which has juts been pronounced beyond repair by my watchmaker?

As its a relatively rare and valuable, watch, I'd personally aim to buy a donor with with a 536 movement. It may be as simple as a circuit swap to fix your movement.

[PeterT]

As its a relatively rare and valuable, watch, I'd personally aim to buy a donor with with a 536 movement. It may be as simple as a circuit swap to fix your movement.

Yes this is the best bet and this worked for me. Any Fat boy will have the required circuit, it does not have to be a navigator.
You need to get that rare watch back in action with genuine parts.
P.

[Terry]

34 years out of a quartz movement is pretty good going IMHO. Take your time to find a donor 536.121, they can be found. I've had good luck with this seller in Holland but he doesn't have any ESA 536.121 modules at present. Sometimes he comes up with complete NOS movements.

http://stores.ebay.com.au/Global-Wat...fsub=213064016

Terry

[PeterT]

This could be what you want:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-AR...item1e9e1c1373

As a watch it is in a very sad state but the important thing is that it is running and so the circuit should be OK.
Might be worth a punt?

Peter

[HappyJack]

This could be what you want:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRITISH-AR...item1e9e1c1373

As a watch it is in a very sad state but the important thing is that it is running and so the circuit should be OK.
Might be worth a punt?

Peter

Thanks for the suggestion - and to everyone else who chipped in with suggestions. I tried bidding for that CWC which, remarkably, sold for over £100, though not to me. So I'm still on the lookout for a movement, or parts, if anyone can help.

[rodabod]

Thanks for the suggestion - and to everyone else who chipped in with suggestions. I tried bidding for that CWC which, remarkably, sold for over £100, though not to me. So I'm still on the lookout for a movement, or parts, if anyone can help.

I thought that price was a bit excessive. Not sure how you'd get one of those second hands replaced.

[PeterT]

I thought that price was a bit excessive. Not sure how you'd get one of those second hands replaced.

I would think the watch was sold for the circuit board. However, if you really wanted to restore it, the hands can be transplanted from a newer model. I had a set done at Christopher Poel in Stratford. He had a few CWC examples I a drawer and I chose the set that closely matched the rest of the patina. He fitted them as well.

[holio cornolio]

Excellent. Thanks for the tips. I think I may get a cheap watch to practice on first. Any thoughts on the date wheel ? Cheers.

I'm in a similar situation. I was looking at the 955.112 and the date wheel appears to be recessed so is there a reason why it needs to come off?seems like it should work fine, and not foul anything if left in place.
Not questioning anyone's motivation, just that personally, if I can do a basic transplant without buggering about with the new movement, then there's less chance of me f***ing the thing up!

[rodabod]

I'm in a similar situation. I was looking at the 955.112 and the date wheel appears to be recessed so is there a reason why it needs to come off?seems like it should work fine, and not foul anything if left in place.
Not questioning anyone's motivation, just that personally, if I can do a basic transplant without buggering about with the new movement, then there's less chance of me f***ing the thing up!

You can leave the date wheel on. Just be very delicate and find yourself a suitable, clean work surface. Hand setting can take a little practice.