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Thread: Stopping at date change

  1. #1
    Master
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    Stopping at date change

    One of my watches has developed a fault where the hands stop moving as the date is about to change. It hasn't run down as the mechanism the seconds hand keeps moving so I assume that there is still power in the mainspring. If I move it past the date change it carries on as per normal.

    Is this a common fault, if so is it a simple fix?

    Or is it symptomatic of something more serious?
    Last edited by Wimm; 3rd May 2019 at 20:00.

  2. #2
    Master
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    This happened on my Seamaster 300, and I was told on here that it's quite a common issue - date wheel failure.

  3. #3
    Grand Master
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    If the date wheel’s faulty I would expect it to be OK on some changes but not others, usually the damage is confined to one or two teeth, not all 31.

    OP doesn’t name the watch, so predicting what’s wrong is a guessing game.

  4. #4
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tom-P View Post
    This happened on my Seamaster 300, and I was told on here that it's quite a common issue - date wheel failure.
    Disagree about it being a common issue. If you’re referring to the recent Seamaster Pro, with the cal 1120 (ETA 2892) I’ve never heard of it happening, I’ve worked on plenty and I don’t recall seeing damage to date wheell teeth. The 1960s Seamaster 300, with the 565 movement , can give problems with the quickset not working, but the normal date setting usually functions OK even though the teeth are worn.

  5. #5
    Master Thewatchbloke's Avatar
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    I'll bet it's a loose canon pinion, the dial side needs stripping to tighten it up. It can happen to any watch eventually.

  6. #6
    Master
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    Thanks for the replies. I think the date ring is fine as it clicks over nice and crisply if I use the crown. It just seems to me that there isn't enough strength in the mechanism to force the date change.

    Apologies, should have given the obvious information at the start. The watch is an Orex circa early 80s. It has a Seagull ST5D movement (although I haven't had the back off to confirm).

    Tapatapatapatapatalk

  7. #7
    Could be power reserve issue? Broken mainspring?

  8. #8
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    Disagree about it being a common issue. If you’re referring to the recent Seamaster Pro, with the cal 1120 (ETA 2892) I’ve never heard of it happening, I’ve worked on plenty and I don’t recall seeing damage to date wheell teeth. The 1960s Seamaster 300, with the 565 movement , can give problems with the quickset not working, but the normal date setting usually functions OK even though the teeth are worn.
    Doh sorry for confusion, addled memory - I was told that it was the *hour* wheel that had failed, not the date wheel.

  9. #9
    Master Melt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thewatchbloke View Post
    I'll bet it's a loose canon pinion, the dial side needs stripping to tighten it up. It can happen to any watch eventually.
    I agree with this diagnosis.

    BTW does the crown feel really easy(sloppy) to change the time and when you press it back in does the time change/jump from what you have set?

  10. #10
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Melt View Post
    BTW does the crown feel really easy(sloppy) to change the time and when you press it back in does the time change/jump from what you have set?

    Having tried it seems reasonably tight and the minute hand stays still when I press the crown back in although I have to be a little careful as it is quite easy to turn the crown when pushing it in. Or is that what you are asking about?

  11. #11
    Grand Master
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    Sometimes the friction between the crown seal and pendant tube masks the feel of the cannon pinion, the foolproof way to assess the cannon pinion is with the movement out of the case.

    Depending on the design the cannon pinion can usually be tightened, this is checked as a matter of course when a watch is serviced. Its quite a tricky job to do and it’s not a job for someone who lacks experience or doesn’t know what he’s doing.

    If the cannon pinion’s loose its highly likely the watch has had a long hard life without being serviced. There’s as much time and effort required to service a Seagull as an Omega, be prepared to pay a repairer’s going rate to get this watch sorted.

  12. #12
    Master
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    I've done a bit more digging but it doesn't seem that the ST5 suffered any specific problems in general or this problem in particular. (Turns out it is unlikely to be the ST5-D as that is the automatic version, it'll be the ST5-B which is the date version. ) Looks like it'll be something to be tucked away until I can have it serviced. Or find a working movement.

    Tapatapatapatapatalk

  13. #13
    Banned
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    It may be a case of simply lubricating every 5th calendar wheel disc tooth. I have seen the calendars jam on these because of lack of the tiniest amount of very fine oil where the advance lever meets the wheel teeth on the disc. The advance lever springs are fairly strong to give a quick change of date.

    Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

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