Omega speedmaster automatic question

[series5]

I have Speedmaster with a Chrono Manual Automatic Cal movement.

It was serviced by Omega in the tail end of 2016.

A couple of years ago, at about now, I had a back operation which rendered me fairly immobile for a month or so. Although wearing the watch every day, it was prone to stopping and needing to be wound - no surprise really. Once active again it worked just fine.

It's happening again now. No back problems this time but not as much mobility as I would undertake in summer months on account of the poor weather outside. I find that if I reasonably gently (ish) rock the watch for a minute morning and evening it will run without stopping. If I miss doing this, its quite likely to stop.

I have in my mind an idea that it needs about 600-800 rotations of the internal counterweight to keep it running but I have no idea if I am giving it enough movement to achieve that without the extra minute morning and night. I don't know if doing this is a good idea or if I should be winding it instead or buying a watch winder and letting it gently recharge over night.

It still keeps good time and I can see no evidence of misting inside.

Is this fairly normal behaviour or do I need to get my wallet out and send it away for a service?

thanks

Ian

[walkerwek1958]

Highly likely that there’s nothing wrong, your lack of activity is the likely cause of the problem. I suggest you fully hand- wind it ( approx 55 twists of the crown) and see how you go, I don’t like excessively hand- winding automatics on a long term basis, it can lead to wear problems, but giving it a few twists every day for a few weeks shouldn’t do any harm.

I rarely recommend using a watch winder but in cases like this it does make some sense. Lack of activity can be a problem with automatic watches, keeping it running makes more sense in situations like this.

[series5]

Highly likely that there’s nothing wrong, your lack of activity is the likely cause of the problem. I suggest you fully hand- wind it ( approx 55 twists of the crown) and see how you go, I don’t like excessively hand- winding automatics on a long term basis, it can lead to wear problems, but giving it a few twists every day for a few weeks shouldn’t do any harm.

I rarely recommend using a watch winder but in cases like this it does make some sense. Lack of activity can be a problem with automatic watches, keeping it running makes more sense in situations like this.

Thank you very much for your reply - I will give this a try - quite a relief really !

[series5]

Not great news to report:

I've tried various approaches along the lines of what has been suggested and have also tried a watch winder, set to CW and 650 tpd with the watch left there overnight and worn during the day. It isn't keen to continue running.

I think I've reached a point, unless there are suggestions otherwise from forum members, where I think it will need to be serviced.

I used Omega in Southampton last time (see OP) and am looking for suggestions as where best to send it this time.

I don't want to over pay for a service but I want it to be done properly and in a reasonable timeframe.

I live in Camberley, Surrey and am looking for suggestions, transported to a repairer or posted.

thanks

[MartynJC (UK)]

can I suggest try being more active during the day? I’ve been doing 10000 steps a day during lockdown - and the weather hasn’t been too bad and even when it has I try and get fresh air. Try this:

1. Wind the watch fully (55 winds) then,
2. go for a 2mile walk locally for a couple of days
3. Take the watch off and let it run down - make a note of the time on the watch when it stops - it should be about 48h (I stand to be corrected) after it was taken off.

if step (3) shows it stopping a lot sooner then something needs attention.

[series5]

can I suggest try being more active during the day? I’ve been doing 10000 steps a day during lockdown - and the weather hasn’t been too bad and even when it has I try and get fresh air. Try this:

1. Wind the watch fully (55 winds) then,
2. go for a 2mile walk locally for a couple of days
3. Take the watch off and let it run down - make a note of the time on the watch when it stops - it should be about 48h (I stand to be corrected) after it was taken off.

if step (3) shows it stopping a lot sooner then something needs attention.

Thank you Martyn, that makes perfect sense and I will give it a try.

It's difficult to know if wearing the watch around the house and doing stuff at home is enough to keep it running but a sure fire charge of it and a measured run down should show if general motion is or is not enough.

[Ar.parask]

Ian,

I am sure that you know that there are a few versions of automatic Speedmaster’s out there and all of them do not share the same movement.
Some of the automatics wind in one direction only and some others in both.
If you have one of those that wind in one direction you might have set the wonder to the opposite one....
So it would be helpful to understand which movement it has before diving more into this!


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[series5]

Ian,

I am sure that you know that there are a few versions of automatic Speedmaster’s out there and all of them do not share the same movement.
Some of the automatics wind in one direction only and some others in both.
If you have one of those that wind in one direction you might have set the wonder to the opposite one....
So it would be helpful to understand which movement it has before diving more into this!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am aware that there are many movements. Mine is listed as SU1780028 035525900 with a Chrono Manual automatic cal movement and looks identical to this watch

https://www.watchmaxx.com/omega-watch-3552-59-00

As far as I am aware, it has one of the less loved Briguet movements (but I could be mistaken). I assume the automatic winding specification is CW 650 tpd, but I could be wrong.

[Ar.parask]

Yours has the 3301 movement.
Not a Breguet but a Frederic Piguet Movement.
The 3301 was not used by Breguet although F Piguet made movements for them as well.
Anyway, these had a few problems but they were all sorted by 2008. If you watch was serviced by Omega later than that it should have received all the upgraded parts. Most problems had to do with the chronograph levers and the time setting. There were no reports about diminished power reserve...
They are actually great movements with free sprung balance wheel, column wheel and vertical clutch. Also great timekeepers...
These are indeed unidirectional winding movements. So try reversing the direction of the wonder and see if that makes a difference

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[series5]

Yours has the 3301 movement.
Not a Breguet but a Frederic Piguet Movement.
The 3301 was not used by Breguet although F Piguet made movements for them as well.
Anyway, these had a few problems but they were all sorted by 2008. If you watch was serviced by Omega later than that it should have received all the upgraded parts. Most problems had to do with the chronograph levers and the time setting. There were no reports about diminished power reserve...
They are actually great movements with free sprung balance wheel, column wheel and vertical clutch. Also great timekeepers...
These are indeed unidirectional winding movements. So try reversing the direction of the wonder and see if that makes a difference

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you, that's very useful information. I knew much of it soon after buying my watch but I couldn't find the information again when I checked recently.

My watch was originally purchased, not by me, in 2007 in Japan. It was then sold to a collector in the USA and I bought it via this forum about 10 years ago. It was serviced by Omega about 4 years ago so I imagine that it was upgraded with the improvements that you have mentioned.

I'm going through the process that MartynJC suggested a few posts back at the moment. My watch has been through two days of winding and three mile walks on each of two days (my preference is cycling but this doesn't, I suspect, provide the impetus necessary to wind it up). It is now sitting close to me and starting the wind down cycle and I will see for how long it runs before stopping.

[joe narvey]

Thank you, that's very useful information. I knew much of it soon after buying my watch but I couldn't find the information again when I checked recently.

My watch was originally purchased, not by me, in 2007 in Japan. It was then sold to a collector in the USA and I bought it via this forum about 10 years ago. It was serviced by Omega about 4 years ago so I imagine that it was upgraded with the improvements that you have mentioned.

I'm going through the process that MartynJC suggested a few posts back at the moment. My watch has been through two days of winding and three mile walks on each of two days (my preference is cycling but this doesn't, I suspect, provide the impetus necessary to wind it up). It is now sitting close to me and starting the wind down cycle and I will see for how long it runs before stopping.

I would be careful following Martyn’s advice as you are already six miles away from home ..

( Sorry Martyn, couldn’t resist)

[series5]

I would be careful following Martyn’s advice as you are already six miles away from home ..

( Sorry Martyn, couldn’t resist)

Is this a wind up? ..... Oh, I already did that too, twice.

[series5]

I followed Martyns suggestion and achieved a run time of 53 hours.

This seems to be about right for this calibre, or so I believe, and is a big relief in that the watch appears to not need attention.

I can see the huge benefit in walking or running a couple of miles each day but my preference is cycling and I realise that this wont do a lot for watch winding. Coming out of the gloom of winter does mean that I'm out and about a lot more doing stuff rather than sitting in front of a PC, so this should help. However, it seems like the watch needs a bit more movement than I am tending to provide.

I've no wish to chop it in for a quartz (or anything else) but wonder what is the best way to keep it topped up other than walking or running? (and no, I don't have enough stamina these days in the bedroom). A few people have mentioned winding it 55 times each day. Is that 55 full rotations of the crown or 55 partial rotations or something else? Is that enough to fully wind it or is it just enough to set it going? It's stated as 650 CW tpd's minimum on a watch winder. Would putting it on there over night be a good solution, possibly with 650 or more tpd's programmed in?

I've read, and maybe its folklore or only semi true, that the 3301 calibre is a bit fragile, and even though it has been back to Omega in the past five years for a service and may have been retrofitted with better parts, manual intervention of winding isn't a great idea. So, again, any thoughts or suggestions with this in mind would be welcome.

thanks

Ian

[series5]

Eight months on and I still not convinced that my watch is OK (even though I was re-assured back in April).

I do use as much as my lifestyle will allow and I sit it on a watch winder most nights with the tpd set to twice what the movement requires. I assume, possibly incorrectly, that this should keep it reasonably charged. I've also been winding it for the 55 turns, or thereabouts some days too. Trouble is, it still stops rather too regularly - certainly more than I think it used to do.

I live in Camberley, Surrey and have used the Omega Service Centre in Southampton back in 2016 (it was fine). Where are people recommending Omega watches are sent for servicing (with a reasonable price and turn around time) these days ?

Many thanks

Ian

[MartynJC (UK)]

Yours has the 3301 movement.
Not a Breguet but a Frederic Piguet Movement.
The 3301 was not used by Breguet although F Piguet made movements for them as well.
Anyway, these had a few problems but they were all sorted by 2008. If you watch was serviced by Omega later than that it should have received all the upgraded parts. Most problems had to do with the chronograph levers and the time setting. There were no reports about diminished power reserve...
They are actually great movements with free sprung balance wheel, column wheel and vertical clutch. Also great timekeepers...
These are indeed unidirectional winding movements. So try reversing the direction of the wonder and see if that makes a difference

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Eight months on and I still not convinced that my watch is OK (even though I was re-assured back in April).

I do use as much as my lifestyle will allow and I sit it on a watch winder most nights with the tpd set to twice what the movement requires. I assume, possibly incorrectly, that this should keep it reasonably charged. I've also been winding it for the 55 turns, or thereabouts some days too. Trouble is, it still stops rather too regularly - certainly more than I think it used to do.

I live in Camberley, Surrey and have used the Omega Service Centre in Southampton back in 2016 (it was fine). Where are people recommending Omega watches are sent for servicing (with a reasonable price and turn around time) these days ?

Many thanks

Ian

Watch winders tend to keep a watch wound, rather than wind watches up. However - maybe try reversing the direction of the watch winder if not tried already? See if that helps as the 3301 is unidirectional and maybe the winder is not winding it up. Else, I'm sure others will come along with good indi's. Bill Rice perhaps?

[series5]

Watch winders tend to keep a watch wound, rather than wind watches up. However - maybe try reversing the direction of the watch winder if not tried already? See if that helps as the 3301 is unidirectional and maybe the winder is not winding it up. Else, I'm sure others will come along with good indi's. Bill Rice perhaps?

Thank you, .... silly question perhaps : let's say the movement is unidirectional clockwise - does that mean that the watch winder should be set in a clockwise direction or an anti clockwise direction?