ETA Quartz movement EOL Indicator?

[ped]

Hi there

I bought a lovely '83 CWC re-issue the other day (on here, of course!) and I'm really enjoying it. It's my first quartz watch for years and although weird at first, it's really quite refreshing to know it's always pretty much bang on.

That made me think, does the ETA 955.122 Quartz movement have an 'end of life' indicator? I recall some quartz ETA movements used to tick once every 5 seconds or so when the battery was nearly dead, although one that I had a long time ago was doing that for about 3 months before it stopped!

Cheers
Chris

[abraxas]

According to this the answer is YES.

https://www.startimesupply.com/merch...de=ETA955122-3

Under DESCRIPTION:

Day/Date at 3, End of Life (EOL) Function

[ped]

According to this the answer is YES.

Under DESCRIPTION:

Day/Date at 3, End of Life (EOL) Function

Thanks, it says so in some places and not in others - do you happen to know what the function is, and when it starts, just out of interest?

[JGJG]

Have one in a Tag Heuer - a tremendously accurate movement that doesn’t ever seem to want a service. 2s sweep every other second is the indicator, iirc.

[walkerwek1958]

Have one in a Tag Heuer - a tremendously accurate movement that doesn’t ever seem to want a service. 2s sweep every other second is the indicator, iirc.

You don’t know they ‘want’ a service till they stop. Shorter battery life is an indication that the internal friction within the movement is increasing.

[petethegeek]

2s sweep every other second is the indicator, iirc.

I've got two ETA 251.264 movements, one in a TAG Heuer Pilot and the other in a Certina DS2. Both give this indication. For reasons not unconnected with Covid they both ran with the EOL going for what must have been nearly a year. Still going strong when I eventually got them to a local watchmaker for well earned new batteries.

[ped]

Have one in a Tag Heuer - a tremendously accurate movement that doesn’t ever seem to want a service. 2s sweep every other second is the indicator, iirc.

Thanks for that, I'll let you know if mine does in around 2025!

[JGJG]

You don’t know they ‘want’ a service till they stop. Shorter battery life is an indication that the internal friction within the movement is increasing.

Thanks Paul - but aren’t your sentences contradictory? I know the watch doesn’t want a service (no need for quotes round the want, I’ve fully anthropomorphised the cheeky little chappie over the last three decades), despite it him not stopping, because inter alia he continues to keep excellent and consistent time, and consistent battery life 👍

[JGJG]

Thanks for that, I'll let you know if mine does in around 2025!

Good stuff. The point on battery life as a crude indicator of the movement’s lubrication health is correct - if you’ve fitted a properly specified battery it’s worth keeping an eye on how long you get out of it.

[bazza.]

Here is my ETA Sinn in EOL mode

https://youtu.be/2h3XXNoN3kA

https://youtube.com/@ClickSpringWatches