3861 minute register hand stopping

This minute register hand is stopping until freed up by a light tap on the case - what is most likely the issue?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Unusual that something like this this would have got through Quality Control

Does it do this in just that spot, or on every minute?

Seems to be intermittent. Sometimes at that spot and at other times in other places.

Strange one - if the spring were adjusted too strongly, it would typically just stop the watch. If you start the chronograph and give the watch a knock, does the hand move?

It does.

The watch was taken back to the AD that sold the watch a week ago and the sales person he bought it from told my friend that this behaviour was normal. (I guess that's why NASA approved Speedmasters because of this normal behaviour to have the minute register hand jam. My minute register hasn't stopped so I guess it's broken.)

My friend asked for the watch to be sent to a service centre (in another state) and their response was they could but it would take months before they could even look at it. What Omega Dealer BS is this going on in Australia?

Similar has been discussed on the OF https://omegaforums.net/threads/3861-movement-broken-update-read-first-post.120071/

also found this:
https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/...rppufah23bng4JlzrhjI00IjVLw0moIiSDyyyBknyS7sg

The service centers are swamped in many parts of the world. The 3861 issues on top of the already strained service centers (long warranties are great in theory, but you need staff to back those up, which many places don't have) is causing unusual delays. Throw Covid on top of that (people missing work) and you have a recipe for very long delays. This is why people calling for a "recall" of the 3861 are a bit misguided - it would just make things even worse.

This is likely to be the new norm - it's not like watchmakers are getting more plentiful...

Similar has been discussed on the OF https://omegaforums.net/threads/3861-movement-broken-update-read-first-post.120071/

Good point, Al. Generally all warranty claims from ADs in our city (Perth) are sent to Melbourne Head Office. Odd considering there is one licensed warranty repairer in Perth. Anyway, at present and all work is directed to Swatch Head Office in Melbourne which deals with the warranty work by our two ADs in this state. This obviously creates pressure on the centre and ostensibly more in the current climate, but they seem to be doing incredibly well in turn around from what I hear from others. Actually there are two Omega owned service centres in Australia (Head office situated in Glen Iris, Victoria and the other Martin Place NSW) and less than half dozen Omega warranty accredited watchmakers who do Omega warranty work scattered in the Eastern States but linked with partnerships to specific AD's. But yes they are busy, especially with our current COVID issues. In this case though, I suspect the sales person was acting out of ignorance and/or some resistance in wanting to accept the return. I don't believe that this chronograph stutter can be considered normal behaviour at the minimum. Anyway knowledgeable friends in the eastern states (and my own experience) place returns somewhere around 8 to 12 weeks in the current environment at the longest. A friend had their 3861 repaired and returned (bushing issue I believe) within 4 weeks late last year. I feel fairly confident that the sales rep saying that this was normal behaviour for the 3861 and that it would take months to even assess isn't correct. My friend has contacted Head Office in Glen Iris to get their view and I will update once I have more info. Omega has always been quick to assess and report, though realistically the job might take some weeks. In fact, I have never known the Swatch (Omega) Service centre to be anything other than efficient, quick and compliant to customer needs even given the difficult current working conditions in Australia. The point you make is an absolutely fair one and must be taken into consideration to be fair. Either way, Omega will sort this out for him and in that I also trust. 😀

Update: The repairer in Perth is prepared to have the watch go directly to him and he will take a look and make an assessment fairly quickly.

And void the warranty...

LewiswatchCo will soon enough be licensed to do warranty work once he can get out of the state (and get back in) to do the necessary training. Can't happen soon enough imho. My friend could just wait it out and enjoy wearing the Speedy in the meantime. That would be my preferred option.