The is the center wheel. It is the first wheel after the mainspring barrel in the transmission of power, and it rotates once per hour. The cannon pinion is attached to this wheel, and the minute hand is pressed onto the cannon pinion.
The photo isn't of great quality, but there appears to be some wear in the location of the red arrow - this is where the wheel goes through the main plate of the movement, and is a common spot for wear on this wheel. How old was the watch?
So just an update...when this thread was started I searched for possible issues on the 3861 and found none that Omega had published. That has changed, and it appears there is an issue that Omega is seeing with the 3861 movements, and it's related to the center wheel. Basically it is showing some discoloration/debris in the places where the wheel goes through the main plate of the movement, and where it goes through the main bridge. In some cases the wheel shows premature wear.
They have stated that this can lead to weak balance amplitude, and it may also cause the movement to stop prematurely. They don't identify a specific issue, but say that all watches that have this problem will need a full service, and if there are any signs of wear on the center wheel, the wheel should be replaced. They also note that a "generous" amount of oil should be applied at these locations, noting that 6-8 drops of HP1300 should be used.
Of note, in the photos they have shown (sorry can't reproduce them here) they show that this center wheel goes through a bushing, which is a different situation than all other previous versions of this movement. In the past, the wheels have ridden in a simple hole that has been made in the softer brass plate, but the bushing in this 3861 appears to be a bronze bushing that would be a harder material, so my educated guess is that with this change in the material that the wheel rides in, a change of lubrication quantity was required and not done.
No indication how many 3861's this happens to, but usually they don't put something out like this unless they have had a few with problems. So if you notice anything with the watch, such as a short power reserve, get it in for warranty service so it can be corrected.
Cheers, Al
Nothing to do with this thread but, was there ever a discussion/thread, something like 1861/1863 or the previous movements vs 3861 of some sort?
It would be an interesting read. Can't seem to find anything but, maybe I'm not searching titles properly!?
Nothing to do with this thread but, was there ever a discussion/thread, something like 1861/1863 or the previous movements vs 3861 of some sort?
It would be an interesting read. Can't seem to find anything but, maybe I'm not searching titles properly!?
Archer thanks for detailed information! From your understanding, do you believe this is something that adding the extra lubricant solves, or just delays the issues?
My concern is, do you believe this is a design flaw, that is bound to happen to all 3861’s, or that by only adding extra lubricant in the production process makes it right for good?
thank you!
I can only go by what was written, so at this time no mention of ant new or different parts required, just some additional lubrication.
Cheers, Al
sounds like a new redesigned part is needed. Additional lubrication will thin over time. presumably those with lower edition number likely have this issue (did they have a different redesigned part for the higher numbered and presumably later releases - omega will know what they put in each of the individual release.)
No, it suggests that this one spot requires more lubrication than it did in previous designs.
Just to clarify because I don’t post here practically at all, I’m looking at this movement vs the prior movements and this line of posts caused me a little concern. No one wants to spend a bunch of money on a watch only to find out that they have to have it serviced more frequently or a certain part might fail. That’s what prompted my question and particularly of Archer becasue I read and apprecate his posts.
