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Help Me With A Movado Museum Please!!!

Widows Son
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A friend at work gave me a Movado Museum watch. It's quartz and 41 MM I think. The unreadable black dial isn't exactly my taste. It has the most comfortable bracelet I've ever worn. I was very appreciative. While it would be in poor taste to look a gift horse in the mouth, I have a question. The watch is a treat to wear but it's impossible to tell the time accurately. Does anyone know anyplace that could put a more traditional dial on the watch???I'm certain I'd wear it more often if I could actually tell the time. Thanks in advance!!!!
 
Canuck
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If this is the “Museum” model with the membrane thin high tech dial, there is no hope, other than to send it to Movado in hopes they have a suitable equivalent dial which is easier to read. And if they would do the swap for you.

Edited to add: Now that I think of it, the watch I referred to with the membrane thin high tech dial is the “Museum Sapphire” model. I don’t think yours is a Museum Sapphire. If isn’t one of those, about the only suggestion I can offer would be to have the dial removed by a watchmaker, and have him send it to a dial refinisher and have baton markers printed on the dial. You’re not going to like the cost of having that done. Maybe live with it until you get used to it.
Edited:
 
Evitzee
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If you mean you can't read time accurately to the nearest minute because there are no indices, you are out of luck because that is the classic design of the Museum watch. It's a minimalist design. If it doesn't work for you you can give it back and explain your issue with it.
 
redpcar
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It is what it is. If you want to know the exact time, check your phone.
 
X350 XJR
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The Movado Museum is art for the wrist, not a wristwatch for exact time. Try to enjoy it for what it is.
 
sathomasga
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Widows Son Widows Son
A friend at work gave me a Movado Museum watch. It's quartz and 41 MM I think. The unreadable black dial isn't exactly my taste. It has the most comfortable bracelet I've ever worn. I was very appreciative. While it would be in poor taste to look a gift horse in the mouth, I have a question. The watch is a treat to wear but it's impossible to tell the time accurately. Does anyone know anyplace that could put a more traditional dial on the watch???I'm certain I'd wear it more often if I could actually tell the time. Thanks in advance!!!!

Is it an integrated bracelet? Or at least one with curved end links that only fit the Movado? Or one with an unusual lug width? Otherwise you could put the bracelet on another watch.

As far as replacing the dial, assuming it's reasonably sized, that's relatively trivial. It might be hard to get an aftermarket dial with dial feet that fit the Movado's movement, but one could always use dial dots instead to attach the dial to the movement. Just find a local Seiko modder.

Pictures would definitely help.
 
Widows Son
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Thank you for the responses!!! Regarding pics, sorry I'm way too elderly to figure that out!!! I found two numbers on the back. The top one is 011141032, and the one below it is 10540901. Not sure if that helps. Regarding the legibility, yes there are no markers, so you're probably guessing within 2-3 minutes the right time. The bracelet is pretty much integrated the watch. And yes, if I want the exact time I can pull out my cell. Just throwing out an idea to my fellow enthusiasts regarding a dial swap. Thanks for the assistance!!
 
sathomasga
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Widows Son Widows Son
Thank you for the responses!!! Regarding pics, sorry I'm way too elderly to figure that out!!! I found two numbers on the back. The top one is 011141032, and the one below it is 10540901. Not sure if that helps. Regarding the legibility, yes there are no markers, so you're probably guessing within 2-3 minutes the right time. The bracelet is pretty much integrated the watch. And yes, if I want the exact time I can pull out my cell. Just throwing out an idea to my fellow enthusiasts regarding a dial swap. Thanks for the assistance!!

Without photos it's going to be pretty hard to offer any specific advice. One of those numbers could be the reference and the other could be the serial number, but Movado doesn't seem to publicize their reference numbers, so it's hard to say for sure.

In general, though, changing a dial is quite easy for a competent watchmaker or hobbiest.
 
Scarecrow Boat
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Widows Son Widows Son
I found two numbers on the back. The top one is 011141032
sathomasga sathomasga
Without photos it's going to be pretty hard to offer any specific advice. One of those numbers could be the reference and the other could be the serial number, but Movado doesn't seem to publicize their reference numbers, so it's hard to say for sure.
The first number the OP gave is the reference, which would correctly read out as 01.1.14.1032. I quickly searched google with that number and found the watch should look like this below
IMG_7634.jpeg
 
Evitzee
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^^^ If that's the watch in question there is obviously no way that bracelet is going to be able to be swapped to another watch. It's an attractive watch and I would have no problem reading the time but the OP seems to find it difficult. There isn't much that can be done, it isn't going to be $$$ feasible to try to swap or alter the dial for something with indices.
 
sathomasga
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Evitzee Evitzee
There isn't much that can be done, it isn't going to be $$$ feasible to try to swap or alter the dial for something with indices.

Huh? It should be trivial to swap the dial. Case will be easy to open since it's quartz and designed for battery replacement. Probably snap-on. Movement is likely a Ronda, though it could be an ETA. In any case either release the stem screw or press the stem release lever and remove the crown and stem. That will allow the movement to slip out. Remove the hands and then the dial from the movement. Install the replacement dial. Reverse the process and you're done. I'm confident I could do it in five minutes, and I'm by no means a professional watchmaker. (Though, to be fair, I have built quite a few watches from parts.) I'd even do it for free for the OP, but he's probably better off finding a local watchmaker; they shouldn't charge more than $30 for the service.

The only slightly tricky part is finding a replacement dial with the correct diameter. Feet placement is not an issue since Dial Dots exist. OP just need to measure the current dial diameter and find a replacement he likes on eBay or Ali Express. No need to worry about movement compatibility since we're not using the dial feet. (Edited: Well technically he'd have to worry about hole size for the hour hand, but it's easy to enlarge a hole that's too small with a brooch, and a hole that's too large will be obscured by the hands.)
 
Canuck
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Rather than to pursue the gymnastics above, using dial dots, get used to reading the time on a dial with no markers. Years ago I read of a survey to establish (on average) how many times in a day the average person looks a his/her watch. The number? 28 times in a day. Or have the dial refinished with baton markers.
 
JimInOz
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Changing the dial on your Movado Museum would be akin to cutting the roof of this because you wanted a convertible.

s-l1600.jpg
 
DaveK
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I always thought the Museum was a sweet looking watch.
 
Larry S
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Get yourself a Timex and keep this for occasional use. Messing with it would be a desecration.
 
Widows Son
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Thank you for your input!!! I have decided to leave well enough alone. I have plenty of other watches to wear, no need to try and put a square peg in a round hole. My watch is like the one posted, It is a nice looking watch, maybe I'll start wearing it more often Have a great New Year!!!
 
Ravineman
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You made the right call. There is a reason its the ONLY watch in the Museum of Modern Art.

Also if you are ever late when wearing the Movado, blame the watch !
 
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