Greetings fellow members. I recently acquired a vintage IWC mecaquartz that unfortunately doesn’t run. The cost to have IWC service it is rather eye watering and I’m hoping to find an independent watchmaker in the US who’s adept at bringing vintage quartz watches back to life. Google search yielded watchmakers who claimed they service quartz but I was unable to verify any personal experiences. Any suggestions?
I switched the battery from an Energizer 397/396 to a Renata 315 (same voltage but thinner). I noticed the second hand advanced only to stop a few seconds later. Wrong battery, loose connection, etc?
The frustration continues. I’ve had an independent watchmaker and IWC look at it and both said they could not repair it due to lack of parts availability. The independent watchmaker determined there’s a battery drain due to an internal short within one of the microchips. There are no problems with any of the circuit traces according to him.
Does anyone know a watchmaker who likely can help restore this to its former glory? I hate to give up on it.
If he knows the chip in question, and you can find a spare (donor with other issues) you might be able to have someone swap it, but that wouldn't necessarily be a watchmaker to do the board level repairs. Might need two different people doing the work...
