Omega vintage De Ville battery replacement

A button battery is a button battery, it doesn't matter who makes it. Well, maybe don't use Renata or cheap unbranded batteries.

Good reliable brands are Seiko, Seizaiken, Maxell, Varta.

As long as the battery from another brand complies with the OEM specified battery it will work.

If your watches do not work after inserting a battery in the correct manner, a visit to the watchmaker would be recommended.

First watch...

Serial number: 53397277
Article ref: 63001100
341 is the correct cell.

321 is correct for the second watch.

Sort of. Sometimes differences in the shape of the cell (how rounded the corners are for example) can make a big difference in how the battery fits. But as you correctly state, sticking with the major brands is the way to go.

I’ve posted this previously but recently I acquired a Cal 1250 electronic Constellation

When I bought it, the seller fitted a new Renata battery. When it arrived, it was running about 5-7 minutes fast a day, a bit less reliable than I’d hoped.

I contacted my watch repairer but he doesn’t do this type and recommended a specialist repairer in South London. They agreed to look at it for a £30 and give me an estimate for servicing and regulation. The quote was for £300 - just about what I paid for the watch - and I declined and asked for the return of the watch.

I thought I’d have a look at the mechanism but before I started ‘tinkering', was warned of the problems that I might cause by an OF member I contacted and I stayed my hand. I was told that the batteries and battery holders originally designed for these Cal 1250 f300 were no longer made and that the running/regulation problem might have been caused by the Renata battery.

In the meantime an OF member in Turkey posted his new Cal 1250 and, in conversation, said his was running perfectly.

I asked him for photos of his battery and sourced a supply on eBay/Amazon.

To my surprise (and relief) the generic Chinese made battery has solved the problem and my watch runs as the Chronometer it is.

My delight is tempered by my fingers being perpetually crossed.

There is often an insulator that goes under the battery - if it is missing the watch won't work.

If the contacts are corroded and there isn't a good connection, the watch won't work.

If the movement is dirty or the train is blocked by debris, the watch won't work.

If a coil has been nicked during a battery change, the watch won't work.

There are many reasons, so unless you have the equipment and knowledge to diagnose this yourself, you should probably take this to a watchmaker who can give you some clear answers.

The insulator is the plastic part you can see under the battery contact.

The “tool” you are using is a demagnetizer, which is not a tool for use on quartz watches. Using this on a quartz watch can damage the movement, since there is a permanent magnet in the movement that is part of the motor.

You have a battery resting in a metal watch case, so it will probably be shorted.
You are using a demagnetiser to fry your movement.

I suggest you consult a watchmaker to see if you can replace the movement or circuits block, maybe an ETA replacement is an option.

373

If the battery is good, yes...

Having exposed a quartz watch (or any electronic watch) to a demagnetizer means you have likely just added to your paperweight collection! How on earth did you think that was a good idea?