My father was given the below watch which was his father's (who recently passed) and my dad wants to get it in working condition so it can become a daily wearer for him. I know it's a quartz, and a lot of people aren't big proponents of batteries here, but in this instance I'm not asking for opinions on the watch (though I'd happily take any info like specific models, current sales estimates etc), but for an idea of what I might need to do to get it working again. Is it as simple as bringing it to an average joe watch guy in the mall and asking for a new battery? I vaguely recall seeing people post about these in the past and recall reading that they were known to have some battery issues so is there a good chance this watch will be opened to find a bunch of oozing battery acid? Any help is greatly appreciated!



Pictures are not good but hopefully enough for you to get an idea. The watch appears to be in nearly mint condition aside from the "crud" that has built up. It also has the numbers 1343 carved below the medallion on the outside of the case back.

 

1343 is the part number of the IC chip (otherwise known as a caliber). And yes, there is a distinct chance that corrosion has ruined it - but you never know until you get it opened.

 

Sometimes I think folks forget quartz watches need maintenance too. I would not take it to Battery Change Joe in the mall.

 

I agree, it's a nice watch and needs the skills of a watchmaker to service it.

It's not always "just a battery change", even quartz watches can require lubrication and adjustment, especially the older calibers like yours.

One of our members Archer did a very informative post on this issue a while ago.

 

Of course the movement is much more than a battery and a circuit. There is a full mechanical wheel train, calendar mechanism, and setting mechanism that needs to be serviced periodically just like a mechanical watch does.

At the very least it needs to be checked by someone who has the proper test equipment, and in particular the consumption of the circuit and the entire movement should be checked. This will tell you if the movement is in good enough condition that a simple battery change can be done and the watch will work for a reasonable period of time. If the consumption is too high it will either not run at all, or the battery life will be substantially reduced.

Also, if the cell that is in there has leaked, it may have damaged parts of the movement. Most parts for this movement are still available from Omega as new parts, and the motor and circuit are available as refurbished items.

Cheers, Al

 

Thanks everyone, and especially Archer for the detailed response. I'm trying to find a qualified watch maker with the correct equipment now in the Washington DC metro area and will keep you guys posted as I get the watch back to its glory.


PS-if anyone has a loved watch maker in the DC area, please send a name my way!