Seconds hand stuttering, watch ticking but seconds hand not running

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Hi all,

I recently bought a seamaster 30, 135.007-64

It has some issue with the seconds hand stuttering, sometime completely stopped and becoming weightless (pointing to gravity) but the watch is ticking.

Pardon me, i couldn't think of a better way to describe that.

Could it be something wrong with the pinion or the seconds hand not properly mounted?


Thank you.
Edited:
 
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most probably it has a wrong seconds hand (slightly too wide tube)
 
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most probably it has a wrong seconds hand (slightly too wide tube)
Hi, thank you for the input.

It could be.

But I looked up a several example of the same reference online, the length and shape of the seconds hand seems pretty matched up. Handsets aging also seems pretty synchronized. Please correct me if im wrong.

Based on my observation by looking at the first photo, the gap between seconds hand and minutes hand is rather big, compare to other watches I have, I am not a watchmaker, so I am wondering could it be the seconds hand not properly mounted.
 
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Most likely an experienced watchmaker will be able to tighten the hand on the pinion with a small adjustment.
 
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I gather you are fairly new to collecting antique and vintage watches. And that you bought in good faith that it would be perfect when you received it. And that having it checked out by a specialist in the servicing of antique and vintage watches would not be necessary. I suspect that the Omega may have one of the calibers that has a indirectly driven sweep seconds hand like to one in the image I have posted. The problem could be with the seconds hand, for sure. But I suspect the problem might also be in the system in the movement that drives the sweep seconds pinion. The pinion may not be meshing properly with the gear that drives it. The bib that fits over the pinion my be mis-aligned. There is most likely a badly adjusted (or non-existent) tension spring for the sweep seconds pinion. I think you should be looking for a watchmaker. In the image, A points at the pinion drive wheel. B points at the bib over the sweep seconds pinion and tension spring for the pinion, neither of which show in the image. Your problem could be somewhere in that area.

 
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Had a similar issue recently with an erratic/jumpy centre seconds. It was the indirect drive mechanism having incorrect tension as described by @Canuck
 
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and becoming weightless (pointing to gravity

This made me think that there is too little friction between the tube and the pinion...
 
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Most likely an experienced watchmaker will be able to tighten the hand on the pinion with a small adjustment.

Will get it serviced shortly, this is the same watch with the snapped stem stuck in crown which mentioned in another thread.

I got this watch in a relative bad shape, but price was very reasonable. I guess these damages were done by previous incompetent watch maker, besides the said issues, it has a scratch mark on 4 O'Clock, trimmed tension ring, missing movement holder screws, and a broken crown.

A competent watchmaker is scarce at my area.

So I would try my best to sort it out myself if I could.
 
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In the image, A points at the pinion drive wheel. B points at the bib over the sweep seconds pinion and tension spring for the pinion, neither of which show in the image. Your problem could be somewhere in that area.


Thank you for the details input,

The watch come with Cal 286, likely need a service anyways, position of regulator is pretty off.

Ironically, the hours and minutes are moving and keeping time based on what i tested.

If there is a problem in pinion drive wheel / point B, would the watch still be keeping time?

Pardon me, i am trying to filter out the potential issue.

But at the end, im likely taking it to watchmaker.
 
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This made me think that there is too little friction between the tube and the pinion...

When watch sit completely horizontal, the hand does run. However, when tilted to certain angle, it sometimes become swinging weightlessly like not mounting on the pinion.

If there is too little friction between the tube amd pinion, can it be fixed?
 
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Thank you for the details input,

The watch come with Cal 286, likely need a service anyways, position of regulator is pretty off.

Ironically, the hours and minutes are moving and keeping time based on what i tested.

If there is a problem in pinion drive wheel / point B, would the watch still be keeping time?

Pardon me, i am trying to filter out the potential issue.

But at the end, im likely taking it to watchmaker.

yes if the tension in that part is off on a center seconds watch it can do that.

that is at the end of a heart chain. It can be disconnected and the watch will still function.
 
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I’ll be honest, it sounds like as you go deeper this watch has more and more issues. If you send it to a proper watchmaker (yes, you’ll have to ship I’m afraid) they will be able to sort it out for you and correct all the issues.

if you choose to do it yourself you need to completely strip it down to know where the faults are. Inspect every component and address all issues.
 
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Hi all,

I recently bought a seamaster 30, 135.007-64

It has some issue with the seconds hand stuttering, sometime completely stopped and becoming weightless (pointing to gravity) but the watch is ticking.

Hi, You need to adjust the drive wheel because it's loose. The drive wheel must be firmly attached to the Third wheel and rotate with it, thereby rotating the Sweep Second Pinion.
 
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Hi, You need to adjust the drive wheel because it's loose. The drive wheel must be firmly attached to the Third wheel and rotate with it, thereby rotating the Sweep Second Pinion.

It could be a number of things. To be honest, without seeing it nobody is going to be able to definitively say what the cause is.
 
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@Foo2rama @ATracyWatches @Temprus
Guys, thank you very much for the advise.
At this point, I think the issue is beyond my skill set, to play safe, I will get it to a watchmaker.

Thank you members for sharing their valuable knowledges with me, I do learn a few things everytime I asking for help at the forum.

Stay safe and take care everyone.

Regards
Dans
 
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At this point, I think the issue is beyond my skill set, to play safe, I will get it to a watchmaker.

Thank you members for sharing their valuable knowledges with me, I do learn a few things everytime I asking for help at the forum.

I have been told by a couple of watchmakers that a watch that doesn't run at all is simpler than one that is just not running well.......

that said, I picked up a 30t2 off OF a number of years ago, a good deal (I thought). It ran well for a while and then gradually started losing time and then running in some positions and not in others. I took it to a watchmaker and I think that the eventual fix involved a lot of detective work to find ALL of the tweaks and twists to the movement to make it run, almost every component (my words as I am not a watchmaker) had something bent/filed/drilled.......totalled up would have been better to just have a new movement and although he honoured the estimate, I think that the watchmaker in question pulled out a bunch of his hair to get the watch back into service.
 
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I have been told by a couple of watchmakers that a watch that doesn't run at all is simpler than one that is just not running well.......

that said, I picked up a 30t2 off OF a number of years ago, a good deal (I thought). It ran well for a while and then gradually started losing time and then running in some positions and not in others. I took it to a watchmaker and I think that the eventual fix involved a lot of detective work to find ALL of the tweaks and twists to the movement to make it run, almost every component (my words as I am not a watchmaker) had something bent/filed/drilled.......totalled up would have been better to just have a new movement and although he honoured the estimate, I think that the watchmaker in question pulled out a bunch of his hair to get the watch back into service.
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