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Speedmaster 3681 Chrono Stutter

O
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Hi all,

I know the topic has been discussed a lot but I want to add my personal experience.

Brand new Omega Speedmaster 3681

Chrono hand is stuttering only between 12 to 6 o’clock. I filmed in slow motion and the reason of the stutter effect it’s clearly made by the irregular steps as you can see in the video.
It’s curios because from 6 o’clock onwards steps start to be regular and then stutter again after 12, no matter if the Chrono is running 1 minute or a day.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

 
Evitzee
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Might be helpful if you post showing the running in real time rather than in slow motion. It's hard to judge the severity in a greatly slowed down video.
 
O
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Evitzee Evitzee
Might be helpful if you post showing the running in real time rather than in slow motion. It's hard to judge the severity in a greatly slowed down video.

I will, but how severe it is or not in real time still I would like to understand why is stuttering only in the first half of the dial
 
Canuck
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You may still have warranty on your Omega. If you are near an Omega boutique ot authorized dealer, it would be best to take the watch to them. If you no longer have warranty, you have two choices. Send it, or have it sent to Omega, or take it to a trusted watchmaker.
 
O
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Evitzee Evitzee
Might be helpful if you post showing the running in real time rather than in slow motion. It's hard to judge the severity in a greatly slowed down video.

This time less visibile but clearly difference of smoothness between the 2 half of the dial
Not a big deal, I’m just wondering what could be the reason to stutter in that area (1 to 5 o’clock) and possible solution.
 
174eb73a-162f-4f94-9cdc-5252d64bf177.mov - 7.1 MB
Canuck
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It appears as though gravity affects the second hand on the right side of the dial, and the tension spring on the gear driving the seconds hand is allowing lash in the gears to skip ahead a tiny bit, pauses the seconds hand for a split second, then it carries on, and repeats. On the left side of the dial, gravity prevents the phenomenon from happening. Does the seconds hand exhibit this motion if the watch is horizontal? If this is the cause, it is not serious.
 
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Canuck Canuck
It appears as though gravity affects the second hand on the right side of the dial, and the tension spring on the gear driving the seconds hand is allowing lash in the gears to skip ahead a tiny bit, pauses the seconds hand for a split second, then it carries on, and repeats. On the left side of the dial, gravity prevents the phenomenon from happening. Does the seconds hand exhibit this motion if the watch is horizontal? If this is the cause, it is not serious.

Thanks for you reply Canuck.
Same motion when watch is horizontal. From 1 to 5 the steps are irregular, 1 small 1 big and so on…
 
O
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Canuck Canuck
It appears as though gravity affects the second hand on the right side of the dial, and the tension spring on the gear driving the seconds hand is allowing lash in the gears to skip ahead a tiny bit, pauses the seconds hand for a split second, then it carries on, and repeats. On the left side of the dial, gravity prevents the phenomenon from happening. Does the seconds hand exhibit this motion if the watch is horizontal? If this is the cause, it is not serious.

Canuck you were right anyway.
I tried upside down and…stutter disappears! How can this could be fixed?
 
Canuck
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If you have warranty, have Omega adjust the tension spring on the centre sweep seconds wheel. If you don’t have warranty, be prepared to a/ live with it, or b/ shell out to have the adjustment done. On this model, this is not a simple adjustment as it involves dismantling the movement part way. Thereby, you might have to be prepared to have a complete service done. Not a problem, IF you have warranty! This is a mechanical watch. There is lash in the gears. The gear that carries the seconds hand is an idler, so there is lash in the gears which can cause stuttering. If there is no lash in the mesh between the driving and driven gears, the watch can’t run! I’ll say it again. It isn’t serious! Of my mechanical chronographs, they all do what your is doing. Have it adjusted, or don’t. Your choice.
 
O
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Canuck Canuck
If you have warranty, have Omega adjust the tension spring on the centre sweep seconds wheel. If you don’t have warranty, be prepared to a/ live with it, or b/ shell out to have the adjustment done. On this model, this is not a simple adjustment as it involves dismantling the movement part way. Thereby, you might have to be prepared to have a complete service done. Not a problem, IF you have warranty! This is a mechanical watch. There is lash in the gears. The gear that carries the seconds hand is an idler, so there is lash in the gears which can cause stuttering. If there is no lash in the mesh between the driving and driven gears, the watch can’t run! I’ll say it again. It isn’t serious! Of my mechanical chronographs, they all do what your is doing. Have it adjusted, or don’t. Your choice.
Thanks for you explanation Canuck. I think i'll keep it like that for a while and maybe send to Omega in the future as the watch is under warranty for 4 more years.
 
Evitzee
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It doesn't look that serious to my eyes, but you state that it is a new watch so you could have it adjusted. But my policy is to have as little intervention done as possible on minor issues like this, anytime you relinquish control of your watch there is always the possibility of something else cropping up; a scratch, scuff, hand misalignment or other mechanical issue.
 
Archer
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Friction spring needs a slight adjustment. Leaving it as is will not hurt anything, so this is just an aesthetic issue…
 
O
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Archer Archer
Friction spring needs a slight adjustment. Leaving it as is will not hurt anything, so this is just an aesthetic issue…
Thanks to all for the support. I really appreciate
 
texasmade
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Just found out today that my Snoopy 50 broke. I fully wound the watch this morning around 8 hours ago and noticed that the time was off by about 40 min. I engaged the chrono button and the chrono hand stuttered and stopped. I reset the chrono pressing the bottom pusher and noticed that the bottom pusher can now be pushed multiple times.
 
Archer
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texasmade texasmade
Just found out today that my Snoopy 50 broke. I fully wound the watch this morning around 8 hours ago and noticed that the time was off by about 40 min. I engaged the chrono button and the chrono hand stuttered and stopped. I reset the chrono pressing the bottom pusher and noticed that the bottom pusher can now be pushed multiple times.
Fully wound?

By the way, the bottom (reset) pusher can be pushed as many times as you like. That’s not a sign of any fault.
 
texasmade
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Archer Archer
Fully wound?

By the way, the bottom (reset) pusher can be pushed as many times as you like. That’s not a sign of any fault.
Yes my watch is fully wound.

I could never press the bottom pusher unless the chrono was engaged and stopped. Then I could only press once to reset. Once the chrono was reset, I couldn't push the bottom pusher again. There was resistance.
 
Archer
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texasmade texasmade
Yes my watch is fully wound.

I could never press the bottom pusher unless the chrono was engaged and stopped. Then I could only press once to reset. Once the chrono was reset, I couldn't push the bottom pusher again. There was resistance.
There will be resistance as you are moving the hour recorder hammer, but there’s nothing preventing you from pushing the reset pusher over and over again without ever starting or stopping the chronograph.
 
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