I recently purchased this eterna sonic railroader at a local auction house it wasn't going for much so I took a chance around $70 Canadian. I had no idea that none of the local watchmakers will even look at a esa 9162 movement. Its humming with new batterie 344 but no second hand movement. One watchmaker told me it's not worth the service because it's never going run right with modern batteries. Is it worth the money of servicing. I feel if running it's a $350 us watch.

 

If you're just trying to flip it then it's probably not worth the investment of a service.

 

You might need to send that to a specialist. Not "MyBob"!! He'll charge you for a full service and not do a full service.

 

Is the lack of second hand movement due to an incompatibility with the available battery?

PS
Several European sellers on Ebay are offering new replacement esa 9162 movements for 180-200+ USD.

 

I recall @Archer saying that he had issues with Retina batteries shipping with low voltage, and he recommended Maxell. Also, sometimes you have to give the fork a gentle jump start. A little bump opposite the crown side to get it going.

However the watch should be serviced. For a low cost option from one of the best, send it to Rob B. In Thailand.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~fotoplot/acc.htm

 

Don't have much advice, but cool watch! Nice find.

 

Let me second the suggestion to send it to Rob. Reasonable prices compared to automatics and prompt service. He got a 9162 I used to have into great shape.