My wife's watch stopped working. It's a quartz/analog Armitron
movement. I changed the battery, and it worked for a while then
stopped again. I remembered watching a show about the debunking of Uri
Geller ( http://site.uri-geller.com/ ) and how you could "psychicly"
start most stopped watches simply by warming them in your hands. I
tried that, and it worked. Then, after it stopped again, I warmed it
in my hands and it started again.

So, either I have great psychic powers or the works in this watch are
gummed up. I'm guessing the latter.

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Thanks.

rangerssuck wrote:
....
How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. $25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. $150 last year.

Bob

On May 7, 5:09*pm, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
rangerssuck wrote:

...

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. *$25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. *$150 last year.

Bob

The watch probably wouldn't cost much more than $25 to replace. So,
what kind of solvent? I have an ultrasonic - maybe 91% isopropyl? Does
it need any lubrication after cleaning?

In article
,
rangerssuck wrote:

My wife's watch stopped working. It's a quartz/analog Armitron
movement. I changed the battery, and it worked for a while then
stopped again. I remembered watching a show about the debunking of Uri
Geller ( http://site.uri-geller.com/ ) and how you could "psychicly"
start most stopped watches simply by warming them in your hands. I
tried that, and it worked. Then, after it stopped again, I warmed it
in my hands and it started again.

So, either I have great psychic powers or the works in this watch are
gummed up. I'm guessing the latter.

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Thanks.

Maybe your new battery is dead, it's not unheard of. Warming it might be
slightly increasing terminal voltage above the watches cut off voltage.

There is not much to get gummed up in a quartz watch... mechanically
they are just a stepper motor driving a gear train. No big loads on
anything, or fussy escapements. I've heard some even use plastic 'run
dry' gearing.

Erik

PS, There is another group you might want run your question by:

news:alt.horology

Not much activity there any more, but now and again someone will post a
question/comment that raises a flurry of responses.

On Sat, 07 May 2011 17:09:45 -0400, Bob Engelhardt
wrote:

rangerssuck wrote:
...
How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. $25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. $150 last year.

Bob, you should have told him "A 120psi blow gun and a can of spray
lithium will fix you right up, rangersucker."

--
The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. whenever evil
wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those
who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic
principles. -- Ayn Rand

On May 7, 6:24*pm, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Sat, 07 May 2011 17:09:45 -0400, Bob Engelhardt

wrote:
rangerssuck wrote:
...
How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. *$25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. *$150 last year..

Bob, you should have told him "A 120psi blow gun and a can of spray
lithium will fix you right up, rangersucker."

--
The spread of evil is the symptom of a vacuum. whenever evil
wins, it is only by default: by the moral failure of those
who evade the fact that there can be no compromise on basic
principles. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *-- Ayn Rand

**** you too, Lsrry. You assholes bitch that I don't post anything on
topic (which is not correct), and then you come up with this half-
witted mean-spirited remark? Go **** yourself.

On Sat, 7 May 2011 14:29:37 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck
wrote:

On May 7, 5:09*pm, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
rangerssuck wrote:

...

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. *$25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. *$150 last year.

Bob

The watch probably wouldn't cost much more than $25 to replace. So,
what kind of solvent? I have an ultrasonic - maybe 91% isopropyl? Does
it need any lubrication after cleaning?

sounds like a reasonable guess. I'd put it in a small container of IPA
and sit that in the larger bath of water. Saves filling the whole
cleaner and works just as well. I'd try it dry after cleaning.

I know nothing about this, but it doesn't stop me from giving advice.

Karl

On May 7, 8:19*pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
On Sat, 7 May 2011 14:29:37 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck





wrote:
On May 7, 5:09*pm, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
rangerssuck wrote:

...

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. *$25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. *$150 last year.

Bob

The watch probably wouldn't cost much more than $25 to replace. So,
what kind of solvent? I have an ultrasonic - maybe 91% isopropyl? Does
it need any lubrication after cleaning?

sounds like a reasonable guess. I'd put it in a small container of IPA
and sit that in the larger bath of water. Saves filling the whole
cleaner and works just as well. *I'd try it dry after cleaning.

I know nothing about this, but it doesn't stop me from giving advice.

Karl

That's pretty much what I was thinking, but I also know nothing about
this (except the electronics part, which would be fine with this
treatment). I'm wondering if I could do this without taking it further
apart - just taking the back off. I'm not sure what holds the rest of
it together, but I suspect that to really disassemble it would require
some special tools which I don't have. I did, by the way, use the HF
watch case opener to remove the back. It worked fine.

BTW, Karl, did you ever resolve your radio interference problem, or is
it going to wait until the freezing weather returns?

On May 7, 3:00*pm, rangerssuck wrote:
My wife's watch stopped working. It's a quartz/analog Armitron
movement. I changed the battery, and it worked for a while then
stopped again. I remembered watching a show about the debunking of Uri
Geller (http://site.uri-geller.com/) and how you could "psychicly"
start most stopped watches simply by warming them in your hands. I
tried that, and it worked. Then, after it stopped again, I warmed it
in my hands and it started again.

So, either I have great psychic powers or the works in this watch are
gummed up. I'm guessing the latter.

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Thanks.

Unless it's got great sentimental value, haul off to wally world and
select another. Not jesting here, these things aren't made to be
fixed. You can soak it in whatever and all you'll have is wasted time
and soggy junk. The watch face probably won't like the immersion and
if you use a solvent, the paint may disappear along with the crystal
going opaque. Chance of that approach getting it going again is about
nil. The analog style ones have a ratchet type of mechanism that
usually wears out anyway, some faster than others. I rate them these
days as a one-battery or a two-battery watch, depending. Sometimes
they'll last long enough to go through two batteries, at which time
the battery cost will have exceeded the cost of the watch originally.
The digital types don't have anything to wear out, usually they just
get scratched up. You CAN get decent watches that will last years
like the old mechanical ones, they'll run about what the old high-end
mechanicals did, though. Generally fixing those involves replacing
the movement, the companies make enough extra for spares. Mail it in,
get another for $20 "service charge", is the way that works. Just
depends if you just want to tell the time or want jewelry, if you
spend more than $10 for a watch, you're buying jewelry. Like a watch
enough, buy two and take the battery out of the backup.

Stan

wrote:
On May 7, 3:00 pm, rangerssuck wrote:
My wife's watch stopped working. It's a quartz/analog Armitron
movement. I changed the battery, and it worked for a while then
stopped again. I remembered watching a show about the debunking of Uri
Geller (http://site.uri-geller.com/) and how you could "psychicly"
start most stopped watches simply by warming them in your hands. I
tried that, and it worked. Then, after it stopped again, I warmed it
in my hands and it started again.

So, either I have great psychic powers or the works in this watch are
gummed up. I'm guessing the latter.

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Thanks.

Unless it's got great sentimental value, haul off to wally world and
select another. Not jesting here, these things aren't made to be
fixed. You can soak it in whatever and all you'll have is wasted time
and soggy junk. The watch face probably won't like the immersion and
if you use a solvent, the paint may disappear along with the crystal
going opaque. Chance of that approach getting it going again is about
nil. The analog style ones have a ratchet type of mechanism that
usually wears out anyway, some faster than others. I rate them these
days as a one-battery or a two-battery watch, depending. Sometimes
they'll last long enough to go through two batteries, at which time
the battery cost will have exceeded the cost of the watch originally.
The digital types don't have anything to wear out, usually they just
get scratched up. You CAN get decent watches that will last years
like the old mechanical ones, they'll run about what the old high-end
mechanicals did, though. Generally fixing those involves replacing
the movement, the companies make enough extra for spares. Mail it in,
get another for $20 "service charge", is the way that works. Just
depends if you just want to tell the time or want jewelry, if you
spend more than $10 for a watch, you're buying jewelry. Like a watch
enough, buy two and take the battery out of the backup.

Stan


I wish!

I have an old cheap Russian pocket watch that ran for an entire day
before it quit. But then it only cost $20 rubles...


--

Richard Lamb
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~cavelamb
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~sv_temptress

rangerssuck wrote:

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to the jeweler.

Hope This Helps!
Rich

On Sat, 7 May 2011 17:45:22 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck
wrote:

On May 7, 8:19*pm, Karl Townsend
wrote:
On Sat, 7 May 2011 14:29:37 -0700 (PDT), rangerssuck





wrote:
On May 7, 5:09*pm, Bob Engelhardt wrote:
rangerssuck wrote:

...

How best to clean and relube this watch?

Take it to a professional.

The cheap ones dip it in a solvent, maybe use ultrasound, the spin it to
remove solvent. *$25 5 years ago.

The expensive ones take it apart and clean each piece. *$150 last year.

Bob

The watch probably wouldn't cost much more than $25 to replace. So,
what kind of solvent? I have an ultrasonic - maybe 91% isopropyl? Does
it need any lubrication after cleaning?

sounds like a reasonable guess. I'd put it in a small container of IPA
and sit that in the larger bath of water. Saves filling the whole
cleaner and works just as well. *I'd try it dry after cleaning.

I know nothing about this, but it doesn't stop me from giving advice.

Karl

That's pretty much what I was thinking, but I also know nothing about
this (except the electronics part, which would be fine with this
treatment). I'm wondering if I could do this without taking it further
apart - just taking the back off. I'm not sure what holds the rest of
it together, but I suspect that to really disassemble it would require
some special tools which I don't have. I did, by the way, use the HF
watch case opener to remove the back. It worked fine.

BTW, Karl, did you ever resolve your radio interference problem, or is
it going to wait until the freezing weather returns?

I delayed the need to run it again. Long story short, I'm in a
government program for integrated pest management (IPM). They require
an advisor. This guy wants me to buy an expensive product called
Specware. All it does is record leaf wetness and temperature to a data
file. I do this today to strip chart on paper. He agreed to let me
wait on the Specware purchase.

I bet I'll need it next year. So, there will be a future thread on how
to convert a leaf wetness sensor (open when dry, 1,000,000 ohm wet)
into a 0 to 10 volt signal. I think I'll also do a temp sensor that
works on the same principal at the same time.

Karl

Gunner Asch wrote:

If one wants a watch that will indeed outlast you..Id suggest a Seiko
"kinetic" powered watch..digital/analog watch with a "kinetic power
generator" built into the watch. This is basically a weight driven
generator that keeps a battery charged.

Half a century ago, they called them "self-winding." :-)

Cheers!
Rich

On Sun, 08 May 2011 13:04:32 -0700, Rich Grise
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:

If one wants a watch that will indeed outlast you..Id suggest a Seiko
"kinetic" powered watch..digital/analog watch with a "kinetic power
generator" built into the watch. This is basically a weight driven
generator that keeps a battery charged.

Half a century ago, they called them "self-winding." :-)

Cheers!
Rich

Actually..no. "self winding" is normally a weight driven mechanism that
winds up a spring

The Seiko (and a few other brands) that use "kenetic" technology
actually drive a tiny generator that charges up the battery.
No springs involved.

The first generation Seikos had big problems with their batteries
failing in a year or less. The latest versions seem to be holding up
quite nicely, the batteries are lasting for at minimum..10 or more years
before needing replacement..and they dont split open and bleed all over
everthing inside the case..as the first ones did.

Gunner

--
"If I say two plus two is four and a Democrat says two plus two is eight,
it's not a partial victory for me when we agree that two plus two is
six. " Jonah Goldberg (modified)

In article ,
Gunner Asch wrote:

On Sun, 08 May 2011 13:04:32 -0700, Rich Grise
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:

If one wants a watch that will indeed outlast you..Id suggest a Seiko
"kinetic" powered watch..digital/analog watch with a "kinetic power
generator" built into the watch. This is basically a weight driven
generator that keeps a battery charged.

Half a century ago, they called them "self-winding." :-)

Cheers!
Rich

Actually..no. "self winding" is normally a weight driven mechanism that
winds up a spring

The Seiko (and a few other brands) that use "kenetic" technology
actually drive a tiny generator that charges up the battery.
No springs involved.

The first generation Seikos had big problems with their batteries
failing in a year or less. The latest versions seem to be holding up
quite nicely, the batteries are lasting for at minimum..10 or more years
before needing replacement..and they dont split open and bleed all over
everthing inside the case..as the first ones did.

Gunner

Do these actually use batteries? A neighbor of mine [1] was recently
boasting about how they use capacitors.

Erik

[1] However, this neighbor is one of those loud blow hard know it all
types who generally makes his facts up on the spot.

On Sun, 08 May 2011 23:32:09 -0700, Erik wrote:

In article ,
Gunner Asch wrote:

On Sun, 08 May 2011 13:04:32 -0700, Rich Grise
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:

If one wants a watch that will indeed outlast you..Id suggest a Seiko
"kinetic" powered watch..digital/analog watch with a "kinetic power
generator" built into the watch. This is basically a weight driven
generator that keeps a battery charged.

Half a century ago, they called them "self-winding." :-)

Cheers!
Rich

Actually..no. "self winding" is normally a weight driven mechanism that
winds up a spring

The Seiko (and a few other brands) that use "kenetic" technology
actually drive a tiny generator that charges up the battery.
No springs involved.

The first generation Seikos had big problems with their batteries
failing in a year or less. The latest versions seem to be holding up
quite nicely, the batteries are lasting for at minimum..10 or more years
before needing replacement..and they dont split open and bleed all over
everthing inside the case..as the first ones did.

Gunner

Do these actually use batteries? A neighbor of mine [1] was recently
boasting about how they use capacitors.

Erik

[1] However, this neighbor is one of those loud blow hard know it all
types who generally makes his facts up on the spot.

IIt actually IS/was a capacitor...but..one that has a significant
storage capacity...much closer to a battery than a true cap. They failed
badly.....

http://www.pmwf.com/Watches/Seiko/Fa...Capacitors.htm

http://www.ofrei.com/page953.html

http://quartzimodo.com/the-seiko-kinetic-boon-or-bane/

Was the capacitor trouble widespread or was it just limited to certain
Seiko Kinetic models or calibers? I later learned that the problem
largely affected the early Kinetic calibers, particularly the 5M4x and
5M2x series. These were mostly movements that were made prior to the
year 2000.

At the same time, Seiko had quietly rectified the capacitor leakage
problem when they introduced the new 5M6x caliber, which is still in
existence at the time of writing. In place of the capacitor, Seiko
decided to use a rechargeable titanium lithium ion cell (LiOn) as
replacement.

Gunner

--
"If I say two plus two is four and a Democrat says two plus two is eight,
it's not a partial victory for me when we agree that two plus two is
six. " Jonah Goldberg (modified)

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Sun, 08 May 2011 13:04:32 -0700, Rich Grise
Gunner Asch wrote:

If one wants a watch that will indeed outlast you..Id suggest a Seiko
"kinetic" powered watch..digital/analog watch with a "kinetic power
generator" built into the watch. This is basically a weight driven
generator that keeps a battery charged.

Half a century ago, they called them "self-winding." :-)

Actually..no. "self winding" is normally a weight driven mechanism that
winds up a spring

The Seiko (and a few other brands) that use "kenetic" technology
actually drive a tiny generator that charges up the battery.
No springs involved.

The point was that they've had twirling weights to somehow get
energy from wrist motion into whatever power source the watch
uses.

I guess my crack was more a dig at the marketing genii who keep
coming up with new buzzwords for stuff that's been in use since
before they were even a gleam in the old man's eye. ;-)

The latest buzzword in sunglasses is "HD" (High Definition). ;-)

Cheers!
Rich