how to fix a watchPosted June 16, 2014 by Esslinger Staff

When a watch stops working it can be worrisome to people to not be able to tell
the time or perhaps because the watch is a heirloom piece. First you must determ
ine whether the watch movement inside that has failed is a mechanical or a quart
z movement. There is sometimes no easy solution to fixing the failed movement. W
hen you have a watch that has an older mechanical movement, parts can be very di
fficult or impossible to find and replacing the original movement with a quartz
electronic movement is sometimes the only solution. If the inside of your watch
has been damaged beyond repair, (by water damage or the watch has had a hard hit
and it is not working) replacing the movement may be the only solution. Make su
re that the problem is not just a dead watch battery or an automatic watch that
has not been wound up and you could save yourself extra work.
In this article, you are going to learn how to identify quartz watch movements,
along with selecting a replacement and then completely replacing it.
Quartz vs Mechanical movementQuartz and Mechanical
You can replace a mechanical movement with a quartz movement or change a quartz
movement with an inexpensive generic or factory direct movement without problems
. If the original watch movement has additional features including a day/date wi
ndow or a chronograph with several mechanisms to show the seconds, year, moon ph
ase, or stop watch, you will possibly lose some features if you do not find a di
rect matching replacement movement. Sometimes the movements are discontinued due
to their age, but you still can get parts. This article will cover the situatio
n where you cannot clean the old movement or order replacement parts like a coil
or a circuit to make your favorite watch work again.
If you have a name brand watch like Longines, Seiko, Citizen, Pulsar, Lorus, Bul
ova, the generic direct matching movement could be obtained and the price might
be actually lower than buying the original manufacturers movement or replacement
parts and fixing the watch.
You will need some watch tools to help work on small mechanical and electrical p
arts of a watch:
Movement Ring Assortment
Watch Dial Adhesives
Digital Caliper 100mm / 4?
Hands Free Magnifier (OptiVisor)
Eye Loupe Magnifier
Watch Screwdriver Set
Watch Battery Tester
Brass Handle Pin Vise
Non-Magnetic Tweezers
Loctite Threadlocker
Flush Side Cutter Pliers
Needle files, Medium
Watch Back Opener Knife
Movement Holder
Case Holder F/ L-G Case Wrench
Watch Opener Case Wrench Waterproof or
LG Case Back Opener Wrench
Watch Hand-Remover
Watch Hand Press
Replace a Watch MovementOpen the Back
A screw off watch back will have large notches around the edges of the back of t
he watch. Use a Case Opener wrench and Case Holder. Set the watch in the case ho
lder and unscrew the back Be careful there is a gasket between the case and the b
ack that needs to be replaced if you damage it.
Another type of screw off watch case back has the notches cut out all around the
case back. These are commonly seen on Swiss Army and Baume Mercier. For this ty
pe of case back removal you will need a case holder and watch case dies or a Wat
ch Case Opener.
Pressure fit watch back: The second type of watch case back is the pressure type
. It is plain and smooth and we intend to leave it that way when we finish. Many
watches with this type of back have a small dent or notch on the case back whic
h is the place you will want to put your watch opener knife.
4 screws watch back: The third most popular watch case back has 4 screws holding
the back on. It can be any kind of watch material, metal case and metal back, p
lastic or rubber case and metal back, plastic case and plastic back, and so on.
You will need to determine if you need Phillips head screwdrivers or a straight
edge. Choose the right screwdriver for the right screw. You don t want to strip th
e head of the screw, and remember that there will be a gasket that you will have
to deal with, so be careful.
See our Guide: How to Open a Watch Back

MovementReplace-remove_stemRemove the stem

Locate the screw to be loosened if it is a threaded type or locate the dimple th
at you need to push to remove the stem. Lay watch face down on a Selvyt cloth or
movement dial side down on a piece of pithwood. Turn the screw counter clockwis
e three to four turns (screw does not need to be removed from the movement) or p
ush the dimple as you Pull to remove the stem.
See our Guides: Removing a Watch Stem Screw Type or Removing a Watch Stem Push B
utton Type Removal

Hand-remove_step 3
Remove the movement ring, hands and then the dial. This is the first step to rem
oving the old movement out of the watch case. Simply lift up on the movement rin
g where you see cut outs and be careful not to scratch any part of the movement
with your tweezers or fingernail. Using a piece of pithwood place the movement o
n top of the pithwood then put a dial protector under the hands to protect the d
ial. Using a hand puller place over the hands and gently squeeze the hand puller
and pull the hands off of the movement.
See our Guide: How to Remove Watch Hands
Click Here to Shop Our Watch Movements
Identify the Movement you Need
vx42eQuartz
Now you need to look at your movement and see if there are any markings such as
the manufacturer (Hattori, Miyota, ETA) and then look for a movement number. The
Japanese brands are usually very easily identifiable as they are marked very cl
ear on the movement (EX: VX42E, 6L12) If you are unable to find the movement num
ber on the movement the Japanese will also usually make the movement number part
of the case back and dial number. ETA movement numbers are usually on the very
edge of the movement (EX: 955.1112, 210.011) or on the plastic movements under t
he cell in the battery well. These can be very hard to see and you will need to
be very careful when ordering as being just one number off can change the diamet
er or features on a movement. (EX: 802.004, 802.104)
Replace a Watch Movement - nomenclature
Mechanical
To find a quartz watch movement to fit a mechanical can take a bit more work. Th
ere are several things that you will have to look for and measure. First look un
der the balance wheel (The circular piece that looks like it has hair wound arou
nd the middle) to see if there are any symbols and numbers. (EX: AS in a schield
, number 1977-2) Your watch movement supplier may sometimes have a listing for a
good replacement that can save you some time. Next determine the shape of the m
ovement, round rectangular, oval etc. Measure the diameter of a round, the width
and the length on the ovals and rectangulars. Next measure the thickness of the
movement.
Calendar and Date Features
When you are ready to work in a watch, you should consider if the watch has seco
nd hands or if the watch has a calendar feature. If it has a calendar window, it
is located a 3 o clock, 4 o clock or 6 o clock. You also have to be aware of how thic
k the dial is because sometimes the same movement has a long and short center sh
aft. The calendar wheel can be replaced, so if you do not find the same movement
with the calendar at 6 o clock, you ll have to remove the old calendar wheel and re
place it in the new movement.
Now look at the dial to see if it has a calendar for the date, if it does, you h
ad to make sure that a calendar can be seen through the window. Does it have sec
ond hand? Where is the second hand located? Is it removed, for example, at 6 o clo
ck. If that is the case, our choices are very limited, some movements can have a
matching calendar, but the second hand at 6 o clock will have to go. You can t have
both.
See our guides: Watch Movement Identification and Watch Case Number Finding Guid
e
Replacing the Movement
Mechanical to Quartz Watch Movement
Replacing a mechanical watch movement with a quartz watch movement is always mor
e complex, takes more time, and can cause several more difficulties than replaci
ng a quartz movement. Most problems arise from the size difference of old mechan
ical (large) to new quartz (small) movements. If you pick a thinner quartz movem
ent over the old mechanical there is a good chance that the hole where the stem
goes outside the watch case may not align properly. (This will also cause the di
al and hands not to fit properly) This is a very difficult or impossible situati
on that will require a professional watchmaker.
If you have a mechanical watch movement and you would like to replace it with a
quartz watch movement remove the old movement from the case, measure it, and let s
say its 17.5 milliliters round, by 4.75 mm thick. Ideally, you would match the
same dimension to make the new movement fit right. If you cannot find a movement
that is the same size, you can use a watch movement as close as possible to tho
se dimensions and use other tools and parts to make the movement fit correctly.
You need to know how thick the dial is because the center shaft comes in differe
nt lengths and the watch hands will not fit on correctly in the end if you do no
t know the thickness. You also want to make sure when you place the movement in
the dial that it would have enough space around the hour hand and the minute han
d to be set.
When replacing mechanical watch movements, keep in mind:
With mechanical watches you will always need to replace the watch hands because
the old hands are heavy steel that will not work with quartz movements.
You will need to take more effort in finding a close replacement size and then f
inding a good fitting movement ring to secure the quartz movement in place.
You almost always have to use dial spots on mechanical movements because the dia
l feet will not match up (exception when you refinish the dial).
You will likely need to replace the watch stem forcing you to also get a new wat
ch crown. (A stem extender can help change the size of the new stem to fit the o
riginal old crown).
If the dial is curved you will need to choose a new quartz movement with a very
high center post because the movement will not fit flush to the dial causing the
hands not to fit properly.
Quartz to Quartz Watch Movement
If you are replacing a quartz watch movement with another quartz movement you ca
n usually find an exact replacement with no need for dial, hands, movement ring,
stem, and crown.
Let s say you have a good match, a movement smaller than the original, but with a
calendar that fits, and a center shaft the goes fine with the dial so you know y
ou will have a good match.
Attaching the Dial
Attaching the movement to the dial (the dial is the face of the watch) is very i
mportant for a long term fix and you have two choices for attaching the movement
onto the dial depending on the design, your abilities, and what results you are
looking for.
Finding a direct replacement movement that will fit the dial feet (the dial feet
are two small metal posts that are inserted into the movement)
You can secure the movement to the dial with adhesive dial dots or use little gl
ue dots. First the dial feet will need to be removed so you clip the original di
al feet and make sure the surfaces is clean and smooth. Place the dial dots on t
he movement in a place that is safe, and press movement and dial together.
Using dial spots and glue is very convenient and quick when you cannot find a di
al that matches the movement holes but the downfall is that with time and much w
ear, these shortcut fixes can come loose causing the movement to shift and cause
further problems.

Dial Refinishing
If you need dial repair, you can send the dial into a dial refinishing company o
r through Esslinger Company. At the time of refinishing, you can instruct them t
o set the dial feet in a new position so that it will fit any movement. (so you
would say that the feet need to fit an ETA 955-112 for example) You should make
that information very clear and that is also one of the reasons that you should
let a customer know, his/her watch will be done like the original manufacturer f
itting perfectly and looking new. Now that you have the dial feet in the right p
lace for the new movement and you have the new movement you are ready to insert
into the watch case.
Dial refinishing before and after
Setting the Watch Hands
After the dial is set, you can place the watch hands onto the post. Using a shar
p tweezers, carefully place the hands over the posts in order (Hour, Minute, Sec
ond). Use the watch crown and set the correct time, you should be sure the hands
are not touching each other (or the dial). Wait at least after 24 hours to make
sure the hands move freely before you use the watch.
MovementReplace-OD-of-crownReplacing the Watch Stem and Crown
When you purchase a new watch movement, it will usually include a watch stem, a
temporary plastic crown, and the battery. To replace the old stem and crown, mea
sure the old stem in millimeters, then cut the new stem down to the same size (u
sing a side cutter and then tapering with a file) Thread the new stem onto the e
nd of the watch crown. When you order a new movement, you might want to consider
ordering two stems then, if you cut the first one wrong, you will not have to o
rder another one.
See our Guides: Removing a Watch Stem Screw Type or Removing a Watch Stem Push B
utton Type Removal
Watch movement ringMovement Ring Replacement
In the example , the movement is almost 2 milliliters thinner that the original
that you are replacing, so you have to compensate for the movement thinness and
it is also smaller in diameter. When doing that you have to look for a movement
ring that will secure the movement in the watch case and prevent it from moving
around loosely. A tight fit will not only help the watch work better, it will pr
event possible damage that can occur so easily in wrist watches.
To help you have a good choice of movement rings for use with retrofitting many
types of mechanical and quartz watches you can purchase the Movement Ring Assort
ment or you can make our own if you have some extra plastic movement rings. Hold
the watch movement in place inside the watch case and compare each plastic move
ment ring to see which is nearest to the size, shape, and thickness of the new m
ovement. The movement ring should hold the watch movement firmly in place with n
o play, but should not be pressing on sensitive electronic or mechanical parts o
f the watch movement.
Movement rings are made of a soft malleable plastic and can be formed and bent a
fter getting to know the material. A good watchmaker can heat up the plastic and
make some adjustments to make it fit quickly. Most movement rings need to be cu
t or trimmed on the outer edge to fit snuggly into the watch case and trim the t
op and sides (with sandpaper, jewelers files, dremmel machines)
MovementReplace-watch_back_hand_pressedClosing the Watch Back
Depending on the type of watch back that you are closing, be sure that the back
does not touch the movement ring before closing. Be sure to check the condition
of the back gasket before you close the watch as this is a very easy time to rep
lace it and keep your new movement free of dirt and moisture. Depending on the t
ype of watch back again (screw back, pressure fit, 4 screws) you will pressure f
it or use the same tools that you used to remove the watch back.
See our Guide: How to Close a Watch Back

Considerations
Sometimes when you change a movement from mechanical to quartz, not only you hav
e to measure the diameter of the movement, the thickness, but also you have to c
onsider the stem and crown, in some watches the case and the back are cut in a w
ay that is not really an issue. But if the case has a tube or small hole where t
he stem goes; you have to make sure that the new movement will line up with that
tube or hole. Also, if the case of the watch has a guard that protects the crow
n, you had to make sure that the new crown will fit between those guards.
Click Here to See Our Full Selection of Watch Tools

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Posted in Watch Repair | 21 comments so far

21 Comments
Rees Marshall, November 24, 2015 at 4:30 pm:
Re Changing Quartz watch battery:
Is there any truth in suggestions that the Pos & Neg pins need to be shorted to
enable a quartz watch to function after changing a battery? I ask because mine w
atch is playing up.
Esslinger.com, November 24, 2015 at 5:02 pm:
This is absolutely true. specifically on brands like Casio and other electronic
wrist watches; without a restart, the watch will not run.
Rees Marshall, November 24, 2015 at 6:37 pm:
Please specify Reset procedure
Thanks
Esslinger.com, November 24, 2015 at 7:23 pm:
This video shows the process (at 8:14) https://youtu.be/R6JbrVDqR7w
Rees Marshall, November 24, 2015 at 8:14 pm:
I am really impressed that you answer my Qs, but the Video helps only a little a
s my ETA 956.032 has a basic PCB and I see Neg and Pos pads but NO AC Pin. There s
an arrow pointing away from Pos towards a spring loaded pin, is this part of th
e battery reset or the Stem releasing Pin? Also, the correct battery (634) sits
tightly in the opening and is hard up against a side-plate which does not press do
wn on the battery?
Thanks
Rees
Esslinger.com, November 24, 2015 at 8:42 pm:
This movement does not require a reset after a battery change. There is another
problem with the movement or a battery that will need to be investigated. There
is a multitude of possible issues that could be the problem in this electronic /
mechanical watch movement, we can provide the tools to inspect and diagnose thi
s but we do not have an exact answer for what is happening with your watch.
coinfinder, August 21, 2016 at 4:16 pm:
if you do not see an AC symbol on the movement then it does not need to be short
ed out. Mostly digital or analog and digital have the AC feature. As for your ET
A movement, I m guessing it has a bad coil. That is just my first guess. This is a
common problem that is easily fixed. Assuming you can get the coil. My email is
JPRATT420024@YAHOO.COM. email me and I can go over it with you more. If you kno
w electrical at all then a vault meter will tell you if the coil is bad or not.
I had a movado I bought 10 years ago and never wore. when I put a battery in it
did not work after no use and sitting for 10 years. I had a spare coil so I put
it in and it worked rate off. Was a very easy fix as long as you can take your t
ime and understand how a watch works. Email me if you want more help
thomachuck, April 4, 2016 at 11:51 pm:
Not sure whether your advice to short out the pins applies to all electronic wat
ches, to rechargeable watches only, or to these Casio models only (not clear). I
have a Remington analog watch that does not use a rechargeable battery. Would I
need to short out the pins in replacing the battery on this watch? It is an SR9
16SW battery.
Siper2, January 16, 2016 at 10:15 pm:
Hi, thanks for this! I have a Fossil JR-8561 case with a Ronda movement. The num
ber looks like 515 maybe? There are several models on your site, any advice on whi
ch movement in particular?
EEH, July 21, 2016 at 1:54 pm:
Hello. I have purchased a second had omega speedmaster without a movement. Is it
possible to find one that fits,
knowing it has a chronometer ? Thank you !
Chen Weizhong, November 7, 2016 at 12:08 am:
Hi
Thanks for the great article. May I check if movements are universal in size? I m
anniversary present watch died on me and I was wondering if I could replace the
movement with a working one from another watch.
Would appreciate your kind advice on this. Rgds!
CT
Esslinger.com, November 7, 2016 at 3:18 pm:
Movements are not universal in size. Replacing the movement is possible but you
will need to do some measuring and looking up the model and numbers. Check this
article for more information: http://blog.esslinger.com/identifying-watch-moveme
nts/
Chen Weizhong, November 9, 2016 at 3:15 am:
Many thxs for the great help!
Gopalakrishnan Ramaswamy, December 11, 2016 at 3:11 pm:
whether all auto winding mechanical watches need `clutch wheel` especially the o
nes with Day&Date?Please help me.
(and particularly Citizen` Eagle`series and SEIKO 6619A
Randi Ka Ashiq, March 27, 2017 at 9:32 am:
Hi
very informative post. I really appreciate you having written it. I was actually
looking for replacement of an ETA trendline F06.111 quartz movement for my watc
h.
Can you suggest some 1 to 1 equivalent in Miyota, Epson, Hattori or anything els
e ?
F06.111 is a 3 hands with calener. Specs are : thickness 2.50 mm
dia 25.60 mm and size 11-1/2. The calender is at postion 3 O Clock
Many thanks
Mark Esslinger, May 9, 2017 at 5:52 pm:
Try Ronda 715 (HQ715) .15mm thicker, same hands, same tap, same dial position bu
t cannot guarantee the date will line up. You will have to cut the new stem to t
he correct length to fit.
Randi Ka Ashiq, March 27, 2017 at 9:39 am:
Hi
very informative post. I really appreciate you having written it. I was actually
looking for replacement of an ETA trendline F06.111 quartz movement for my watc
h.
Can you suggest some 1 to 1 equivalent in Miyota, Epson, Hattori or anything els
e ?
F06.111 is a 3 hands with calender. Specs are : thickness 2.50 mm
dia 25.60 mm and size 11-1/2. The calender is at postion 3 O Clock
I was considering VX42E.
Please let me have your expert advice.
Many thanks
Esslinger.com, March 27, 2017 at 3:17 pm:
I would opt for the ETA 955.112 which is the high grade version of the ETA F06.1
11
http://www.esslinger.com/eta-3-hand-quartz-watch-movement-955-112-date-at-3-00-o
verall-height-3-9mm/
Nothing in anther line as you would not know if the dial, hands, or calendar lin
e up the only possible other option is the Ronda 715 depending on your overall h
eight, same thing for the 955.112. Hope this helps.
Randi Ka Ashiq, March 28, 2017 at 4:53 am:
Great !!! Thanks a lot for
a quick reply. 955.112 is a good option suggested by you.
Many many thanks.
I am in India. If I order on you. Can you send it by simple airmail without past
ing a bill onthe envelop as it can get stuck at Indian customs.
Jon-Michael Payne, April 26, 2017 at 4:03 pm:
I m replacing a mechanical movement with a quartz movement. When the dial is curve
d and you need to install a movement with a very high centre post, what would yo
u recommend to install between the dial back and the top of the movement?
I need to clear at least 1mm so the stem lines up with the case tube (and avoids
the dial edge).
I first thought of using some sort of 1mm thick double sided tape but that would
be spongy and easily damage the movement if I needed to reposition it.
how do you shim the gap?
Mark Esslinger, May 9, 2017 at 7:03 pm:
I do not think you need to install anything and should opt for a higher posted m
ovement to allow for the clearance for both the hands and the crown

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