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It's a happy day, a new watch arrived Watch or Accessory Review Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W

Ricky Lee
January 02, 2012 06:23PM
 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 13,782 (2012-06)

Sure, another watch from the estate of Marc's Dad. Smile

This one is powered by one of my favorite ana-digi movements, the discontinued 4800. These were made in several versions, and this one's a 4800-01A, an unadjusted 1-jewel. Yup, I've got a few others..

Miyota T480* Family
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

The has since gone to live with Bro. EdH, but the rest are still around.

While the 4800* has been discontinued, the current T485 will replace it. It comes in a "kit"..

Miyota T485, stock photo
Click HERE for larger photo

..which includes a spacer and shim to adapt it to the 4800* application. Runs a lordly US $21.95 at Esslinger.

Now, there's a moral to the following tale.. perhaps more than one! So I'm not quite sure where to begin. I guess "It's best to leave well enough alone" fits. Or perhaps "What you don't know won't hurt you". Whistle What happened, see, is that while the watch was running, I noted that I don't have a single decent movement photo of of a T48*/4800*. This despite having had four watches so equipped! Crazy! Loco! So I opened her up.. and was aghast to see that the battery was taped in place! Eek! Further, instead of the proper SR1120W cell (11.6mm X 2.05mm), it was an SR1130W (11.6mm X 3.05mm). Well, it was easy to see why it had been jury-rigged so sloppily:

Stock photo

There's supposed to be a battery hold-down clip, as shown in that borrowed photo. Obviously the last Neanderthal who serviced the watch lost it. Frowning Thus the tape. And, one supposes, the extra-thick battery. If that SR1130W wasn't in contact with the caseback, it was close. Oops!

What to do, what to do? I just couldn't hang wi' the tape! Sorry, but I ain't that much of a caveman. Us Cro-Magnons have our pride! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off If it had been a snap-in caseback, I'd simply have shimmed the battery with micro-closed-cell foam, as I am occasionally wont to do. But that doesn't really work with a screwdown caseback, for obvious reasons. So I dug through the junk box looking for a clip that might work and, while one was heart-breaking close, still no cigar. Only one option left - fashion a battery hold-down clip from scratch!

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W

I cut a strip from an old dial, and bent it to shape. Here it is..

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W

..with the old (and improper) battery, for scale. And here..

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..is the movement photo that caused all the trouble to begin with! I am angry! Maybe it ain't pretty, but me custom battery clip works a treat! WIS Honeymoon

One more slight problem. See where it says " ← SPRING " at the top center? Well, yeah, that *&#!ed last caveman lost that, too! I am angry! This is the contact spring for the alarm, and without it the movement won't chime. Thumbs down But, hey, this fix was easy as pie. I simply disassembled an old springbar, cannibalized the spring, and "Bob's Your Uncle"! Smile That done, I go to close her up and - Doh! - there's no caseback gasket. Crazy! Loco! But also a fix what's easy as fallin' off a log. I matched one up out of me stores and, FINALLY!, we can look at the face of the watch:

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Base metal (or "DIE CAST CASE" in ITC-speak) with screwdown SS caseback, 39.4mm x 42mm x 11.4mm thick, with 20mm lugs.

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

The bezel is non-ratcheting bidirectional rotating, but has more than enough damping to resist "wandering" and stay where it's put. The crown is a conventional push-pull type.

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

The functions are Analog Time, Digital Time, Triple Date, Daily Alarm, and 1/100th Chronograph. You can track a 2nd-timezone by setting either the Analog or Digital Time display to the timezone of your choice. However, if you do the latter, the Alarm function is basically useless, since the Alarm Time is slaved to Digital Time.

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

The watch came on the OEM folded-link bracelet and, while Bro. Marc included the removed links, it was still way short of fitting me ankle-sized wrist, even with all links installed. But never count an intrepid caveman out! As it happens, the Packer-Land Customs Scots Mil-Sub is also based on an watch, and me memory told that bracelet might be compatible. And it's excess, right? Gathering dust in the junk box! Well, not only was my memory spot-on, but..

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..the spare bracelet even had a nifty signed clasp. WooHOO!

Now, some of you are (at least Cap'n Grammar is) goin' "Yes, but the Scots Mil-Sub is a 2-tone watch, Ricky". Well, sure! See the four 2-tone links? Laughing I may eventually beadblast the whole bracelet. But they're a light gold tone, barely noticeable to the naked eye, so I'm not certain I'll bother. Wink

Lume shot? Sure!

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Not very long-lasting, but it "pops" good initially!

And, yeah, the Miyota 4800 has a backlight...

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo

Sorry about the focus. Oops! Blushing

I got to say..

Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

It wears Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr8! WIS Honeymoon

Thanks Bro. Marc, and thanks for following along, Dear Constant Reader.

Cheers!

-Ricky


"He looked down through the scratched, greenish glass that topped the counter. Watches there, each face to him a tiny and contained poem, a pocket museum, subject over time to the laws of entropy and of chance. These tiny mechanisms, their jeweled hearts beating. Wearing down, he knew, through the friction of metal on metal. He sold nothing unserviced, everything cleaned and lubricated. He took fresh stock to a sullen but highly skilled Pole in Oakland to be cleaned, oiled, and timed. And he did this, he knew, not to provide a better, more reliable product, but to ensure that each one might better survive in an essentially hostile universe. It would have been difficult to admit this to anyone, but it was true and he knew it. --William Gibson, narrative describing Fontaine, All Tomorrow's Parties

Messages In This Thread

It's a happy day, a new watch arrived Watch or Accessory Review Innovative Time Corp. Ana-Digi Alarm Chrono model AD27W Image Attachments URL

 Ricky Lee 925 January 02, 2012 06:23PM

Nice save Ricky! Very Innovative. (n/t)

 Timemiser 32 January 03, 2012 10:00PM

{groan}
Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off

 Ricky Lee 30 January 04, 2012 06:47PM

Nice fix, RL! Clapping! (n/t)

 MCV 36 January 03, 2012 12:12PM

These are very good watches! They had great models! Ricky you did great to restore this watch!Cheers!Thumbs up! (n/t)

 IF 35 January 03, 2012 07:35AM

another fine read/ watch, and congrats on the bracelet (n/t)

 Cleans Up 34 January 03, 2012 03:52AM

Interesting post Ricky, what is..
the function of the component (adjustable capacitor?) on the sixth photo? Smile

 wodo 42 January 03, 2012 01:09AM

Re: ..the function of the component (adjustable capacitor?) on the sixth photo? Smile
It's a regulator trimmer, for adjusting the going rate. Smile

It's not clear to me whether this affects the analog side, the digital side, or both. I'm assuming both, since it's highly unlikely that Miyota would employ separate oscillator crystals for each. Alas, tech info on this movement is unavailable, it seems. Oops! At least I can't find any! Blushing

 Ricky Lee 38 January 03, 2012 07:17AM

Ok Thumbs Up Laughing (n/t)

 wodo 32 January 03, 2012 02:58PM

Hey, that bracelet worked pretty well! Though I'm a little Blushing looking back>>>
at one of my first "mods." Talk about caveman! laughing

 DJM 59 January 03, 2012 12:55AM

Re: ..at one of my first "mods." Talk about caveman! laughing
The Dude abides!! Compared to the first few I did Eek!, it's tip-top! Wink

And, yup, I still love it. WIS Honeymoon

 Ricky Lee 31 January 03, 2012 07:05AM

Re: And, yup, I still love it.
That's all that matters to me. smile Thanks Bro!

 DJM 38 January 03, 2012 11:03AM

Well done, Ricky! Thumbs Up (Tape? Crazy! Loco! Sheesh!) (n/t)

 Nuvolari 36 January 03, 2012 12:46AM

Cool! Very informative.Thumbs up! (n/t)

 poywatch 37 January 02, 2012 11:30PM

clapping clapping Excellent photos and essay. I learned something! (n/t)

 John N 37 January 02, 2012 09:49PM

Nice work, Ricky.Thumbs up! (n/t)

 Mark C. 32 January 02, 2012 06:44PM

Thank you! Bro. Mark! Blushing (n/t)

 Ricky Lee 37 January 02, 2012 08:09PM

Nice one Thumbs up! >>>
I happen to come across that same watch a few months ago and picked it up for a buck and 2 cents, only difference is it's the "PVD" version.

Unfortunately it doesn't work at the moment (don't have a battery) and I'm not at home so I can't snap any pics Frowning

...oh well...

Great review!

Cheers!

 Need_Omega 48 January 02, 2012 06:37PM

Re: I happen to come across that same watch a few months ago and picked it up..

No foolin'? Kewl! Thumbs up!
Quote
Need_Omega
..for a buck and 2 cents, only difference is it's the "PVD" version.
For 102¢ that's a lot of watch! Clapping!
Quote
Need_Omega
Unfortunately it doesn't work at the moment (don't have a battery)..
You'll need an SR1120W (Energizer #391).

And you do not want to lose that battery hold-down clip! Eek! Trust me on this! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off
Quote
Need_Omega
..and I'm not at home so I can't snap any pics Frowning
Well, when you get a chance, I'd sure love to see some. Innocent
 Ricky Lee 42 January 02, 2012 08:06PM

Makes for a nice mini collection Thumbs Up (n/t)

 JP 44 January 02, 2012 06:34PM

Never thought of it that way. Blushing But.. Gif Attachments
..now that I do, I almost regret trading off the . Laughing

 Ricky Lee 42 January 02, 2012 07:58PM


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