Caveman's Watch Forum

Avatar News Flash! Caveman Watchmaker discovers the WISorcerer Stone!. Post contains photos Post contains linked URL

Ricky Lee
June 02, 2009 05:37PM		 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 3,562 (2009-08)

Last week when I was bragging about gettin' the SoCal Eco-Drive running (or confessing me ignorance for not RTFM, take your pick Wink, wink ...), Jeff surprised me with this offer..
Quote
TakesALickin
..the Home for Wayward Watches. I have a candidate of Slavic origin. If you can resuscitate this one, I'll regard you as a WISorcerer of the highest order.
Offer or challenge, I'm not sure which. Laughing!

In any case, the watch arrived yesterday, and I must say that I was quite impressed with its looks and overall nice finish. 'tis a quartz, and Jeff warned me that it took an odd battery, and that there was some gunk inside from a deteriorated gasket. He surprised me by including a new 386 / 301 cell, a perfect match for the OEM Russian battery. I wasted no time swapping it in.. but no go. Thumbs Down I then removed it, tested it with me VOM and, while it checked good, I decided to try a 357 cell I had on hand, and knew to be good. The 357 is the right diameter, but one MM thicker. Good enough for a bench test but, again, no go. I am sad... At that point I decided to call it a day, and sleep on it.

Well, this morning I sat gazing at the watch while waiting for the coffee to brew, and decided that it was just too handsome for the Salvage Yard. But the 4-jewel Slava quartz module, while quite impressive to look at, was obviously dead as a doornail. What next? Only one choice.. Movement swap! Laughing!

Having made my decision, I quickly gutted the case. And Whoa Nelly! I see what you mean about the "deteriorating gasket". While Jeff had obviously tried to clean it up, the interior of the case was coated with a nasty, sticky, toxic looking black goo. Scary! If this turns out to be some Andomeda Strain of Russian bug, I'm gonna come back and haunt ye Jeff! Laughing!

It cleaned up pretty easily with isopropyl alcohol, even the teensy spot on the dial, and I was ready to test-fit the ETA 805.111 movement I had in mind to use. To my amazement, the dial feel were almost a match! The clocking was right, but the diameter a bit off. But, wonder of wonders, there's an easy fix. I simply took my trusty X-acto and opened up the dial feet holes in the movement, making them an open-ended slot, vs. a hole. Yes! It works!

Now for some hands. To my disappointment, the Slava hands wouldn't fit. Ah well, I couldn't be that lucky. Wink, wink ... OK, plan B - I've got a selection of hands in the proper size for the ETA, so I picked out a set, and whipped 'em on. So far so good! When I test fit the dial / movement assembly into the case, it became apparent that coming up with a movement ring was gonna be the next challenge. The solution...

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

5-Minute Epoxy, The Caveman Watchmakers Friend! Laughing!

Let's take a closer look..

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Not pretty, I'll grant you, but it works. Wink, wink ... For insurance, I added 2 more epoxy 'dots' after the photo was taken, clocked 90 degrees from the ones shown. Moving on..

To my relief the threads of the Slava crown matched up with the ETA stem, though, as you can see in the photo, 'twas ~ 3mm too long. Shortening a stem is child's play, though, and I've soon got 'er buttoned back up..

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..got the Ricky Standard NATO whipped on, and she's on the wrist..

Photo by Ricky Lee

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

WooHoo! Is Happy Day!

Now, I know that swapping in a new movement is kind of cheating, so I don't reckon I'll claim the WISorcerer title. I am smiling... And let's not get into the ethics or advisability of shoehorning a Swiss movement into a Russian case. Laughing! But it was cheap as dirt, and it's once again a fully functioning watch, so plenty good enough for me! Thumbs Up!

Thanks for lookin'...

-Ricky



P.s. - I was, alas, so keen to get after this one that I didn't take any "before photos". Do you perchance have any, Jeff? If so, please post 'em! I am smiling...

Messages In This Thread

News Flash! Caveman Watchmaker discovers the WISorcerer Stone! Post contains photos Post contains linked URL (Views: 106)
Ricky Lee -- June 02, 2009 05:37PM
Cool CCCP or RUSSIAN origin of watch or parts & good save Ricky Lee Thumbs UP! Why... (Views: 31)
Brian Uziel -- June 03, 2009 03:08AM
didn't you troubleshoot the original quartz module? Or did you? I'm interested either way. And I'm curious to see if I could isolate why the movement was " obviously dead as a doornail."

It's too true that it doesn't make financial sense to pay a "watchmaker" to fix a quartz movement, especially a very inexpensive one. But as I have said before, if a guy has electronics training and experience, and a multimeter and spare 10 cent components on-hand, it makes sense for him to take a shot at fixing it -- for hobby/fun/challenge reasons at least. If I had a known good battery, I'd like to take a shot at at least isolating the problem area, if not actually repair/replace it I am smiling ...

Re: ..didn't you troubleshoot the original quartz module? Or did you? (Views: 27)
Ricky Lee -- June 03, 2009 03:37PM
Kinda sorta. When I seperated the movement and dial, and it became apparent that the aforementioned noxious black goo had penetrated into the inner workings of the movement, there didn't seem to be any point in pursuing it further. I am smiling...
Quote
Brian Uziel
..if a guy has electronics training and experience..
It's quite possible that there's nothing at all electrically wrong with this module. But, trust me, said black goo has definitely rendered it "dead as a doornail". Laughing!

-Ricky

Nice work, Ricky. Thumbs UP! (n/t) (Views: 28)
Mark C. -- June 02, 2009 10:44PM
Great looking bezel Ricky Thumbs UP! (n/t) (Views: 28)
Adam in NYC -- June 02, 2009 10:01PM
I just thought of something you can't fix.... (Views: 33)
JohnnyT -- June 02, 2009 08:52PM
but, WHAM!!, just like that I realized you could, and I'm back to wondering if there IS anything you can't fix.

You're awesome, Caveman Supreme!! Lauging out loud!!

Although it's a shame the original movement couldn't be revived > (Views: 27)
TakesALickin -- June 02, 2009 07:09PM
your solution seems like the best approach - I didn't know how much more goo was in there. I'd cleaned up everything I could without removing the movement from the case. But I suspected that movement was a goner. Anyway, it's been sitting at the bottom of a drawer for so long I can't even remember where I got it. You brought it back to life, Dr. Franken-Ricky - wear it in good health! Lauging out loud!

"Time flies like the wind... fruit flies like bananas."
Groucho Marx

'tis a pity. It really is quite nicely finished, even compared to the average Swiss quartz. (Views: 34)
Ricky Lee -- June 02, 2009 07:47PM
Quote
TakesALickin
..I didn't know how much more goo was in there. I'd cleaned up everything I could without removing the movement from the case.
The goo had penetrated into the movement, though not deeply. Apparently deep enough, though. I am sad...
Quote
TakesALickin
You brought it back to life, Dr. Franken-Ricky - wear it in good health! Lauging out loud!
It's alive! Laughing!

Thank you! Jeff, I certainly will!

-Ricky

Looks good to me. Nice job Thumbs UP! (n/t) (Views: 26)
PaulGeo -- June 02, 2009 06:39PM
I LIKE that one! Good save sir! That nato drives it home too! Thumbs UP! (n/t) (Views: 28)
jinxed -- June 02, 2009 05:54PM
Well done, and those hands complement the dial nicely.>> (Views: 31)
Dave Murphy -- June 02, 2009 05:47PM
>>But did you have the spacer problem in hand without the use of the epoxy? I'm still waiting for someone to try shoving their used Rodico into the space where a movement ring is missing. Laughing! Laughing!

Dave
Ontario NY, USA

Re: But did you have the spacer problem in hand without the use of the epoxy? (Views: 30)
Ricky Lee -- June 02, 2009 06:02PM
Nah, I tried every spare spacer ring I had, and nothing was close. I considered using a neoprene O-ring but, again, nothing I had on hand was a good fit. 5-min epoxy never fails... Laughing!
Quote
Dave Murphy
I'm still waiting for someone to try shoving their used Rodico into the space where a movement ring is missing. Laughing! Laughing!
Don't think I haven't thought about it.. Scary! I am smiling...

-Ricky

< Slava Update - off to Colorado >