Troubleshooting Your Watch Movement – The Basics

There are times wherein a watch gets banged up or just totally conks out. Seiko timepieces, while almost perfect, are still not perfect in all aspects. Some people’s watches last forever with proper care and constant wearing, but others are presented with duds. The issue with the Japanese watchmaker’s timepieces is that they produce watches in massive quantities, so there will undoubtedly be a few pieces in the batch that aren’t up to spec.

One thing that needs to be working in a timepiece is the watch’s heart, also known as the movement. Produced in-house in Seiko’s factories, their movements are some of the best for their price. In fact, their production of the best quartz movements have shown the world they mean business. Additionally, their automatic ones are also outstanding in many ways. Whether you own an SKX007, a Seiko 5 model, or other timepieces that run on batteries, there might come a time where their hearts will stop beating.

Indicating Different Movements

If you are unsure about your watch’s movement, identifying the movement is the first thing you have to do to troubleshoot the entire system. The two most common types are the quartz and mechanical movements. Each has a different kind of mechanism that powers the whole time-telling device. Here are ways to identify the watch’s power source and what to do about specific types of situations:

1. Quartz Movements

Quartz movements use a crystal that vibrates at a specific frequency to move the hands at the right speed. These use a battery that throws an electric circuit through the crystal for the movement to operate. Many watches will have an indicator on either their dial or the case back that will say “Quartz” or something similar to indicate that the timepiece is battery powered.

Bringing the watch close to your ear and listening to the hand’s ticks can show you if your watch is a quartz-powered one. If the watch ticks once per second and consistently, this is a battery-powered watch due to its accurate movement. If the watch has stopped and there is no winding function, this likely needs a battery. If you have stocked the timepiece for a long time, this may be a job for a proper watch technician to clean out a possibly leaking battery that might have damaged the internals.

Fortunately, Seiko timepieces have simple parts and have easy-to-access features thanks to over a century of dedicated watch craftsmanship.

2. Mechanical Movements

Mechanical movements often have multiple ticks each second due to all the moving parts present. These often come in both manual and automatic movements, which differ in the functionality of the timepiece. The former uses a winding system that makes it run for a set number of hours until it needs to be rewound. The latter is wound initially to get it to run and will function almost infinitely as long as the watch is worn. Automatic movements use kinetic energy to throw gears and mechanisms around internally, which provides the watch energy to keep ticking.

You will know if your watch is mechanical if the crown has multiple settings that allow the user to set the date and time and then wind the watch for its power reserve. Quartz movements have only one to two pull settings on the crown to set the date and time without the need to wind for power. Another telltale sign that your timepiece is mechanical is that it will have an “Automatic” or similar indicator on the dial.

Fixing a Seiko watch’s movement is best done with Seiko mod parts found on sites like Crystaltimes USA, where you can discover Seiko watches’ movements. By consulting with a professional watch artisan, they can do the replacement and installation for this component.

Conclusion

When it comes to troubleshooting a watch, it pays to know what makes it tick in the first place. Different movements have different requirements and parts to be used, and the great part about Seiko is that repairs and inspections can be done by anyone who knows watches in and out. Make a movement swap today if you feel like your watch has been ticking offbeat or inconsistently.

Crystaltimes USA is a premium Seiko mod parts provider, giving the best products for sapphire crystals, bezel inserts, dials, and even movements for the avid wrist enthusiast. Craft your unique Seiko timepiece using mod parts today!