| Author | Message | ||
     Avalon New member Username: Avalon Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hello, A friend sent me this watch that is a family piece and unfortunately some time in the past someone had the original mechanical movement swapped for a quartz movement. I am hoping that I can identify what the original movement was, source one, and bring this back to it's original state as a mechanical. Photos are below. The first step is identifying what the original movement would have been. If anyone can assist, I would appreciate it very much. Best regards, Al      | ||
| Zaf Moderator Username: Zaf Post Number: 3551 Registered: 05-2003 Rating: N/A |
Probably a 480CW or family. Measure the opening of where the movement would have gone in the case, precisely and report back, thanks. | ||
| Avalon New member Username: Avalon Post Number: 6 Registered: 11-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hi Zaf, Thanks so much for offering your help. I measured across the opening where the case has not been modified - the red line below, and the measurement is .936 inches give or take a few thousands of an inch. You can see where I have placed 4 X's in green that the case has been modified to accept the quartz movement so the dimension is a bit different there. Your suspected choice of movement confirms one thought I had - that this was originally a sub-seconds watch. If you look at the 6 o'clock marker in the photos in my original post, it is visibly shorter than the others. This is most definitely a redial, so I think at the time the hole for the seconds hand was filled and the the dial was refinished. Yet another challenge this project presents! Please let me know if the dimension makes sense for the 480 CW movement you suspect. Thanks again. Al  | ||
| Zaf Moderator Username: Zaf Post Number: 3564 Registered: 05-2003 Rating: N/A |
.936 = 10 1/2 Swiss Lignes, so the 480 was a good guess but that's sub seconds. Unless the dial was plugged up, you had a sweep second or no second watch. The 10 1/2 ligne sweep movement is the caliber 800, based on the 480. Other movements that may work are the caliber 820 and 830. I think you would have had an cal. 800 though. Get it as a 800C though if you find it. That's more likely to fit a curved dial. Good luck. | ||
| Zaf Moderator Username: Zaf Post Number: 3565 Registered: 05-2003 Rating: N/A |
You also probably lost the dial feet. So those would need to be soldered back on. You usually have to refinish the dial when you do that, unless you have a really talented guy that can get them back on with low to no heat. | ||
| Avalon New member Username: Avalon Post Number: 7 Registered: 11-2007 Rating: N/A |
Hi Zaf, Thanks again for all your help. I'm pretty sure this was a sub-seconds watch originally and the 480 CW would have been the right movement. Unfortunately the "watchmaker" that did the conversion to quartz has glued the entire movement to the dial. :-( I think this is going to be a bit much to put back to mechanical. Such a shame... Cheers, Al |