Watch misticking?

[Daniel Moore]

Right around 12:00 on the watch face, my Victorinox Base Camp's second-hand seems to quickly tick forward to the next second, back to the previous, and forward to the next. I can't notice that it's exactly off cue on coming to rest at the next second (meaning it seems to do all of this within a second), but is it anything very unusual? I can't say that it always does it there or at all (sometimes it does it further along), but it just had me wondering if it would be a problem for accuracy or become worse over time. The face and mechanism assembly is also a little misaligned, so the second hand doesn't line up too well with the hash marks on the outer ring, so if I should get it looked at or repaired I'll ask that they try to line it up a little better next time, unless I try to do it myself But watches- especially analogs- can be pretty intimidating to take apart.

 

[Blue Jays]

Hi NeedleRemorse-

Is this a mechanical watch or a battery-driven quartz model?

~ Blue Jays ~

 

[Daniel Moore]

Hey Blue Jays,

It's a battery-driven quartz model.

 

[bama_lou]

The battery is already weak, I presume.

 

[Cougar Allen]

I think you have a weak battery. This is a good thing; it means that watch gives you some warning before the battery fails. Next time you'll know what it means.

the second hand doesn't line up too well with the hash marks

That's inherent in the design of quartz watches. If you picked through a thousand watches you could probably find one that aligns perfectly, but as soon as the plastic gears wear a little (it won't take long) it won't align any more.

 

[Daniel Moore]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess it's good that it's just a battery, but since I got the watch just last year and it did it since new I'm a little annoyed that I already have to get it replaced! But it was purchased at a mall display for a gift, so it could very well have worn down.

As far as the misalignment, it's not the gears of the watch that make the hands not line up, it's that the actual face of the watch (so the action of the watch, the hands, and the numbered face section) was put inside of the case in a way that it does not align with the separate hash marks on an outer ring inside of the body that is not attached.

That outer ring is separate from the inner black face of the watch, and although the outer ring is aligned with the outside of the watch, the central face is a little off-center, which is why I'd like to replace the battery on my own even if it's a scary process!

 

[mete]

You are giving off bad vibes !!!

 

[Tim-Gabz]

You are giving off bad vibes !!!

Nah the whole problem is that Needle is a mystic.

 

[tirod3]

Some quartz watches have a little play in the second hand drive. Hold it upside down and see if it does it at 6:00. It may be the slack in the drive allowing the needle to bounce back and forth.