FAO: Bruce

Hi Bruce, I hope you and the family are good? I tried to send an email to you however unsure if you got it! I am looking for someone (shop) you can recommend I can take in a Mid-Range Omega for a battery replacement that will / can also pressure test the watch! I could do it myself (Without the pressure test) however due to the circumstances I would rather advise a close relative to get it done locally and tested, I wont go into this too much! If you know anywhere local to my area can you PM me the details please?

Appreciated Bruce, Q.

Hi Stephan, I did reply, basically what I said. Was the good Keeler's in Edinburgh won't do it but they will send it to omega who will insist on servicing the watch whether it needs it or not, the jewelers that would do I wouldn't trust so what I suggest is do a Search on what Renata battery it takes and do it your self, just put masking tape on the back to save scratches, you are more than capable, as for sealing it doesn't need it unless you are diving, that's another con, just a bit of silicon grease on the seal will do, if you want will do it for you but you CAN do it!!

Thanks Bruce :-)

It does appear depending on the Ref. Number Omega used different movements and batteries during that period. I have asked if they have the orig documents to check this, or if not it would be need to be opened before to check what battery is required.

Thanks again for the advice, I will get this sorted for them..

easy way is just open the watch to see what battery is in it or if you have the model number let me know and i will find it for you, let me know how you get on

Hello Bruce, hope all is good?

Ok, the Ref. number of the origanal documents do not corespond with what this says:

Calibre Number: 1538

The actual Ref. Number on the document is: 25178000 Calibre: 1538

Purchased New: 2004

Any help would be appreciated, my guess its a 373, 395 or a 371? I read somewhere that they changed the size of the 395 and now advise on using a 371 (This could be rubbish however)

Thanks for your help, Stephan.

"The used battery depends always on the case reference."

Maybe the Document Ref. is different from the case Ref.

Ref. Case ....

it would appear to be a renata 373, others will fit purley because they have the same diameter, but they sit higher and can put pressure on the movement when the caseback is refitted, the 373 is 2.5mm high which is right for the 1538, which is just a rebranded ETA, very good movement though. i think you can get 2 x 373 on ebay for about £3.50 ish
if you look at the circle in red you can see a gold colored catch that holds the battery in place, although other cells will fit they are so high the clip wont hold the cell

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for the reply! I got a hold of the Omega and it has a 395 fitted. There is no catch for the battery in this movement, it is held in place by the dust cover, then the case back! All good though I bought a new 395 and re-greased the o-ring with gloves on etc.... To be honest that quartz movement is something else compared to a lower end quartz. The thing ticks, but you cant hear it, the date change with the hour hand is a breathe of fresh air! Am impressed - all good and back in working order.

I re-glued the presentation box cover as it was coming away, *note am not in anyway affiliated with the company that's on the origanal purchase order or trying to sell their services. The watch was purchased from them new in 2004.


"although other cells will fit they are so high the clip wont hold the cell"

You could be right above, thats why the battery I felt is held in place with the dust cover, it was changed once before from a man in "Leith" sounds suspect! The watch is staying in the family so when needing changed again I will try a 373!

Thank you so much for the support. Stephan.

OK I have recalled the watch Bruce and ordered a 373 :-)

ty

Qtronic wrote:OK I have recalled the watch Bruce and ordered a 373 :-)

ty

the little clip is in the red circle, there is no way Omega would produce a movement where the battery is held in place by the iron magnetic shield, i am guessing that last person to fit the cell just had a 395 handy

domecurb wrote:

Qtronic wrote:OK I have recalled the watch Bruce and ordered a 373 :-)

ty

the little clip is in the red circle, there is no way Omega would produce a movement where the battery is held in place by the iron magnetic shield, i am guessing that last person to fit the cell just had a 395 handy

"there is no way Omega would produce a movement where the battery is held in place by the iron magnetic shield"

I just thought it was the "Omega" way!

373 coming in and am visiting a man fae Leith to get my £1.45 back for my 395 - chancer!

;-)

quite right £1.45 is £1.45

domecurb wrote:quite right £1.45 is £1.45

There is a lesson here! Never trust a "side" shop to change your watch battery! Even though it "ticks" well ... !

How frustrating, I was going on the assumption that it had the original fitted! Good lesson to learn though. ty

Qtronic wrote:

domecurb wrote:quite right £1.45 is £1.45

There is a lesson here! Never trust a "side" shop to change your watch battery! Even though it "ticks" well ... !

How frustrating, I was going on the assumption that it had the original fitted! Good lesson to learn though. ty

never trust a butcher to do cosmetic surgery

domecurb wrote:

Qtronic wrote:

domecurb wrote:quite right £1.45 is £1.45

There is a lesson here! Never trust a "side" shop to change your watch battery! Even though it "ticks" well ... !

How frustrating, I was going on the assumption that it had the original fitted! Good lesson to learn though. ty

never trust a butcher to do cosmetic surgery

"although other cells will fit they are so high the clip wont hold the cell"

Your knowledge/advice on movements Bruce is outstanding, it is very much appreciated.

Qtronic wrote:

domecurb wrote:

Qtronic wrote:

domecurb wrote:quite right £1.45 is £1.45

There is a lesson here! Never trust a "side" shop to change your watch battery! Even though it "ticks" well ... !

How frustrating, I was going on the assumption that it had the original fitted! Good lesson to learn though. ty

never trust a butcher to do cosmetic surgery

"although other cells will fit they are so high the clip wont hold the cell"

Your knowledge/advice on movements Bruce is outstanding, it is very much appreciated.  

i am out standing in my field

Lol Bruce that reminds me off this lol

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hrTDo9_bGYg

Iceblue wrote:Lol Bruce that reminds me off this lol

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hrTDo9_bGYg

i tried that, it doesn't work

Big thanks to Bruce for saving the day!

So fittted the correct battery ref number 373 rather than the 395 that was fitted by a watch repair shop in Edinburgh (that I copied - lesson learned).

Maybe the shop never noticed the diffrence in thickness of them both, or maybe they just wanted the £20 to get it to work! Not sure, but my guess is the latter!



The wrong 395 on the left and the correct 373 on the right, now it clips in properly and does not get pushed down by Omega's iron magnetic shield.

*Please Note that it was not the company that's on the origanal purchase order that fitted the WRONG battery, it was an independant repair shop.

Thanks again Bruce, Stephan.

you are welcome Stephan, huge difference in the thickness, it boils my blood that "professionals" cant even get the battery size right, its so basic  but all's well that ends well