I bought an OEM leather strap for a beater Victorinox gifted to me in 2001. The watch was $8 thrift-store used quality. The new strap was bought in 2008 or so after the old one disintegrated. It cost $30-something delivered.

The GF is dead. I rarely wear a watch. But it is one of the very few things from her that I still have.

Funny how we attach importance to small material items.

Seiko has a repair facility. If you mailed them the watch they'd probably drop a new movement into it. At the least, it'll only cost you postage to have them assess it. In the repair note, stress "Case and bracelet to remain.'

Can a watch be demagnetized? We have an industrial demag loop in the instrument shop.

Sounds like it my be magnetized. You can get a demagnetizer on Amazon for $12.

My theory on what caused the initial problem was a sawzall. Using it cutting up a boat without thinking. It dawned on me a while into the project that what I was doing probably wasnt automatic watch friendly, so I started taking it off. It still didnt get real bad till a year or so later.

How it went from right to very fast sitting in my desk for two months I couldn't say.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
My theory on what caused the initial problem was a sawzall.

Rolex makes a watch just for this purpose. The Milgauss. Love the green bezel model!

I bet the guys on jewelers row would have a nifty demagnetizer.

Five minutes a month is a daily average of ten seconds/day. Pretty damn good for that movement.

Your watch movement needs service, Cleaning, re-assembly and lubrication. Most watch repairers will also regulate and demagnetize as a part of their service. It will cost you $100-150 for the service.

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by Woodman:

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
My theory on what caused the initial problem was a sawzall.

Rolex makes a watch just for this purpose. The Milgauss. Love the green bezel model!

I bet the guys on jewelers row would have a nifty demagnetizer.

Lol

Funny, I just took an older Orange Monster in for repair, it will cost me more to fix it then I paid for it. But I like the watch and now they are triple for a new one.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
My theory on what caused the initial problem was a sawzall.

Wait... what? Using a Sawzall messed up your watch? How so?

I don't understand.

Original Monster with 7S26 movement, worth more than you paid for it - by a lot.

New movement is under $50.

Regulate it at the time of replacement and you will be amazed at how well it keeps time!

Don't need to send it to Seiko, any qualified watchmaker can do the work.

quote:

Originally posted by vthoky:

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
My theory on what caused the initial problem was a sawzall.

Wait... what? Using a Sawzall messed up your watch? How so?

I don't understand.

Violently shaking it for 30-40 minutes at a time.

Ever cut something non ridged / unsupported, with a reciprocating saw, where the saw is moving just as much as the blade? That. A lot.

Yes, I have. With a Sawzall, even.

I just never really thought about it messing up my watch. As I think about it now, I guess I'm not usually wearing a watch when doing that sort of thing, which is probably why I never thought about it.

Do you think the long-duration shaking caused strictly mechanical issues (bearing damage, for instance)? Magnetizing has been mentioned -- could the vibrations cause that sort of thing? Or am I mixing potential causes?

(Geeze, maybe I'm just dense tonight. It's been quite a week....)

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
Can a watch be demagnetized? We have an industrial demag loop in the instrument shop.

Yes