chronograph minutes dont reset to zero

[Mark Pinkerton]

Hi,

I have a quartz chronograph watch. The movement is a miyota 0S30.

http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/catalog/chrono.htm

It appears to be a mechanical reset mechanism (one of those heart shaped
cams). It works fine except when I press the reset button the 12 o'clock
eye (the chrongraph minutes register) resets to approximately 55 minutes
instead of 60. Is there some combination of button presses I can use to
fix this myself? Would a local watch shop be able to handle this? I
bought the watch off ebay for about 50 bucks and don't want to spend
much more than that getting it fixed.

Thanks for any advice,

Mark P.

[Frank Adam]

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 01:28:39 GMT, Mark Pinkerton

Post by Mark Pinkerton
Hi,
I have a quartz chronograph watch. The movement is a miyota 0S30.
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/catalog/chrono.htm
It appears to be a mechanical reset mechanism (one of those heart shaped
cams). It works fine except when I press the reset button the 12 o'clock
eye (the chrongraph minutes register) resets to approximately 55 minutes
instead of 60. Is there some combination of button presses I can use to
fix this myself? Would a local watch shop be able to handle this? I
bought the watch off ebay for about 50 bucks and don't want to spend
much more than that getting it fixed.

Haven't seen one of those, but i doubt it would be using a cam. It is
quartz and most of those use the motors to zero themselves.
What you can try is to put it in chrono mode, zero it, then pull out
the stem to position one(or perhaps two) and press each button to see
if they move one fo the hands forward. I know that is how Seiko
chronos are put back on zero when they go out of sync , so might be
worth a shot.

[Mark Pinkerton]

Hi Frank,

Unfortunately, there are only two motors in this watch - one for the
chrono and one for the watch and the stem has only one position. I can
advance the chrono seconds hand with the start/stop button when the stem
is pulled out but the chrono minute and hour dials seem to be
mechanically driven off the chrono seconds hand.

I have a timex chrono which has separate motors for the different dials
and understand how to use its two position crown and the stop/start and
reset buttons to zero the various dials but the same button pushes don't
seem to have the desired effect on the OS30 chrono.

I have tried everything I can think of to get the chrono minutes hand to
zero on this chronograph. I held down the start/stop button for a long
time which (while the stem is pulled out) advances the chrono seconds
hand and all that happens is that the chrono minutes and hours dials
advance. I tried pushing the reset button and all that happens is that
the chrono second, minute, and hour hands to back to zero - except for
the chrono minute hand which goes back to 55. I was trying to imagine
the internal cam positions and attempting to press the reset button at
the appropriate time but have had no luck getting the chrono minutes
hand to zero.

I really appreciate your help Frank

Thank You,

Mark P.

Post by Frank Adam
On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 01:28:39 GMT, Mark Pinkerton

Post by Mark Pinkerton
Hi,
I have a quartz chronograph watch. The movement is a miyota 0S30.
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/catalog/chrono.htm
It appears to be a mechanical reset mechanism (one of those heart shaped
cams). It works fine except when I press the reset button the 12 o'clock
eye (the chrongraph minutes register) resets to approximately 55 minutes
instead of 60. Is there some combination of button presses I can use to
fix this myself? Would a local watch shop be able to handle this? I
bought the watch off ebay for about 50 bucks and don't want to spend
much more than that getting it fixed.

Haven't seen one of those, but i doubt it would be using a cam. It is
quartz and most of those use the motors to zero themselves.
What you can try is to put it in chrono mode, zero it, then pull out
the stem to position one(or perhaps two) and press each button to see
if they move one fo the hands forward. I know that is how Seiko
chronos are put back on zero when they go out of sync , so might be
worth a shot.

[Frank Adam]

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 05:33:11 GMT, Mark Pinkerton

Post by Mark Pinkerton
Hi Frank,
Unfortunately, there are only two motors in this watch - one for the
chrono and one for the watch and the stem has only one position. I can
advance the chrono seconds hand with the start/stop button when the stem
is pulled out but the chrono minute and hour dials seem to be
mechanically driven off the chrono seconds hand.
I have a timex chrono which has separate motors for the different dials
and understand how to use its two position crown and the stop/start and
reset buttons to zero the various dials but the same button pushes don't
seem to have the desired effect on the OS30 chrono.

Ok, here is shot in the dark. Citizen uses Miyota movements, so
perhaps you could go through these and see if one of them works the
same way as yours.
http://www.citizenwatch.co.jp/srvc_sprt_menu.html

Other than that, any competent watchmaker should be able to remove the
hand and place it in the right position at not much of a charge.
An even more competent watchmaker may even know how to set the damn
things. :-)
I've noticed one of the Citizen chrono's crown has to be pushed in to
bring the watch into a 'zero' mode. Not sure which model it was though
and whether it applies to your model.
If we knew what Citizen caliber the OS30 is used in, this would be
much easier i think, but on a quick scan i could only see one model
that looks anything like it from the dial side :
http://www.citizenwatch.co.jp/support/pdf/coa/0580.pdf

Post by Mark Pinkerton
the chrono minute hand which goes back to 55. I was trying to imagine
the internal cam positions and attempting to press the reset button at
the appropriate time but have had no luck getting the chrono minutes
hand to zero.

I really think you won't find a cam in there. It is much cheaper to
drive the things off the chip, and Miyota stands for cheap. In general
they are a very good movement though.

[Jim Bianchi]

Post by Mark Pinkerton
Hi,
I have a quartz chronograph watch. The movement is a miyota 0S30.
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/catalog/chrono.htm
It appears to be a mechanical reset mechanism (one of those heart shaped
cams). It works fine except when I press the reset button the 12 o'clock
eye (the chrongraph minutes register) resets to approximately 55 minutes
instead of 60. Is there some combination of button presses I can use to fix
this myself? Would a local watch shop be able to handle this? I bought the
watch off ebay for about 50 bucks and don't want to spend much more than
that getting it fixed.

I bought a S&W Chronometer on eBay a few months ago that displays
the same problem. The seller was kind enough to send me an invoice so I
could return it under warranty (instead I just put it in my safe and forgot
about it). Anyway, the mins hand does not return to '60' when reset, instead
it stops at '55.' I don't really know for sure, but it's always been my
thought that manually moving that hand such that, when the reset button is
pushed, it will be at '60' would do the trick.

Mine is quartz also. I don't know what kind of movement it is (I've
never opened it or had it opened).

[Jack Denver]

Pull the crown all the way out (hand setting position) and then press the
upper chrono button. Each press should advance 1 min. If it advances the
wrong hand, try doing the same w. the lower button.

Post by Mark Pinkerton
Hi,
I have a quartz chronograph watch. The movement is a miyota 0S30.
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/catalog/chrono.htm
It appears to be a mechanical reset mechanism (one of those heart shaped
cams). It works fine except when I press the reset button the 12 o'clock
eye (the chrongraph minutes register) resets to approximately 55 minutes
instead of 60. Is there some combination of button presses I can use to
fix this myself? Would a local watch shop be able to handle this? I bought
the watch off ebay for about 50 bucks and don't want to spend much more
than that getting it fixed.
Thanks for any advice,
Mark P.

[dAz]

Post by Mark Pinkerton
Hi,
I have a quartz chronograph watch. The movement is a miyota 0S30.
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/catalog/chrono.htm
It appears to be a mechanical reset mechanism (one of those heart shaped
cams). It works fine except when I press the reset button the 12 o'clock
eye (the chrongraph minutes register) resets to approximately 55 minutes
instead of 60. Is there some combination of button presses I can use to
fix this myself? Would a local watch shop be able to handle this? I
bought the watch off ebay for about 50 bucks and don't want to spend
much more than that getting it fixed.

just been looking at the parts list for the OS30 movement

http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/pdf/PARTLIST/0sxxpa.PDF

(careful, its a big 10meg file, glad I don't use dialup :))

anyway, yep the minute and hour recorder wheels do use a cam and flyback
lever to reset the hands, apart from sending the watch back under
warrantee or getting it replaced, you will have to take it to a
watchmaker to take the hand off and reset it to the correct zero
posistion, any good watchmaker should have no trouble doing this, also
if the watch is water resistant, that will have to be checked as well.

no chance of getting the ebay vendor to change it?

[Frank Adam]

Post by dAz
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/pdf/PARTLIST/0sxxpa.PDF
(careful, its a big 10meg file, glad I don't use dialup :))
anyway, yep the minute and hour recorder wheels do use a cam and flyback
lever to reset the hands, apart from sending the watch back under
warrantee or getting it replaced, you will have to take it to a
watchmaker to take the hand off and reset it to the correct zero
posistion, any good watchmaker should have no trouble doing this, also
if the watch is water resistant, that will have to be checked as well.
no chance of getting the ebay vendor to change it?

Well i'll be damned. Is it now cheaper to do that ? :)

[dAz]

Post by Frank Adam

Post by dAz
http://www.citizen.co.jp/miyota_mvt/pdf/PARTLIST/0sxxpa.PDF
(careful, its a big 10meg file, glad I don't use dialup :))
anyway, yep the minute and hour recorder wheels do use a cam and flyback
lever to reset the hands,

Well i'll be damned. Is it now cheaper to do that ? :)

dunno, it looks like 3 stamped parts in the flyback levers, I suppose
winding those coils still cost money (are they still wound and
soldered/spot welded by hand?), it would need 4 coils instead of 2 this
movement has, so are 2 coils worth more than a few stamped parts?