Is there (quality) alternative movement to DG2813?

[John1]

I've got a DG2813 that is problematic. It resides in a Black Bay.

Trying to figure out if I should just get another DG2813, or if there are some quality alternatives, or maybe different quality levels of the 2813?

I would like to keep it simple, and use the same hands.

Thanks.

 

[KBH]

The DG movement is generally considered one of the better of the 21j movements. I've always believed that the rep factories buy up all the movements that don't pass DG's in house quality checks. If you buy a new movement from a legitimate wholesaler you will be surprised at how much better they run. At least I have been.

 

[John1]

Fair enough, thanks for the feedback. I picked this up from another member knowing it was problematic.

I wound it up, and it would run for a couple of seconds, and then stop.

I thought another movement I had would drop in so I took it all apart...no joy.

However, the movement started up when I pulled the stem all the way out, so I just sat it aside and it kept running. I put it all back together again, it's currently running and on my wrist.

I guess I'll just go into a "hold" pattern, see what it does. Meanwhile, I'll try to find a reputable seller of another DG.

Thanks!

 

[KBH]

Fair enough, thanks for the feedback. I picked this up from another member knowing it was problematic.

I wound it up, and it would run for a couple of seconds, and then stop.

I thought another movement I had would drop in so I took it all apart...no joy.

However, the movement started up when I pulled the stem all the way out, so I just sat it aside and it kept running. I put it all back together again, it's currently running and on my wrist.

I guess I'll just go into a "hold" pattern, see what it does. Meanwhile, I'll try to find a reputable seller of another DG.

Thanks!

Sounds possible like the movement is slightly mis-aligned in the case putting pressure on the stem. If it keeps up, you could try taking the case back off and loosening the two movement tab screws and releasing the pressure. I've seen this problem before and remember on one watch it ran fine with one screw tightened and the other one left a little looser. Sometimes rep watches are just weird.

 

[John1]

Yeah, something is up. It ran all day, and all night. I decided to wear it to work, and about noon I looked at the watch, and it had been stopped for about an hour. The second hand was still moving, but not the minute and hour hand.

Before I set it aside for the night, I set the time. I noticed some "resistance" during some part of the rotation of the works.

Now, after I got home and started messing with it, I was rotating the hands around to see if I could pinpoint where the resistance was, and I spun the crown off the stem...:bang:

One thing that came to my mind was maybe I got the datewheel to close to the dial, and when it went to click over, it got hung up. But, I don't know the relationship between the gears for the datewheel and the hour/minute hand, if one could be cause and effect for the other.

I was going to break it down, just have the movement running, and see if it still stops outside the watch.

Regarding your thought, the movement has two hold down screws. I put in the stem, and then I tightened those screws....for what it's worth...

 

[KBH]

The date wheel doesn't really have anything to do with the gears of the movement. It only comes in contact with the date change mechanism right as the date changes and a little spring pushes it forward. Unless the date wheel is totally stuck and not changing, I don't think it could be that.

Best idea is to do what you said and take it out and watch it for a while and see if it works correctly and go from there.

 

[John1]

Well, I think I might be on to something...

I took it all apart, movement out of case. Was going to attach the minute hand, and observe it.

Well...I cannot attach the minute hand. The shaft is pushed down into the hour hand shaft...so I think I got the works messed up somehow...

I got the crown reattached to the stem. I'm trying to sort out the stem positioning. I thought I had it in the spot to rotate the hands, but I was wrong. I think I cannot seat the stem all the way in. I believe it is stopping in the wind position, not all the way in, in a neutral position.

All the way in, it winds up the spring. 1st position out--can rotate stem CCW, not CW. 2nd position out (all the way out) seems to be the rotate hands position, but I don't have on to confirm.

Something is whack!

 

[KBH]

The neutral position is not on the stem. That is the clutch inside the crown that is supposed to slip when you are screwing the crown down onto the stem. All the way in is the wind position so that part is right.

2nd position in is the date change and it sounds like the date wheel is jammed if it will only go in one direction. You can try turning the crown in the time setting position and see if the date wheel will still click over.

Also, I don't quite understand when you say "the shaft is pushed down into the hour hand shaft". The minute hand gear wheel is on the top of the movement and can't be pressed down any further than where it normally sits. If you mean the second hand pinion, then it's probably broken off and the tip is still in the second hand. That's a common problem with 21j movements.

 

[John1]

I'm not really sure...I've been looking at drawings on the internet, and now I think the minute hand shaft might be ok...

When I tried to put the minute hand on, the shaft just seems to short, the minute hand barely had enough shaft to grip on to. The collar of the minute hand is twice as long as the shaft to attach it to. Just a little nub poking out of the center of the hour hand shaft...

I remember turning the crown yesterday, and several times I heard some sort of date wheel mechanism "click".

I'll keep poking around with it...fortunately, their cheap!

Thanks.

 

[John1]

Well, learning a little more, bit by bit...

Thanks for setting me straight on the stem position...I can see the gears turn when I wind it up in first position, and it feels normal, just like winding a watch. The movement has been chugging along all night.

I can see the hour shaft turn when I pull the stem all the way out and rotate it.

With the stem in the center position, I started to turn it, and it felt "stuck"...I applied a little more pressure, and the date wheel clicked over from 10 to 11. I tried one more time, and it got stuck between 11 and 12. I don't know the names of the parts, but it looks like a lever, or arm, that is supposed to engage some mechanism. It tries to, but slips past it. I just got a watch book, and I got YouTube, so I'll try and tear into it later on, see what's slipping or stuck.

:smile:

 

[John1]

Well, I plunked a new DG in it, still haven't torn apart the other DG. Seems to be ticking along nicely...it ran all night without issue, and I've had it on my wrist for about eight hours, no issues. Gonna wear it a couple days, if no issues, gonna give it to son-in-law on Thanksgiving.

 

[KBH]

Sweet! That's always the best way to fix 21j movements. Congrats.

 

[TempusAurum]

I've got a DG2813 that is problematic. It resides in a Black Bay.

Trying to figure out if I should just get another DG2813, or if there are some quality alternatives, or maybe different quality levels of the 2813?

I would like to keep it simple, and use the same hands.

Thanks.

A Miyota 8215 is a drop in replacement for a DG2813.
But I see you had it sorted out with a new DG.
Well done!