How to Repair a Digital Sports Watch

Рет қаралды 4,227

8 ай бұрын

Easy DIY tips for diagnosing and fixing all types of digital sports watches. The watch in this video is a Timex Ironman T5E901, but the techniques I show can be used to locate intermittent problems in all brands of digital watches.
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Пікірлер: 47

@gabrielorellana7594 2 ай бұрын

Wow, the energy from your fingers lit up the screen. Cool.:) I think that little spring is what makes the beep sound.

@WatchWithMike 2 ай бұрын

As a kid I was always being grounded. 😂

@gabrielorellana7594 2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike 🤔😂🤣😂🤣

@Mrb00st 3 күн бұрын

That sticker on the inside of the caseback isn't an insulator- it's the piezo speaker. Those springs contact it and transmit power from the pcb to make the beeps! It's offset to line up with them.

@Daud76 8 ай бұрын

Speaking from a vintage digital restorer point of view, it is such a great feeling when digital watches come back to life. 😉 ..and you did a great job, my friend! 🤙🏼

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Thank you and agreed! It's like some kind of dark magic is activated when a digital watch comes to life!

@Antiqueexcavator 11 күн бұрын

Fascinating! You are not only a skilled watchmaker but an excellent teacher as well! I recently picked up a vintage Hamilton LCD LED?? (Red lit numbers!) waiting for the new batteries to arrive and then I’m going to attempt a good cleaning and reassembly. The Sharing of your knowledge is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

@JSGregg 2 ай бұрын

Nice! Used to wear these things. Very cool to see the insides. Didn't realize there were so many discrete components and two blob chips. Your fingers store a charge like a capacitor and that's what makes the screen light up. Doesn't take much charge at all to drive those things, it's really just a voltage and next to no current. The strip of contacts for the screen is called a zebra strip.

@WatchWithMike 2 ай бұрын

lol, I thought it was my electric personality! 😁 I like the term 'zebra strip'. Thanks!

@JSGregg 2 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike Haha that helps. Of course, thanks for the video!

@angelramos-2005 8 ай бұрын

Very pleased with your presentation,Mike.Thank you.

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Thanks Angel! I didn't know what to expect when I opened it up, but it turned out very well! 😁

@johanvandersandt8904 8 ай бұрын

Weirdly I find repairing digitals harder than mechanicals. I love how you use these videos as both an assembly guide and a "captains journal' of your findings! Those white nylon parts looks like the material they use for shock absorption. Maybe it just needed a thorough cleaning and reassembly to make sure everything had contact. Those tiny orange free floating connectors does not seem very durable. Well done on the tear down and reassembly! It seems to have done the trick! Oddly I have never owned a Timex. They are priced rather highly here in South Africa and I just end up getting another Casio.... Some swear by them though so I might just pick one up some time or another. Hope you have a great weekend Mike!

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Thanks Johan! You make lots of interesting points... Timex's here in USA are relatively inexpensive - or at least they used to be! Timex has really upped their game with their analog (quartz & automatic) watches, but I have heard they've had some quality control issues lately. Lol, Captains Journal indeed! I like that way of putting it! 😁

@johanvandersandt8904 8 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike Thank you kindly! Then maybe I should give them a skip for now haha! Yeah its neat! It like a guide for us as well as for yourself! Hope you have a good one Mike!

@Daud76 8 ай бұрын

Stick to Casio, boet! 😄 Yes I am from South Africa too. As a hobby, I restore and repair vintage digital watches. Not sure if you have noticed, but vintage digtial watches are not easy to find locally. My prized restoration was a Casio CA-901 that I bought at a flea market in Johannesburg for R50. Now worth considerably more because everything working and looking as new with a NOS crystal, case, top pushers and pusher plate.

@johanvandersandt8904 8 ай бұрын

@@Daud76 Ive never seen one like that before! That is super nice!

@Daud76 8 ай бұрын

@@johanvandersandt8904Thank you so much. 🤙🏼

@awdturbopowah773 8 ай бұрын

Fun video Mike! I definitely don't have that much interest in repairing digital watches generally, but it was fun to follow along with you as you repaired this one. More curious about your camera setup though! How many you're using, how you're getting them into computer (transfer files from cameras or record via HDMI capture cards), lenses, etc. The quality of the channel is really great!!

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Hi AWD, even though the digital watches aren't my priority either, this one was very fun to work on! Thanks for the compliments on the footage! I've been working hard on perfecting my technique. I'm usually using 3 cameras to shoot 4k, and then editing down to 1080HD so I can really zoom in to show detail. My latest setup is 2 Sony FX30s and a Nikon Z6, plus the digital microscope. I generally shoot with 2 macro lenses (+/-90mm) and a medium range zoom (28-135mm), but I change things up and go wider if it's a bigger subject, like my staking set unboxing. Workflow is basic but effective - I'm recording to memory cards in each camera (and the microscope) and then transferring all the files from a computer in my workshop/studio to my server. I edit in another office using Premiere and the Adobe suite. I love talking photography and video production, so feel free to ask more! 😁

@awdturbopowah773 8 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike That's awesome! And great, because I got plenty of questions! 😂 1. The FX-30 is a great video camera, I can't quite decide if I want to go with a used one, or another ZV-E10 for another camera angle. The new Sony sensor in the FX30/A6700 looks amazing, but the A6700 is definitely a no-go since it looks like it's very prone to overheat. I don't suppose you miss the photo features with the FX30 since you've also got the Nikon. Also, you don't mind shooting on a mix of full frame and APS-C? You'd need an adapter to share glass between the cameras anyway I guess. 2. How is focus on the microscope camera? I cannot seem to get mine to parfocal with the eyepieces no matter how I play with it, pretty sure something isn't right in the trinocular port. Do you find yourself needing to refocus the camera port adapter after playing with zoom levels? 3. Do you have any interest in live streaming? The workflow with memory cards is easy, but that's one thing that's making me consider the HDMI capture route instead, it'll let me stream too. 4. What lenses are you using? I just got the Laowa 65mm for the ZV-E10 and it's amazing! I assume you're at ~90mm after the APS-C 1.5x crop, so also shooting on around a 60-65? 5. I'd love to see a video on how you're mounting all the cameras. This is legitimately my biggest issue, as mounting anything to my sit stand desk requires serious bracing as to not wobble while I'm working at the desk, and I HATE having tripod legs all over my workbench in the way. So, I am always interested in how watch KZfaqrs have their setup configured. 6. Last one for you! Are you doing any color grading, or applying any LUTs, and what gamma curve are you using (S-Log 3, HLG3, etc)?

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

@@awdturbopowah773 great questions! And boy, do I have answers… And I'll bet you already know what some of them are going to be! Would you like to take the conversation over to email or Instagram chat?

@mohameda.sattar3020 8 ай бұрын

Fantastic

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Hi Mohammed! Thanks for watching! 😁

@IShootWatches 8 ай бұрын

Just curious: at 4:10 did you consider completely pulverizing it with a large Crescent wrench to save time?

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

No! I'll discuss the proper use of Crescent wrenches and hydraulic presses in my upcoming Omega Speedmaster service video... 😂😂🤣🤣😅😅😮😣

@javaman4584 8 ай бұрын

I have a different version of the Ironman Triathlon with 18mm lug width, and the leather straps Vario makes for the Casio AE-1200 fit nicely on my Timex.

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Cool! Side-by-side, Timex and Casio are very similar, so it's good to know that some of the straps may be interchangeable. Thanks for sharing! 😁

@Daud76 8 ай бұрын

Sorry for jumping in, but I have to agree. Take the Casio Pulsecheck JP-100W and the Timex Pulse Watch. They look exactly the same minus the branding. 🤔

@edbryant3797 8 ай бұрын

The little springs between layers of the movement and the movement and the back case are to prevent the buildup of static electricity, which could fry the electronics.

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Thanks - that makes sense! I'll bet it also helps with shock absorption... I was amazed how well built this relatively affordable watch really is! And I can't fault the watch for not working - I'm sure it was human error on the last battery change that was the cause. 😃

@mokumholland5640 8 ай бұрын

Good job! I’m not in favor of digital watches but that doesn’t take anything away from a job well done! 👍

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

@@mokumholland5640 thanks Tom! It was a very fun project! 😁

@csachevauxsansabri2612 8 ай бұрын

I find it unbelevable the amount of platinum capacitors in this wath. By my count 12. Gold connectors wow. That watch couldn't have been cheep when it was new. Im not into e watches becaus of the shortige of knowledge but i can apreciate the watch, looking at you taking it down.

@WatchWithMike 8 ай бұрын

Excellent! I didn't know how much fun it would be until I started taking it apart. Platinum? I'm going to have to go back and see - I didn't know that!

@ElderPinto254 7 ай бұрын

nice mike ... and it works !!!! clean before licking 👍

@WatchWithMike 7 ай бұрын

Yes! Did you know that licking is also a valid technique for telling whether a battery has a charge? Shocking! 😁

@ElderPinto254 7 ай бұрын

yeah its tingling sensation on you tong... 9 volt feels nice ...@@WatchWithMike

@WatchWithMike 7 ай бұрын

@@ElderPinto254 when I was doing video production full-time, every piece of equipment ran on 9 V batteries. You better believe we did the tongue test in the field. I got so good I could tell the taste difference between Energizer and Duracell!

@ElderPinto254 7 ай бұрын

everytime i see a nine volt i have to test it its a strange thing for people that dont know ...😁😁😁@@WatchWithMike

@WatchWithMike 7 ай бұрын

@@ElderPinto254 There's no doubt it releases serotonin in the body. Years from now, it will be considered a common health practice. We are ahead of our time! 👍🏼😁😳