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Introduction & General Spacetronic Questions

Started by FUTURA, October 20, 2017, 12:00:34 PM

FUTURA

Hello All

I have just found this forum and look forward to sharing some of my experiences.  I have just purchased my first Zodiac a Spacetronic (photos below).  I am not completely new to the whole vintage watch thing and have a small collection of Rados among which are a few with the same movement as is in the Spacetronic.

I have had experience in bringing these back to life and when looking for an Astrograph found this and had to have it.  I am particularly fond of the crown at 2o'clock -- my Rado Marstron has its crown at 4 o'clock.

So a few quick questions

- how does one remove the case back to change the battery, i have tried with stickyball but didn't want to force anything?
- What sort of strap or bracelet would this have left the factory with?
- is my variant standard, rare, exceptional, etcetera?  I like so wouldn't be worried with it was common.

Thanks

Futura 






Butch

I am not an expert on the electric models. I don't even have any here I can check. I would be surprised if this was anything more than a snap on back. Try to get a knife under it and gently pry up and see if it moves.

That is a 1971 model and is in that catalog. One of several electric models they made, no more rarer than the others I would think. As for the band, that is why we have the catalog site, yes?
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radzod

#2
I hope you don't mind my necro'ing an old thread instead of starting a new one Butch. This seems to be the right place for this question.

What years were the Spacetronic models offered with the stem in the 3:00 position and what years was it in the 2:00 position? I assume there was one year when the model changed stem position and that 2:00 came later but maybe I'm wrong. I picked up a NOS case+dial+crystal+stem/crown for cheap, but in the 2 o'clock position as potential fodder for a project. I tend to see mostly 3 o'clock position watches come up for auction, and own a complete one of the same. Haven't seen any movements or rough exteriors come up to mate with my parts over a year since I've been looking.

Butch

I am afraid I cannot help you on this one. I looked at a couple catalogs and advertisements very quickly and did not see any. My guess is that the industry changed movements and the new one had the crown at 2:00. I do not know a lot about electrics other than I dislike them, for many reasons, so do not collect them.

BWG, can you shed any light here?
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Ultra-Vintage

Quote from: Butch on October 11, 2021, 08:01:54 AM
BWG, can you shed any light here?

Unfortunately I have nothing (parts or additional info) in regards to these.  The electronics were so specialized and there were not a whole lot of parts left out there as their run was short that I rarely see them.  Working on them is not difficult physically, but due to the lack of parts I always decline taking them in for repair.

YuriyV

#5
Quote from: radzod on October 10, 2021, 02:40:03 PMWhat years were the Spacetronic models offered with the stem in the 3:00 position and what years was it in the 2:00 position?
Earliest Zodiac ad depicting Spacetronic with crown at 3 o'clock, known to me, dated by 1967.
First ad with newer Spacetronic with crown at 2, I can find in my ad collection, is 1969.
Since then both models pop up on Zodiac ad together until 1974 when these electromechanical design was replaced by new Quartz technology.

Butch

#6
Great job Yuri! Thanks to all for contributing!
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radzod

#7
Yes thanks everyone. This is helpful.

The movement inside my 3:00 watch is a Zodiac 93. It is a rounded case like the '69 not hexagonal like the '67. The crown is not signed, so I'm thinking that has been replaced perhaps. The crown in with my parts case is signed. That one is the exact model depicted in the '69 ad (if I'm correctly seeing crown at 2:00), and inside the case is a plastic insert to hold the hands and dial in place that is stamped 9150. I don't know if the ESA/ETA 9150 and 9154 movements were exactly the same size as each other, but it is my understanding that Zodiac 93 is ETA 9154 rebranded and 91 is 9150. That's what I have been able to figure out so far.

I assume that a movement made for a 2:00 case will not fit a 3:00 and vice versa, due to the location of the screws that attach the movement to the case and perhaps also the alignment of the date wheel. Is that a fair assumption?




Butch

I would think so, otherwise they would not have needed to go to a new case.
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radzod

#9
I just compared photos of the movements on a 2:00 and 3:00 Spacetronic and sure appears that the case attachment screws are in the same places relative to the movement on each, so perhaps they used the same movement in both. That would be the money saving thing to do rather than retooling to move the stem. Once I get some more parts, I might put that to the test.

They might have gone to a 2:00 case because the crown can nestle into the case edge a bit better and give a more "hidden" look compared to a crown sticking out at 3:00. That's my interpretation.

Turns out that my Zodiac 93 movement had an LR1130 battery installed, which I don't believe is the proper size and was also missing one of the two screws to attach the battery bridge (ESA 9150/9154 part# 4400 dry cell bridge) and some combination of those things led to a cracked battery bridge sheer across. In my digging around, I found pictures of another Spacetronic with the exact same defect, so apparently not uncommon.

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