flea market find

[jon p]

                   what is this? i wrote the battery info in the back when i removed old batteries. new batteries, still wont run. is it worth fixing? looks like it was an expensive watch in its time. anybody know anything about it or want to buy it for whatever? hey UV, any idea about this? not even any info on a google search!  beautiful case and bracelet, maybe a new quartz movement could be installed even if you would have to remove the back to set it!?? looks like the LCD screen has leaked at one time, it just doesnt look right. i would guess the" disco 70s " for a date.

[Butch]

That would be the ONLY way I would buy one! <now, let me expound on this>

NOT being nasty either Jon. Were it a couple bucks (no more!) in a yard sale, I would have bought it too, always worth the shot. You cannot get it to work for a reasonable amount of money, it could break again, and it is not worth anything either. It is in the 1978 catalog.

To be fair, I do remember getting my first kortz watch and being impressed with how accurate it was. I will never take that away for kortz. But like with any dalliance, one should always come back. Any monkey can program a computer. It takes real talent to make over 400 parts work mechanically, and be accurate.

[Ultra-Vintage]

I have seen that movement before, and as your writing says, it takes 2 384/392 batteries.  One of them goes in + up, the other + side down.  Unless it was running immediately previously and just needed a battery change, I have never been lucky enough to get one of these to run (and unfortunately the experts that specialize in repairing these will charge you $300-$500 to do so).  They don't make a newer replacement movement close enough to work either.

[jon p]

    i am glad i only paid $5.00 bucks for it, maybe some day i will find someone who really need a case and bracelet!!!. too bad as it IS a KOOL looking piece of 70s zodiac history.  thanks for your comments guys!

[Dutchsiberia]

Nice ESA quartz :) The lcd has a "honeycomb" background, very cool. Clean the contacts and leave the battery on for a while, see what happens. Unless the black stuff leaked from the lcd of course... Press the bottom left pusher three times to activate the chronograph.

I've got three watches with that movement :)

A Beltime and a Certina:



And the Tungsten metal Rado:



Correct placement of the batteries:

[jon p]

   great information, i will try it, maybe i will get lucky!  THANKS

[Dutchsiberia]

Good luck! It took me months before I finally figured out the batteries were inserted wrong in my first one, the Beltime. After correct insertion the watch immediately started to work. D'oh...
Be careful if you want to disassemble the module, the crystal can be glued in the plastic housing, You'll rip the quartz crystal of the circuit if you're not  careful. If that's the case, you need to desolder the legs of the crystal before removing the circuit.

[jon p]

  it IS for sale, who wants this wacky/wild zodiac project watch--40.00 takes it!!