# Quartz Upgrades?



## josh A (Nov 13, 2009)

I've heard of the hamilton quartz upgrades for the old 500 movements so I was wondering if it is possible to use a modern quartz movement (probably a esa/eta) to replace a broken 500 from a Hamilton pacer. Has anyone attempted this and can anyone identify a suitable quartz movement?

thanks,

Josh


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Personally, I'd convert it from a 500 to a 505 ... I've done this with several watches. This wouldn't de-value the watch and is a relatively easy conversion. And some models, like the Pacer, were sold with all three movements: 500, 500A and 505.

Hamilton did do an official conversion in the 1980 and they wisely choose a quartz movement that did not involve the removal of the dial feet...so these are now easy to convert back to 500 / 505. Here are my two Velas...one Hamilton quartz conversion (on the right) and one original 505...plus movement and letter from the factory:


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## josh A (Nov 13, 2009)

Hey Silverhawk,

I actually came across your website with that watch while searching around online. I had thought about doing a 505 conversion but I'd rather have a quartz movement similar to the modern ventura reissues in it. I too would like to preserve the dial feet but have been unable to find that particular 155.474 quartz movement anywhere. I know several different sizes and types of quartz movements are available so I wanted to see if anyone had ever tried dropping in a newer movement in an old electric. (Blasphemy I know, but I have my reasons.)


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## tomshep (Oct 2, 2008)

How fascinating. Obviously one is used to being offered an engine upgrade when the Aston goes in to have the bullet holes attended to but the idea of a major manufacturer upgrading the product (and it certainly was an upgrade at that time) long after it was sold, rather than rendering it obsolete is pretty wonderful. It isn't a big surprise that Hamilton is such a well regarded brand.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

josh A said:


> Hey Silverhawk,
> 
> I actually came across your website with that watch while searching around online. I had thought about doing a 505 conversion but I'd rather have a quartz movement similar to the modern ventura reissues in it. I too would like to preserve the dial feet but have been unable to find that particular 155.474 quartz movement anywhere. I know several different sizes and types of quartz movements are available so I wanted to see if anyone had ever tried dropping in a newer movement in an old electric. (Blasphemy I know, but I have my reasons.)


It should be fairly easy to use any modern quartz *and* preserve the dial feet. You can see that the 155.474 was a small movement that fitted into a steel ring...and this ring was drilled to accept the dial feet. Can you not do the same thing with a modern quartz of the appropriate diameter?


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## josh A (Nov 13, 2009)

Thats what I was thinking. I've never done a movement swap and I don't know the technical stuff like how long the crown stem should be and what size hands the pacer has. What diameter movement would fit the 500 ring?

Thanks,

Josh


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

The length of the stem will be the least of your problems....new movements come with very long stems that need to be trimmed to suit the case.

I did a little research. If you're willing to cut the dial feet off, then you need a movement with a diameter of 25.6mm; this is one of the standard sizes. A 505 is this size and so are some modern Chinese quartz movements.

So assuming you have a 500 spacer ring as shown in the picture below, you need to cut the "ears" off it (marked with red Xs); you would also do this if you were doing a 500-to-505 conversion. The ring gap will now be 25.6mm all round.

So a Rhonda 513 or 713 should drop into the ring nicely....now you have to find some suitable hands. Even Hamilton could not use the original hands in their 1980s conversions....


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