# Correct Battery For Timex Electronic Model 87



## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Purchased a 1971 Model 87 Timex Electronic watch from the bay which arrived yesterday.

The watch, when given a light shake, wanted to run but stopped after a few seconds.

Suspecting that the battery might be depleted, I managed - eventually - to remove the battery hatch and found that it was fitted with a Maxell LR44 battery. I checked the battery on a multimeter and the reading was 1.38v. To ensure that the correct battery was fitted, I had a look at Paul's site but all his pictures of the 87 are minus the battery.

My question: Is the LR44 the correct battery for this movement? If it isn't, which is the correct one please?

Regards

David


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

LR44 is an alkaline battery :bad:

Use a silver oxide 357


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

The #87 ovement uses a "TIMEX A" cell from the original spec sheets and service manual. A full-ish set of equivalents is listed on our *FAQ's* pages at

http://www.timexwatchforum.com

and you can also download a pdf file of the service sheets for the #87 from the Manuals and Catalgues pages at the same site.

The general purpose equivalent is an SR44, so an LR 44 will usually power the mechanism, but won't necessarily have a geat life, by comparison with a pure Quartz movement, the cell is working hard in these electro-mech movements. :yes:

As a "kwikfix" it's also sometimes quite useful to give the movements a quick spray with something like a non-residuous switch cleaner, available form Maplins as "SERVISOL", but this is not a substitute for a full sevice, and I didn't tell you to do this, and you didn't hear it from me *RIGHT?* :lol: It's at your own risk, and don't flood the movement or it'll leak onto the dial via the centre hole and date aperture. (I didn't tell you this either :rofl2: )

The 357 as suggested by Paul is your best bet, usually a Renata or similar equivalent standard product, don't use the cheapies, they WILL leak and destroy the innards.


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Thank you both for taking the time to reply.

I will source the correct battery tomorrow.

Regards

David


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Mel thanks for the tips which I didn't hear from you!!!

I've now put an AG13 in the watch and it's ticking along quite nicely - which confuses me.

Is this watch not suppose to have a continuous sweep second hand like a Bulova Accutron rather than moving like a mechanical or quartz watch?

And one other question, does it not have a quick set date facility?


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

AG13...another alkaline battery :bad:

It's not a tuning fork movement, so no nice sweeping second hand but a very characteristic Timex "tick".


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Silver Hawk said:


> AG13...another alkaline battery :bad:
> 
> It's not a tuning fork movement, so no nice sweeping second hand but a very characteristic Timex "tick".


Thanks for the info on the battery Paul - I'll source a silver oxide 357 in due course. The 13 will be suitable for testing purposes - came in a Â£0.99 multipack from Morrissons.

Shame about the sweep but as you say, has a very characteristic tick and it's keeping perfect time.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

You should be able to count the beats almost, and there's always a "kicker" beat in there, sort of like

tick, tick, tick, tick, tick,TICK, tick, tick and so on, one that has a wee tink or heavier sound than the rest! :lol:

Remember, these are ELECTRO-mechanical movements, the cell is the electirical power source (like a mainspring) driving fairly conventional mechanics to run the hands via a balance wheel assembly.

TIMEX anticipated you would be wearing only one watch continuously which didn't need winding, and so you would only set the dates once each month throughout the year, as did many makers of the period.- the same sort of reasoning that the watch needed to come out through the crystal for servicing once every few year. Think yourself lucky you ain't got an earlier model whereby you had to take the movement out to replace the cell! :yes: 

There is a quickset on some models, go from 8.00 till 1.00 and see if the date changes, but again remember the wee dot above or below the date is a pm/am indicator, above the date for A.M. and below the date for P.M. , and in fact the date moves between two positions at 12 noon as well as at 12 midnight, so it effectively "changes" every twleve hours .


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Thanks for the reply Mel.

Unfortunately the quickset doesn't work on this particular model BUT I have seen the dot that you are talking about - strange way of doing things!!

This may end up as an everyday wearer - once I get the right battery - it really is in excellent condition and keeping time superbly (I measure it against my radio controlled Casio.

Thanks also for all the other info that you have either provided directly or through links - yes I have visited the Timex forum and obtained the relevant documentation.

Thanks again

Regards

David


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