Vibrograf2 quickchecker - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: najrao
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 08:41:08 am
content: Just got this. No user manual forthcoming. Seems to be working. Made by 'ETA SA, Grenchen, Switzerland'. There is a plate on the back which says 'Portescap: Type vibrograf VQC2'.Can anybody help me set this up, please?

author: watchmaker
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 11:08:00 am
content: So, you want to be a watchmaker? Repairing quartz no less.This instrument is solely for checking function. It was produced during the Swiss crisis, when it was a "fact" that mechanical watches were dead and quartz was the cause. People were spending thousands of dollars (in 1980 dollars!) tooling up to repair quartz watches (and charge accordingly). This was a " sales counter" device that was to be used to show a customer if their watch needed service.Then "Oops, Never mind". The ultimate owner of Swatch reorganized the industry and mechanical became gold again. There is an engineering parable in here, but I am not sure what it is.The fact that these devices show up in NOS condition is an artifact of the whole story of the crisis. Tools, machines and plans were literally being thrown into the dumpster. Some ENGINEERS are considered national heroes today because they literally built a secret room where they put all the stuff needed to produce the Zenith El Primero.There is much in this history that reads like a drama. Even today the Swiss Industry whispers when someone mentions "the Crisis".Portescap sold off the watchmaking division to Greiner a couple decades ago. They have been very responsive when I requested information on an old piece of equipment.Here is the Greiner website:https://www.greinervibrograf.ch/en/Home.htmAs near I can tell, the pos and neg replace the movt battery, it will read current draw, supply voltage and then the other pickup is to check the rate of the motor driving the movt.Regards,Dewey

author: najrao
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 12:29:22 pm
content: Fantastic, Dewey. Thank you indeed.I used to keep my umpteen watches in top condition as a user, but alas, I am no watchmaker. Back in the eighties, had a Certina LCD, their first offering. Set me back $500 or so. It had a trimmer spanning 20s/day, but this ran out and the crystal needed a few more pF to get zero beat with my radio signal. No space for a proper padder, so Imadeone by grinding off most of a 2mm ceramic cap and soldering leads to the remaining part. Did better than a second a week that watch! But it died of LCD blight after a few years.More recently, ---- oh dear.This vibrograf thing shows an uncertain 4 to 5V between black and red, and even more, 9, V to blue. Much too high? Must check if it drops sourcing several 100 uA.All in all, not a great instrument. Will keep it though.Thanks, again.

author: watchmaker
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 03:18:23 pm
content: I think (did not look at the manual) Positions 1 and 2 are to measure motor function at hi and low battery conditions.Regards,Dewey

author: najrao
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2023, 03:42:17 pm
content: It is 3.3V between black and red, sources 75mA (milli). And 6V from blue to black. Switch position to 'motor' reduces this slightly, but no change for all other positions.All quartz watches take 1.55V, not reasonable to apply 3.3. Not sure if instrument is defective.