Cordura Wrist Alarm--Ronda 1243-21

[noirrac1j]

Hello Friends,

 

I want to first thank Mark for facilitating this wonderful forum to explore and develop my watch hobby, and for the numerous suggestions, support and insights I've gotten from its members--Thank you.

 

I haven't posted an overhaul/repair in a while, and so I thought I'd show a wrist alarm that is unlike the ones based on AS movements. If you are like me and din't have the resources to get you hands on a JLC, Vulcain, Omega, you can still get something cool. Seiko, Bulova and Poljot all have nice wrist alarms, but this one is a Cordura I got for $38.00. I also managed to get another for $15.00, so we're talking cheap here ok!  

 

 

The movement was running and didn't look like someone took a butter knife to it. The alarm wasn't working, but the stems were OK...

 

 

The Ronda 1243-21 has 17 jewels and runs at 21,600A/h. I read somewhere that these 1200 series Rondas were one of the cheapest mass produced Swiss movements--just for information.

with the dial removed the alarm complication is exposed. There is a little hammer and bell and it has its own mainspring:

The mechanical overhaul was straightforward. I'll just post the abridged version and come back to the alarm in a bit...

 

With the movement done and working properly, I turn back to the dial side for the rebuild:

I can see that the alarm wheel has three slots that allow the same spot on the hour wheel to pop through and sort of lowers it to activate the alarm--

 The alarm mainspring and its trigger level  go on--

With the alarm setting lever and crown in, I can see and feel that the little mainspring is engaging. The alarm lever is suposed to hold the power in check via the intermediate wheels until the alarm wheel drops down just a little and this disengages the setting lever and releasing the wheel and the hammer strikes the bell  and it goes off until the power is spent--10 seconds

BUT it is not properly meeting the wheel. In the picture it looks like it is, but its not and when I try to wind the alarm the power goes straight through to the bell.

I tried bending the alarm setting lever, but it doesn't work so I replace it with another I have from a non-working sears alarm.... and it works! I give it a final adjustment and recase it. Its keeping time very well--No it isn't a pin lever it has a real Swiss lever in there! The alarm functions great and sort of buzzes really. To set it you turn it counterclockwise to where you want, and then wind it. You can pull out the crown to prevent it from inadverdentlychanging but thats it. The rest of the features are pretty straight forward. The watchcase is the usual Funky-d-lite 70's look but I like it. The overall layout of this movement is the same in Sears alarm and a bunch of other makers too. The only difference is that those are usally one jewel pin levers. Hope it inspires you to try out a wrist alarm!

 

Edited April 12, 2015 by noirrac1j

[noirrac1j]

Good night!

[Geo]

Good morning!

Thanks Joe for taking the time to share this informative walkthrough with the members. It takes a fair bit of time and knowledge to put together a post like that, and you have done a great job. I have a Poljot alarm lurking in my collection somewhere, I must look it out and give it an oil change sometime. :)

[noirrac1j]

My pleasure Geo....Sorry for the typos, but I did the write-up very late. I like this little alarm and the watch is a decent timekeeper.  I've been trying to get a Poljot for a few weeks but no luck yet on finding one that is fairly priced (the shipping from Eastern Europe is not cheap) and doesn't looked like been mauled by a Rottweiler. I like the alarm complication even though its relevance in today's electronic saturated world is trivial at best--but trends ebb and flow in cycles, so who knows? Maybe mechanical things will make a comeback. I'll wear it today. Thanks Geo.

 

JC

[bobm12]

Thank you Joe, one more for the collection. Very nice and well done!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[GuyMontag]

Thanks for the write up, I have one of these (they are inexpensive!) and this post will be useful.

 

Mine seems to be missing the push-down setting lever part (circled in red) on the alarm winder, which is therefore loose. Other than sourcing a donor movement, any ideas on a part number for that? The AWCI doesn't have a parts/tech sheet for this movement.

Edited November 9, 2021 by GuyMontag

[Nucejoe]

 Both Randa 1223-21 & 1242-21  have alarm complication. One is pin lever the other has Swiss lever, set levers should interchange. 

 

[GuyMontag]

Thanks, watchweasol posted a  parts sheet for the 1223 and I found one alarm setting lever (7443) available. But it turns out my movement is also missing the alarm winding pinion (7410), but I can't find one of those. Donor movements on ebay are about twice what I paid for this watch so unless I can source the winding pinion as well I'll probably just keep an eye out for another one of these to come up cheap on ebay.

Edited November 10, 2021 by GuyMontag