Introduction & Citizen watch repair...

[SamSavvas]

Hi Folks, many thanks for allowing me to join your repair forum. I live in Adelaide, Australia & am a strictly amateur watch owner & 'repairer'. I have a nice Citizen 'field' watch with a unitary or monocoque case. Has a B876 movement. It was stopped when I got it & refuses to run properly, even when left outside to recharge for a couple of days. The second hand just continually does the 'skipping' thing suggesting that the battery is flat or failing. Does this skipping & apparent refusal to charge properly indicate that the cell needs to be replaced? My reading suggests that disassembly (to replace the cell) as far as releasing the front bits & freeing the movement from the case is relatively straight forward but I may then run into a movement with a back plate that needs removal to get at the battery. With the B876 movement is this likely to be the case? Such removal is probably far to fiddly for me (old eyes & fingers)! I'll post a picture of the watch in the morning... Advice much appreciated! ta, Sam.

[ChrisInOz]

Hi Sam,  and welcome from another Adelaide member.

I don't have answers to your questions,  but I feel sure someone will come along who does. Most forum members are in the western hemisphere,  so you may find replies waiting for you tomorrow morning,  due to time zones.

[RichardHarris123]

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England.  I don't know the answer either, I  work on purely mechanical watches but someone on here will be able to help. 

If no one replies, start a new post on the citizen. 

[AndyGSi]

I've never worked on this exact movement but based on others I think your major
problem will be how to remove the stem without disassembling from the dial side.

[watchweasol]

Hi If is a mono quote case the first problem is removing the stem, it my be a split stem, it may also have to have  the glass and bezel removes to remove the movement from the front. This will require some tools, ie.  Glass lifter, and a case knife to slit the bezel off the case. It may also be just a case of removing the bezel and glass as one assembly.

to help you through the repair I have attached sheets apertaining to the B876 and the citizen tech manual. Hope y ou find this information usefull. Changing the cell is the easy bit, getting to it is a pain.   Oh. And by the way. Welcome to the forum.

Citizen B876 part 1.pdf Citizen B876.pdf Citizen B876 part 2.pdf Citizen Technical Information.pdf

[HectorLooi]

I have a 24 year old Citizen Eco Drive with a monocoque case. The battery has been replaced twice so far.

After the 2nd battery replacement, the watch only worked for about a week. I thought the photovoltiac cells had failed but I decided to open up the watch and have a look anyway. I took out the battery and measured the voltage across the + and - terminals and could get a reading. So the photocells weren't dead. I replaced the battery and it has been working ever since.

As far as I can remember, there isn't any battery cover. You just have to get the little battery tab in the right position. 

As for removing the stem goes, after the bezel and glass are removed, there is a gap between the movement and the case. I can't remember whether pulling out the stem or pushing it in reveals a lever to release the stem.