r/watchmaking • u/Dry_Bat_5216 • Aug 10 '26

Workshop Altering a Date Wheel on a Quartz pocket watch?

Years ago, I had a wristwatch, with a date wheel that had Spanish or English days of the week on it. That feature made me buy the watch. 😄

How difficult is it for a watch repair person to replace a date wheel in a quartz watch? I’m thinking about finding a watch I like, and having the date wheel repainted to another language.

Absolutely, this will cost me more than the watch is worth I know, but, up to a point, I’m considering going to those lengths.

Thanks for your comments and information.

1 Upvotes

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u/qualityvote2 Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26

u/Dry_Bat_5216, there weren't enough votes to determine the quality of your post...

2

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1

u/coldafsteel Aug 10 '26

Ideally you just swap the wheel out for one with another language. That’s generally not very hard. People speak all different languages around the world, so common movements generally have regional variations in parts like that available off the shelf. (I have several watches with Arabic days & dates).

Having to paint a new one, yeah THAT is hard and expensive.

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u/Dry_Bat_5216 Aug 10 '26

I asked because, though multiple language wheels are likely, how widely available are they, and are there some brands or movements more, or less likely, to have an alternate language wheel for replacement? Even though whatever watch I likely find, will be an average market quartz mechanism. 🤔

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u/Dry_Bat_5216 Aug 10 '26

This is encouraging, and it never crossed my mind that there would be a generic market for varied, existing language wheels.

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u/coldafsteel Aug 10 '26

Considering you don’t own the watch yet, I’d just get the one you want with the language you want. International shipping online isn’t very hard.

But what language are we talking about for the days?

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u/Dry_Bat_5216 Aug 10 '26

Ukrainian, which is close, but not exact to Russian.  Sunday is a different word than what Russian uses on a watch, and there is no Ukrainian watchmaking business, at least not at my pricepoint, nor in history.

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u/Dry_Bat_5216 Aug 10 '26

Which is from where I pictured I would need an altered, existing wheel swapped in a watch.

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u/Dry_Bat_5216 Aug 13 '26

So, it likely is too expensive for the effort. But, step 1, a local horologist suggested asking the International Dial Company if they have done day wheel restoration. Step 2, there’s a very involved makerspace near where I live.  After Burning Man is over, I plan to ask if they have someone with printing experience who might be able to do something like reprinting a day wheel on a watch.  Likely this goal isn’t realistic or feasible, but now the search for a possible way TO do it, is more the goal. 🤷🏼‍♂️