ETA Caliber G10.211

The ETA caliber G10.211 is a Swiss “assembled” quartz chronograph movement with 4 jewels. This movement is part of ETA’s Fashionline group of quartz movements. This caliber is not considered to be a repairable movement and is largely found in entry level lower priced timepieces.

How to Change the Battery:

The G10.211 takes battery number 394.

Replacing the battery on your G10.211 watch is very straightforward. The diagram below is from the official ETA tech sheets. As pictured, place your tool between the battery and the arm that holds it in place (#2 in the image below). Gently pry the arm back and the battery should lift up. Be careful not to bend of break off the arm that holds the battery in place!

To install the new battery, do the process in reverse, but make sure the battery is placed under the lip first (#3 in the image above).

Pro Tip: If you install a new battery and the watch doesn’t function properly, it’s possible that the battery is bad. Always try a new battery before giving up.

Recalibrate the Chronograph Hand to Zero:

After installing a fresh battery, you may need to reset the chronograph hands on your watch. This is because when the battery runs out of energy while the chronograph is running, the last location of the chronograph hand will become the new “zero” until you reset it.

Resetting the hands to zero is easy and you don’t need to send your watch back to the company or a watchmaker.

• Pull the crown to position 2 (date setting)
• Press the bottom pusher to adjust the central chronograph second hand
• Press the top pusher to adjust the 1/10 second hand
• Pull the crown out to position 3 (time setting)
• Press the top pusher to adjust the 30 minute hand
• Press the crown in to position 1 (against the case) when finished

*Some manufacturer’s refer to the crown position numbers differently. We always try to refer to the positions the same as the manufacturers do. ETA crown positions are as follows:

Crown/Stem Removal:

To remove the crown, look for the stem release hole on the movement near the crown There is a small arrow pointing to it…

Putting the crown to date setting position should reveal a button in the hole that you can gently press with your tool to release the stem. Do this carefully and do not press too hard. If you damage the stem release mechanism, there doesn’t seem to be a way to fix it since it’s encased in plastic.

For visual learners, here is a video.

Replaceable, Not Repairable:

This movement is part of ETA’s Fashionline group of quartz movements. This caliber is not considered to be a repairable movement and is largely found in entry level lower priced timepieces.

With that said, some folks find ways to repair them, depending on what’s wrong with it. This video is a good example.

In ETA’s Own Words:

“Movements of these calibres can-not be disassembled; therefore, this document contains informa-tion on electrical tests and hand-fitting only.” -ETA

Discontinued:

The ETA caliber G10.211 has been discontinued.  Caliber G10.212 is a possible replacement.

Replacement Price:

At the time of this post, replacement prices for the G10.211 were not found online because it has been discontinued. Prices for the replacement caliber G10.212 were found in the range of $45 – $59.99 USD.

Metal Plate/Cover:

The metal plate on the G10 family of movements is just a thin cover with sticky adhesive. Below this metal cover you will find an plastic encasing that holds everything together.

This is what the movement looks like below the metal cover:

More under the hood shots of G10 series movements:

More Macro shots:

Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive chronograph functionality with “Swiss” labeling.
• Easy to recalibrate if the chronograph second hand isn’t lining up.
• Does not need an insulator tab under the battery.
• It has been around for a while with proven reliability overall.

Cons:

• Not serviceable, other than changing the battery.
• Easy to damage the stem removal mechanism, making it difficult to remove from the case.
• Made outside of Switzerland even though some brands will lead consumers to think it is a Swiss ETA G10.
• Poor documentation by the manufacturer.
• Discontinued by the manufacturer.

Examples of Watches With This Caliber

Additional Resources:

• More ETA movements here
• Find more G10 movements here