ETA Caliber 955.412

The ETA caliber 955.412 is a 3-hander quartz movement with a date complication. This caliber is part of ETA’s Normflatline family of quartz movements. Official documentation for this caliber was found dated as far back as 5/2001, with updates as recently as 6/2015.

This movement is possible with a seconds hand and without. On watches without a seconds hand, there will be a cap on the cannon pinion. High hand parts (cannon pinion and hour wheel) for thicker dials.

Movement Text:

The example below has Gucci laser engraved on a part called the “upper magnetic screen”. Other standard text on the 955.412 includes:

• Upper blue plastic part: Swiss / Seven 7 Jewels / V8
• Main plate engraving near the coil: ETA logo / 955.412
• Main plate near the battery: Unconfirmed code – possibly a date code?

Some brands, such as Movado, may have the brand name or logo imprinted on the blue circuit board.

ETA 955.412 VS F05.115 / F05.412:

The cal. 955.412 has been discontinued and is replaced by the calibers F05.115 (Trendline family with Heavydrive) F05.412 (Trendline family with Precidrive). The 955.412 has 7 jewels and the newer F05.115 and F05.412 have 3 jewels.

955.412 VS 955.402 / 955.422:

There are similar calibers within the 955.4X2 family, with most of the differences being with the calendar system (day/date). Apart from the calendar (or lack of a calendar), most of the parts are interchangeable.

There is also a no-date caliber 955.432 which is similar to the versions listed in the chart above, except it is labeled as a “longlife” movement. What makes the 955.432 a so-called long life movement is it’s lower power consumption of ≤ 0,70μA compared to ≤ 1,30 μA in the others.

Low Battery Indicator:

If the seconds hand on your watch starts “jumping” or skipping every two seconds, do not be alarmed. This is simply the low battery indicator or end of battery life indicator feature of the 955.412. When this happens, it simply means it’s time for the battery to be replaced.

Battery Change:

The battery in the the ETA calibre 955.412 is either a 371 or 395. Which one depends on the watch model. The 371 and 395 are the same diameter, but the 395 is thicker (2.6mm) and higher capacity than the 371 (2.1mm). Sometimes, if the watch has a metal spacer above the battery, you may be able to fit a 395 inside the case. But it is recommended to stick with the battery cell number that manufacturer originally used.

When changing the battery make sure that the black insulator tab ( is intact and in place below the battery.

Expected battery life:

ETA officially claims that for a fresh battery install, a 371 battery should last up to 68 months and a 395 should last up to 94 months.

If you are going to put the watch in storage for a while without wearing it, you can pull the crown out 2 clicks to time-setting mode to hack the movement (stop the seconds hand) and put the movement into a sort of energy saving mode. If you are going to do this, be careful of the crown being pulled out.

Crown and Stem Removal:

To remove the crown/stem on your 955.412 powered watch, look for the arrow and a round circular detent button. Carefully press the button down with your tool and pull the stem out of the watch.

Front and Back Drawings:

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, replacement prices for the 955.412 were found in the range of $34.95 to $61.95 USD.

Video – Servicing a 955.412:

Below is a series of useful videos that show a complete disassembly tear-down, along with a reassembly and oiling guide.

ETA 955.412 Tech Sheets (pdf):

Additional Resources:

• More ETA movements