ETA Caliber F03.111

The ETA caliber F03.111 (also written as F03111) is part of ETA’s Trendline family of quartz watch movements. These movements are stamped “V8” indicating their origin is Swiss from the ETA factory. Official tech sheets for this caliber were found dated as far back as November 11, 2009, however, this movement may have been available before that date. The most recent updates the documentation were on June 28, 2016.

F03.111 VS F03.11A:

F03.111 is used as a replacement for ETA caliber F03.11A (F03.11, F0311), which was a Swiss parts movement with 0 jewels, made in China (yes, there are ETA movements made in China, shocker!). Both calibers share the same dimensions and functionality.

Battery Replacement:

The replacement battery cell number for this calibre is 364 (SR621SW).

ETA claims that a 20mAh battery will last 34 months and a 28mAh battery will last 48 months in this movement. This is relevant because official ETA documentation calls for the choice of either battery cell number 364 or 377. The 364 cell is 2.65mm tall and the 377 is 3.1mm tall. This means that if your watch will accommodate it, the taller 377 with more amp hours (Ah) will last longer.

When replacing the battery, be careful not to lose the battery insulator – a translucent orange colored tab (sometimes black) that goes below the battery cell.

Depending on the watch design, the battery may have a spacer above it (also called a limit spring). This is sometimes used if the battery is far from the caseback, in thicker watches.

EOL Indicator:

This movement features an end of battery life indicator aka EOL. When the battery is running low on power, the second hand will jump two seconds. Although it appears to be skipping a second when in this mode, the watch can still keep accurate time until the battery runs completely out.

Extracting the crown and stem:

In order to remove the crown and stem from the F03.111, the crown should be in neutral position (in other words, not in date or time setting position). There is an arrow etched into the movement near a hole that is located in the region of the stem. There is a tiny button (technically a lever) inside the hole… gently press it with the tip of your tweezers or other tool while carefully pulling the stem out.

Coil Replacement:

If your watch is no longer functioning, and you replaced the battery (also checking to make sure the battery tests good), there is a chance that the coil needs replaced. The coil (officially called the electronic module, and in this case is actually attached to a circuit) is part number 7613226016507 and can often be found online for around $15-20. You may be wondering why someone would want to replace the coil for that price when they can just replace the entire movement? That is because it is a lot less work to replace the coil than it is to completely remove the movement, hands, etc.

One good place to start troubleshooting after verifying the battery is indeed working, is to replace the coil. If you have the equipment to do so, you may want to test the coil on your watch first before ordering the part. Keep in mind that if the coil is not the culprit, it could be that your watch is simply in need of a service or has broken gears, etc. In that case, an entire replacement may be more feasible.

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, replacement prices for the cal. F03.111 were found online at around $26.95 – $34.64 USD.

Caliber Commentary:

From Tick Talk:

“The movement above is the ETA F03.111. It has 3 Jewels and lots of plastic, including complete wheels and pivots in the gear train (it’s what I would expect from a low end Seiko or a Timex). Don’t get me wrong. Plastic isn’t bad but it evokes poor quality and the rest of the movement follows. I would never service one of these movements, it would simply get replaced.”

“…The F03.111 is a part of ETA’s Trendline which they describe as “economical movements for mass produced watches.” In contrast ETA’s Flatline watches which include the 256.xxx movement is described as “flat, reliable, numerous functions, high performances.” Which would you rather have in your watch?” (Source: http://watchmakingblog.com/2010/08/20/whats-in-your-watch/)

Additional Resources:

• Official F03.111 page from ETA