Miyota Caliber 2035

The Miyota caliber 2035 is a quartz movement with 0 jewels. This 3-hander caliber is a true no-date (no phantom date crown position).

Movement markings: No Jewels / Unadjusted / Miyota Co. / Japan

The 2035 was introduced in 1981 and celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. That is quite remarkable, for a quartz movement to still be in the manufacturer’s current catalog after four decades.

“The de facto standard in the industry, the Caliber 2035 debuted in 1981, the year after the Miyota brand was launched. With a total of five movements developed based on Caliber 2035 in that same year, including a calendar movement and a two-hand movement, the history of Caliber 2035 began.” –The Birth of Caliber 2035

The 2035 is a record breaking watch movement. In March of 1999, the caliber 2035 was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records for manufacturing 1,769,593,600 units of the 2000 series calibers worldwide since September 1981 when it debuted.

As of this post, Miyota says they have produced more than 5 billion caliber 2035 movements (source), with at least one movement made every second. The movements are still made in Japan at the Saku Factory, which Miyota touts as one of the world’s largest watch movement factories (and just one out of the company’s 17 factories).

Similar Calibers:

Previously, there was also a caliber 2035 with a “Super” designation. The Super 2035 was listed at having a higher accuracy (+/-15 seconds/month) and longer battery life (4 years). It also featured a gold tone finish and a coil cover.

The caliber 2036 is almost identical to the 2035 with the major difference being that the 2036 is a high hand version. High hand movements allow more clearance between the movement and the hands, giving more options for the dial design.

Other similar movements include:

• 2035G – gold plated
• 2025 – no central seconds hand
• 2034 – disc seconds hand

Interesting note: The official instruction manual for the cal. 2035 is shared with the calibres 203A, 2033, 2036. and 2039.

Accuracy Rating:

Miyota states the accuracy of this 2035 movement to be +/-20 seconds/month.

Power Reserve:

The 2035 has a battery life of 3 years. This movement also has a hacking function which can serve as a power saving feature. Pulling out the crown/stem to time setting position can reduce the power being used if you’re not going to wear the watch for a while. Be careful storing your watch with the stem pulled out!

Crown/Stem Removal:

Miyota calibers such as the 2035 do not have an arrow to indicate the location of the release button for stem removal. There are several peg-like shapes sticking out of the movement that appear to be buttons, but they are actually there to hold parts of the movement in place. Instead, you will be looking for a small indentation, which you will press down with your tweezers to allow for the stem to be released. Follow the video below:

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, prices for the caliber 2035 quartz movement were found online around $5.95. You can order replacement movements here.

Replacement/Repair:

Although the 2035 is a metal movement, it is typically considered to be a replaceable movement in the watch community. This is mostly because the cost of the movement is low enough replace with a new one. However, before going that route, it’s always worth it to check the coil conductivity and potentially replace it rather than the entire movement. This would also save time and hassle since you wouldn’t need to remove the hands and install them on the new movement. Coils can usually be found individually or in packs of 10. Even if you do buy a new movement, it might be worth it to use the coil from the new movement first before swapping the movements completely (just be careful not to damage the new coil).

2035 Assembly/Disassembly Video:

Fake 2035 Movements?

It appears that there are indeed fake 2035 movements on the market. The made in China versions may work just as well as a genuine 2035, but for about $10 more, you can find a real one. Prices for the “replacement” movements were found for as low as $1.61 USD. Amazon even sells 2 for $7.99.

Additional Resources:

• Official spec sheet (pdf)
• Official tech drawings (pdf)

Caliber submitted by @kinetic_john. Movement found in his Storm Nuclear Lazer watch here.