Ronda Caliber 708

The Ronda caliber 708 is an analog quartz watch movement with moonphase and date features. It is part of the Normtech line.

In Ronda’s Own Words:

Long battery-life and special functionality.

Swiss Made vs Swiss Parts:

There are two versions of this caliber: Swiss made and Swiss parts. The Swiss Made version is gold plated with 5 jewels. The Swiss Parts is nickel plated with 1 jewel.

Ronda 708 VS 788

There is a similar caliber 788, also with a moonphase and date. The 788 is often used in ladies watches because it is smaller than the 708 (19.4mm vs 23.9mm). The 788 also takes a smaller battery cell (362) and has an expected battery life of 48 months vs the 708’s 60 months.

Accuracy:

According to Ronda, the caliber 708 should keep time within -10/+20 seconds per month with an operating temperature of 0 to 50 degrees Celsius.

Power Reserve:

A fresh battery (cell 371) should last for 60 months. This caliber has a power saving (hacking) function that stops the second hand when the crown is pulled out. Doing this will reduce power consumption by about 70%.

Caliber Number Location:

Ronda does not stamp the metal part of this movement with the caliber number, instead, you can find a reference on the outer plastic part of the movement.

How to Set the Moonphase:

The caliber 708 does not have a quick set function for the moonphase.

• Pull the crown out to position III (watch stopped).
• Turn the hands forward by turning the crown, until the current moonphase display appears.
• Push the crown back into position II and set the current date using the quick change correction.
• Push the crown back into position I.

Here is a useful moonphase calendar

How to change the battery:

There is a metal locking mechanism for the battery that just uses tension to hold it into place. Gently put your tweezers or other tool (you can even use a toothpick, but don’t let pieces of wood break off into the movement) in the hole and slide it over – not too hard and not too far. The battery will pop out like in this video. Do not remove the screw and be careful not to hit the coil with your tool.

Stem Removal

To remove the crown/stem, find the hole with the arrow. While the crown is in position 0, pressing this with your tweezers or other tool will allow the stem be unlocked so you can pull it out. Do not press too hard.

Exploded View

Replacement Prices

At the time of this post, individual replacement prices for this watch movement were found in the range of $12.95-14.95 USD. Quantities of 100 or more are being offered on Alibaba for $3 – $10 USD (the price difference appears to account for the Swiss “Parts” vs Swiss “Made” versions).

Watches with this caliber

The Ronda caliber 708 pictured was found in a Sekoni Original Tidal Moonphase watch here.

Video:

Editor Comments:

The Ronda 708 is a low cost quartz movement that is giving some of the affordable microbrands the chance to offer watches with a moonphase while still being able to put “Swiss” on the dial (even though it may not be entirely clear how Swiss they are implying the watch to be). We’re even seeing brands popping up specifically using this movement as the basis of the models they are selling. The long battery life also allows the brands to sell the watch with little to worry about for at least a few years. This is also good for retailers who may have 708 powered watches in stock for longer than expected but won’t need to change the batteries. A similar non-Swiss movement would be the Miyota caliber 6P24 – it has a quick set moonphase and is worth checking out.

Additional Resources

• Official 708 specs from Ronda
• Tech sheet for the caliber 708