SII/TMI Caliber NE86A Watch Movement

Manufacturer	Seiko Instruments (SII) / Time Module (TMI)
Caliber Number	NE86, NE86A
Family/Series	NE
Movement Type	Automatic, self-winding mechanical, chronograph
Lignes	12.5”’
Diameter	28.6mm
Height	7.62mm
Jewels	34
Vibrations Per Hour	28,800 bph (4Hz)
Lift Angle	51 degrees
Accuracy Rating	-15 ~ +25 sec/day
Power Reserve	~45 hours
Rotor Type	Ball bearing
Rotor Direction	Bi-directional (Magic Lever)
Hand-Windable?	Yes
Hand-Winding Direction	Clockwise
Anti-Shock System	Seiko Diashock
Regulator System	ETACHRON
Hands Count	5
Functions	Central hours; central minutes; central chronograph seconds; small running seconds subdial at 3:00; 30 minutes chronograph counter at 9:00; date at 6:00
Hacking Seconds?	Yes
Quickset Date?	Yes
Country of Manufacture	Japan
Known Models	Aragon Caprice Chronograph (Add your watch in the comments below…)

The Seiko Instruments (SII/TMI) caliber NE86 is an automatic bi-compax chronograph movement with 34 jewels and beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour.

Some of the topics covered in this caliber listing:

Vertical Clutch + Column Wheel:

While most column wheel chronograph movements are designed to show the column wheel from the back of the watch, the column wheel on the NE86 is not visible. This caused some confusion early on, with some watch enthusiasts doubting that the NE86 was indeed a column wheel chrono. The chronograph system is on the dial side of this movement. You can see the column wheel in the teardown video at the bottom of this page, as well as in the tech drawing below:

Seiko officially refers to the “column wheel” as an operating cam (part #0576 180) with operating cam screw (#0012 201).

NE86A VS Seiko 8R46A:

The Seiko caliber 8R46 (introduced 8/22) is essentially the Seiko-only version of the NE86A. The NE86A is produced by Seiko instruments and distributed by Time Module Inc. (TMI) for use by other watch brands outside of the Seiko brand names. For example, if you were to create a new watch company with a bi-compax model, you can contact TMI and place a bulk order for a few hundred movements for your brand. Movements purchased like this used to be signed “SII” but as Seiko evolves their brand more, they seem to want to separate more from the microbrands that use their movements. That could be a large part of the reason newer non-Seiko movements are being sold with “TMI” on the rotor.

NE86 VS NE88:

As with Seiko branded calibers 8R46 and 8R48, the TMI automatic chronographs are also available in two configurations: The NE86 being discussed on this page is a bi-compax chronograph, meaning it has two subdials, and the NE88 is tri-compax with three subdials. The extra subdial is a 12 hour chronograph counter at 6:00. The date locations are also different: the NE86 has a date at 6:00 and the NE88 watches have a date at 4:30. Interesting note: The Seiko calibers 8R46 and 8R48 share the same user manual, but the TMI NE86 and NE88 have their own manuals.

NE86 VS Seagull ST19:

Aside from the big difference being that the Seiko NE86 (made in Japan) is an automatic and the Seagull ST19 (made in China) is a manual-wind mechanical movement, from a distance the two calibers maybe be hard to tell apart. On the dial side, the NE86 looks a lot like the popular Seagull ST-19 bi-compax chronograph being used by a number of new microbrands. From a strictly cosmetic and dial side observation, the main differences between the movements is that the subdials are placed in reverse order:

	Running Seconds Subdial	30 Mins Chrono Subdial
SII/TMI NE86	Right	Left
Seagull ST19	Left	Right

Another difference is that that Seiko has a date at 6:00.

Differences Between NE86, NE86A and NE86B?

NE86 is the base caliber number and the letter designates evolution or updates to the movement. In other words, the “A” in NE86A indicates that it is the first generation of this caliber. If they change something in the movement later, it will be called a NE86B. At the time of this post, only the NE86A exists.

NE86 Accuracy Rating:

Seiko claims that the accuracy of calibre NE86 is adjusted at the factory to keep the time between -15 to +25 seconds per day. Measurements are taken in 3 positions: dial up, 9:00 up, 6:00 up. This rating is based on normal daily wear on the wrist in temperatures between 5 ºC and 35 ºC. When testing your watch for timekeeping, make sure it is fully wound.

Power Reserve:

How long with the NE86 run on a full wind?

When your NE86 powered watch is fully wound, the power reserve is approximately 45 hours. When winding your watch, turn the crown clockwise slowly. Although the Seiko magic lever winding system is effective in getting power reserve built up in the mainspring quickly with a few shakes of the watch, Seiko recommends jump-starting a stopped watch by winding it 20 times before wearing it.

How many winds to full power reserve?

55 turns of the crown.

Can you overwind the movement?

No, you cannot overwind the movement.

Crown Position Functions:

0 (against the case or crown unscrewed but not pulled out): Clockwise = Manual Winding / Counterclockwise = Nothing
1 (pulled out one click): Clockwise = Nothing / Counterclockwise = Date setting
2 (pulled out two clicks): Time setting clockwise and counterclockwise

Chronograph Pusher Functions:

The NE86 operates like a traditional chronograph watch with the functions operating in the following order: top, top, bottom.

Button A (top pusher): Start
Button A (top pusher): Stop
Button B (bottom pusher): Reset to zero

DO NOT press these buttons in the wrong order, especially when the chronograph is running.

Movement Holder/Chrono Pushers:

The NE86 requires a movement holder with built-in chronograph buttons, designed to work with the case pushers.

Crown/Stem Removal:

To remove the stem, make sure the crown is in position 0 or normal position (not date or time setting position). There is a lever with a small indentation for your tool. Gently press down while pulling the stem out.

How do you know the crown is in the correct position for removal? Because when the crown is in the incorrect position, the detent button will disappear. It is a fool proof design.

See official instructions below for more guidance:

Seiko Caliber 4r36 Stem Removal

The official stem part number is #0351 200.

Country of Origin:

This topic has been covered extensively on Caliber Corner, but it’s worth mentioning that as we see more and more TMI movements without country of origin markings (made in China? India? Malaysia? how would anyone know if they are not willing to disclose it on the movement itself?), the NE86 is one of the few remaining SII/TMI calibers stamped with Japan as the country of origin.

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, the only cal. NE86A movements found online were from sellers with inflated prices in the range of $486.95 to $796.95 (on eBay). These prices are obviously unrealistic, since an Aragon with the NE86A can be found priced at $550 for the entire watch, plus box and papers.