13 Dec 2005, 04:01
I have seen this once, in a Dress model. An additional peculiarity was if the the time button was pressed and released immediately [so as not to go into running seconds], the watch would sometimes go into setting mode. Sort of suggests some problem with the reed switch [it would, after all, have to "bounce" and make three rapid contacts to get into set mode]. Finally, the bright-dim problem was restricted to the time button only; the date worked just fine. And here's the cruncher; I removed this module to put it into a nicer case, and the problem disappeared! To this day, I have no certain idea why, but I still suspect the reed switch. If it starts again in the new case, I will probably replace the switch...