Leaderboard

"How thick is the 1002 case from case back to crystal top? I have the same project in mind but I have a 15000 case instead." The 1002 OP and 5500 AK cases are thinner and made for no date movements where the 1500 and 15000 OPD cases are a hair thicker and made for date movements. A cal 3035 date mvt/OPD dial will fit into a 1500 case and a cal 1575 date mvt/OPD dial will fit into a 15000 case, they are basically the same internally. Neither one will fit into a 15200 case properly. Same goes for DJ cases of the same eras...DJ dials are just bigger. A rolex 15xx movement made for a no date 1002/5500 no date case will not fit properly into a 1500/15000 date case, the movement will mount too far toward the front and the stem will not line up in the case tube. Whew! A 5512/13 case is the same internally as a 1002/5500 and a 1680 case is the same internally as a 1500/15000. If the 15000 OPD project is using a genuine 15xx rolex movement, you will need to use a no date movement with date calendar spacer/center wheel/canon pinion/hour wheel and all the other date parts removed. If the 15000 OPD project is using an ETA movement, a 2836/46 may work but 2824 probably will not for the same reason as above...mounts too far to the front. Whew again! When putting an ETA 28xx movement into a rolex 1002/5500/5512/5513/1680 etc case you will need a special spacer because the ETA movements are 11.5 ligne size (26.0mm) and rolex is 12.5 ligne size (28.2mm)...1 ligne = 2.256mm. Btw, it's sorta hit or miss on actual ligne sizes stated for movements...they sometimes round it off. Now that you are thoroughly confused, maybe someone who has put ETA movements in a 1002/5500 will chime in.

Nanuq is right on the method. This is how they show it to be done in their older 'official' manuals. Now they probably send them all to Geneva on a rolex green and gold private jet where a technician in a white silk lab coat (with a 24k rolex coronet on the pocket) talks to the case for an hour in a soothing voice with soft music in the background (at 22 degrees C and 51% humidity), begging the case to 'give it up' while offering counseling if it the first time. If the bezel is too tight, it is probably stuck with dirt...either that or the crystal was a hair oversize and the bezel is a very tight fit. Sometimes you have to force the a single edge razor blade between the bezel and case by pecking it with a small jeweler's hammer to get it started. As soon as you get the blade under the bezel, move it a little bit from this spot and do it again...take small bites. Be careful not to drive the blade hard enough to go against the case neck and scratch or dent the case neck because the blade will cut through the crystal easily. Some cases have a ledge around the bottom of the case neck and it will prevent damage to the case neck where the crystal mounts, but most do not. When prying on the bezel after the bade is under it...raise the blade up from the case as this applies more leverage against the outer edge of the bezel and helps prevent damage to the case neck wall. It's also a very good idea to use a shorter piece of blade than the whole blade. Why? So the blade does not reach far enough to damage the top of the case while prying on the bezel...or cut a chunk out of a finger. How to shorten a blade...on the blades we have in the USA there is a folded guard on the top side of the blade. Remove this guard and break the blade using two pliers. Just a little bending and the blade will snap in two. Cut the guard to fit or leave it full size and put it back on the blade. Wear safety glasses or break the blade under a rag. The piece of blade I use is 10 or 12mm wide. You can also polish the sharp edges of the blade on 1500 or 2000 sandpaper to help prevent scratches on the case top. Do I know what I am talking about? Of course not but I sure broke a lot of stuff getting this far.