how to waterproof the crown hole of a panerai ?

[docdoc]

Hello,

I am trying to waterproof my 177H. Everything is fine except for the crown (as I expected) as it does not screw in but is only pushed by the crown guard system. Anyone has a good solution to make my crown stop leaking ?

ps. I have greased all of the o-ring, of course !

[Drulee]

You will have to shave the stem so that the crown, without o-ring installed, is right against the crown tube of the case. Then you add the o-ring, and lube it. Next you have to make sure the CG lever actually pushes down on the top of the crown enough to form the seal. It really take a lot of shaving CG feet or CG lever end, installing everything, testing, taking it apart again, re-shaving, installing, testing .........

[docdoc]

so easy

[Francisco]

I am using 2 gaskets... same size....

[docdoc]

I was thinking about that

[Drulee]

I am using 2 gaskets... same size....

If I had been able to find extra gasket, I would have tried this, but you still need the CG lever to push down on the top of the crown enough to seal the crown against the crown tube.

Francisco, where can I find those flat o-ring gaskets that most PAM crowns come with? The only ones I ever come across are the tiny tube-like ones, which are always too narrow.

[Francisco]

If I had been able to find extra gasket, I would have tried this, but you still need the CG lever to push down on the top of the crown enough to seal the crown against the crown tube.

Francisco, where can I find those flat o-ring gaskets that most PAM crowns come with? The only ones I ever come across are the tiny tube-like ones, which are always too narrow.

I wanted to write a tuto... I have the pictures... my girlfriend is swimming and enjoying sauna with a PAM a waterproofed by me... I have all the info.. but I forget to write the gasket I employed..

Anyway... I wanted to employ only a big/fat gasket...but then I could not close the lever. So I found that using 2 gaskets is the solution.

Remember, you cannot swim if you do not pass a pressure test before!

I bought a box with crown gaskets at cousinsuk.com

regards,

Francisco

[Drulee]

I have to make sure my Panerais are sealed, as a lot of the night clubs here in Toronto are like Saunas during the winter months

Did you use tubular or flat gaskets? I don't remember seeing any flat ones from cousins.

[docdoc]

Thanks Francisco.

I already waterproofed my 1665 and my UPO but as I didn't have a pressure tester, I did the "boiled water" dive test. No leaks so far

[Drulee]

Panerais are a lot harder to make water resistant, depending upon how the CG lever has been modded/installed. They are dependent upon the lever pushing down on the top of the crown to form the seal. with the lever pushing down, or holding the crown down, any difference in pressure will result in the seal being broken, and water getting in. Don't forget, PAMs don't have screw down crowns.