Josh's 1680 bezel question

[turnipz]

Hey I took apart the bezel of the 1680 and it doesnt seem to have a rubber ring for wateverproofyness, did I misplace it or is it just waterproofed by glue? Also if it is waterproofed by glue which kind of glue should I use.

[highoeyazmuhudee]

glue?

some vintage cases dont have the top gasket

[cjjoyce1]

Are you talking about the groove in the case below the crystal retaining ring? It doesn't come with one, but Clark's sells them for 3 bucks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250799418604

I have to admit I cheated a bit when I installed my Tropic 19. There is a small groove on the outside of the rehaut that just begs a gasket. I put a tiny bead of clear silicone gasket material in it before pushing on the crystal.

At least my watch is water resistant.

[turnipz]

Oh thanks for the help guys, I'm relieved I didnt lose the gasket. Do you guys think the gasket is worth it? Will it definitely be better than just glue?

[marrickvilleboy]

stop wanting to put glue there.

if anything, put silicon grease

[highoeyazmuhudee]

just buy the damn gasket, youll thank yourself later.

[Dizzy]

Grease always seems to work its way to places that it shouldnt be.... I wouldnt worry about that gasket unless you are planning to actually dive with your watch. I put them into mine because they are cheap, but I dont think its necessary for everyday use.

[automatico]

"Grease always seems to work its way to places that it shouldnt be...."

True! Now and then I put a very small amount of Silicon 7 on a bezel when pressing it over a crystal to prevent it from sticking on the way down but I still worry about it making its way into the watch. So far, so good...if it will keep water out, it should keep grease out.

"I wouldnt worry about that gasket unless you are planning to actually dive with your watch. I put them into mine because they are cheap, but I dont think its necessary for everyday use."

I agree. No worry for desk divers. Since the early models did not have this gasket anyway, it was probably not that important. My guess is later cases were cut to accept this O ring in an attempt to keep water out from between the top of the case, the bottom of the bezel, and the base of the crystal because once water (especially salt water) gets in such a small space, it can stay wet for a looong time and do a lot of damage by starting and feeding corrosion.

Corrosion = leaks. This is why you see corrosion around where caseback gaskets are mounted, under bezels, and between lugs...these areas trap dirt/moisture and feed corrosion.

Three things to make steel watches last longer (Official FTC Ratings). :

1...Don't wear it (Foolproof).

2...Keep it dry (Fool Resistant).

3...Take it apart, clean the case, and change gaskets every few months (Fool Folly).