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Just Recieved My Gen Crowns And Tubes For My Subs..


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The last 3 tube jobs I've done did not turn out well, so I had to send them out to be removed. I suspect my error was in not heating up the tube enough to soften the glue.

As for the crown... If you have a small pin vise, you can snug up the stem in that and then simply unthread the crown. Then, repeat the process with the new crown. Genuine Rolex crowns use the same diameter stem as ETA- Tap 10 if I recall correct.

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glad your recieved them so fast :) How long has it been? Only 5 days, hasnt it? Wow, that was pretty fast, I didnt even send express or anything!!

and btw. I would not suggest doing it yourself. I tried to reglue the tube into my S ub, and the glue hardned before I could screw the tube in all the way, now its not ALL the way in the threads, but its not noticeable at all. Still I wouldnt do it again.

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hey LT its not that difficult of a job .. if you remember i did my 1st gen crown , tub & eta stem mod on mt old eta sub & it turned out pretty good ..

just remember to use a hair dryer to soften the tube glue & itll come out pretty easy with a ratstail file :thumbsupsmileyanim: ..

the old stem should be heated also just incase it has some glue .. thats comes out pretty smoothly .

i was lucky puals subs have the china case & it was no need to drill out a 3mm hole :bleh: just slipped right in :victory: ..

now the only tricky part to the mod i would say is cutting the new eta stem to size ..

mine was a lil too long & the watch stopped after a few hours :thumbdown: ..

tribal & ubi told me the stem was too long & would have to cut it back to size!

& vualaaaaaaaa there where 100% right ..

the watch is working great & the gen crown feels way better than the rep crown ! ..

good luck cant wait to the the out come ..

oh make sure you use some good super glue on the new tube , to keep the water out of your watch !!!

Edited by 2005SUBMARINER
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To put the new tube in you can buy the $40 tool that Zig shows you in his post, the file, or maybe a Torx screwdriver.

Also, the pin vise comes in that $49.95 watchmaker tool kit that you see advertised at the top of the page here- from Amazon.com. I still maintain that cheap-ass tool kit will pay for itself, if you like to fool around w/ watches. Of course, you'll still have to spend another $200 on other tools not in that kit!

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how did you all put the new tube in? just with the same file that you used to remove the old one?

Be prepared to redrill a hole and tap it for the new crown tube threads. The Zigmeister's watch in the tutorial was one of the ones that don't require this, but apparently many TW Best cases (which yours is) do require it.

FYI

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Vintage MBW's typically don't need to be retapped. I don't recall if they need to be countersunk or not.

For what it's worth... To install, I simply just thread the crown to the tube and then use the crown as leverage to drive the tube home....

Hi ubiquitous

You are a polex expert :thumbsupsmileyanim:

Cheers, vaccum

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LT

What I did with the 1665 MBW was use the eBay 55$ retaps. Just get the old tube out with a counterscrew (left turn thread with sharp threads...). Retap the hole with WD40 or 3-1 oil... half turn at the time and back again to get the chips out (not to damage new threads)... Do not countersink. When tapped rinse the case and hole to make it grease free!!!!!

Now the tube screws in but will get hard to turn by hand when on 75%. I screwed the crown on the tube before with two iron rings so it does not screw all the way up the tube. That way you will be able gain momentum and grip to screw the tube 100% in the case using needle nose pliers (protect the crown with a cloth on it). Of course drip the tube threads with some 'loctite' or equivalent before fitting it and don't forget the rubber seal. When screwed on leave the watch for a night.

In the morning...unscrew the crown, fit the other seals and you are set. I tested it on waterproofness... the tube and crown are you least worries for leaks... Supersealed.

Good luck.. The job takes an hour with retapping and all.

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Lions,

Here's my two cents worth. With all of the variables involved with rep cases I'd practice with generic case tubes first. If you get a good seat with the generic tube you can leave it in and use it, if you have to destroy it removing it because it wouldn't seat properly it doesn't hurt as much as if it were genuine. The new style crown tubes that have the splines at the top of the tube are easily wrung off when it's a tight fit and you apply too much force. I've twisted several off this way. It's not a bad idea to invest in a tap and a case tube tool (Ofrei, Caskser and Borel all sell these). Even when the case threads are correct for the tube I run the tap thru to clean up the hole. Like Ubi mentioned, some mfgrs use glue or loc- tite when installing the tube (my MBW had this). Running the tap thru will remove the residual glue and allow for an easier installation. I also lube the threads and tube to case gasket with a little Silicon 7 when installing the tube. The first couple of times are always the most difficult and I'd practice on spare cases if possible. These ideas are based on my own experience busting up watches as I figured out how to do this on my own and offered as the opinions of an untrained amateur. I wish I'd come across this board long ago, they're is a wealth of knowledge available here from people who actually know what they're doing.

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