Repairing a loose marker & a non-synch'ed second hand

[neuhoover]

(Originally posted on the old RWG, 10 Jan 2006)

Intro

Many months ago I ordered two Patek Phillippe Frankenwatches, one for me and another for a friend. After a few short months of light wear, one of the markers fell off of the dial-face, as if the glue wasn't enough to hold it in place. A few weeks later, a marker fell off of my friends watch as well. Another annoying thing on both watches was that the main seconds hand wasn't synchronized with the other two seconds hands, always a few seconds ahead. Since each watch cost approx $100, it wasn't worth it to bother the dealers or take them to a watchsmith. So, I set out to do the repairs myself.

Materials

I used a few things to do this repair:

- Small Philips-head (cross) screwdrivers

- Small tweezers

- Movement Holder (optional)

- Two-part Epoxy

- Toothpick or something to use to mix the epoxy

- Cotton or other soft cloth

Disassembly

Turn the watch over onto it's face and remove the four screws which hold the caseback to the front bezel/crystal assembly (Pic 1).

Pic 1

Once all the screws are loosened and removed, carefully flip the entire watch back over and slowly remove the case/bezel/crystal unit from the caseback (Pic 2 and Pic 3).

Pic 2 & Pic 3

Now gently flip the watch case back over, find the small crown release lever (hole) and push it down with a small screwdriver or other thin tool (Pic 4). With the release lever depressed, gently remove the crown stem from the movement (Pic 5).

Pic 4 & Pic 5

Once you've removed the crown stem, you can slowly and gently pry the movement (along with the plastic shim) out of the case (Pic 6). You can see the loose marker in Pic 7, still sitting in the bezel/crystal case.

Seconds Hand Adjustment

Once you have the movement out of the case, you can secure it in a movement holder or simply place it on a soft surface (Pic . I first adjusted the main second hand to match up with the two sub-dial second hands (each hand ticks off 30 seconds). I did this by putting the crown stem back in, letting the seconds on one of the subdials move until they hit 10, 20, 40, or 50, and then pulling out the crown to hack-stop the movement. Then, I gently used nudged the main second hand until it lined up with the same number on the main dial (Pic 9). While the picture shows me using a small screwdriver to nudge the seconds hand, I also used a pair of jeweler's pliers, the type that have smooth round noses so that it didn't scuff up the hands. You could probably also use your hands if you're careful.

Pic 8 & Pic 9

Marker re-glue

I'm not sure what sort of epoxy is safest, but I used Duro Master Mend Epoxy, which comes in two separate tubes (Pic 10). Squeeze out a drop of each on a piece of paper and mix them together with a toothpick or other point object (I used a tine I snapped off of a plastic fork - Pic 11).

Pic 10 & Pic 11

Use your tweezers to pick up the marker, take a toothpick or other pointy object, and apply a little glue to the bottom of the marker (Pic 12). Then, still holding the marker with the tweezers, drop the marker into it's place on the face. I then used a flat screwdriver to gently push the marker into position (Pic 13). Any excess glue should be quickly and carefully removed from the face of the watch with a cloth or other soft rag.

Pic 12 & Pic 13

Re-assembly

Putting it all back together is relatively straightforward with a slight twist. First, remove the plastic ring from around the movement and gently lower the movement and watch face into the front case (Pic 14). Make sure the movement lines up with the crown hole in the case, then drop the plastic movement ring in. Again, make sure everything aligns (Pic 15).

Pic 14 & Pic 15

Once you have the holes aligned, you can replace the crown stem back into the movement. Push the crown stem removal lever with a small screwdriver and gently push the stem through the case hole and into the movement (Pic 16). Be gentle and don't force anything. If you feel serious resistance, you may not be putting the stem in correctly. If the holes aren't aligned properly, you can simply twist the plastic housing and the movement a little one way or another to get a better line-up. Once you get the crown stem back in, you can put the caseback on and screw it in (Pic 17)

Pic 16 & Pic 17

[RWG Technical]

Fantastic, I love it.

Well laid out, clear easy to follow pictures, and a great informative post.

Lets hope this encourages others to follow suite and do the same type of thing in their area's of expertise...

Well done, thanks for taking the time to help the forum.

RG

[Esmarc]

Nicely done Neuhoover.

Glad to have you here!

Esmarc

[GhostfaceZX]

Great write-up, but is is good to "nudge" the second hand? Couldn't this result in stripping some of the gears?

[jraines87]

nice post neuhoover

I owned the same watch and loved it. Had to let it go since it didn't have the "Date" wheel on it, but one of my favorites for sure.

[jsph]

extremely good, thorough tutorial, and terrific photos. very much needed. i've heard of similar things with some other reps (eg, cheaper submariners), so definitely very welcome for a lot of members. thanks so much.

jsph