Which crystal press for an MBW 5513 retaining ring?

[ldegeneve]

I'm going to attempt replacing the crystal on mine. I've done the hockey pock thing but I'd like to make a bit less slapdash.

 

Would something like this be ok?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Watchmaker-Tool-Watch-Press-Set-Back-Case-Closer-Crystal-Glass-Fitting-18-50mm-/151309974980?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item233ac6fdc4

 

 

[Nanuq]

That might work okay for a service dome crystal.

 

I used hockey pucks forever, and decided to get formal about doing this "the right way".  So I bought a kit and right away ran into trouble.

 

I prefer Superdome crystals and my kit didn't have a "cup" deep enough to fit over the crystal and push the ring down.  The crystal was too tall and the cup was too shallow.

 

So I went to the plumbing supply store and bought some white PVC end caps used to seal pipe.  These are the ones with the flat hexagonal heads.  I tried a bunch of different sizes, and found the 1-1/4" cap fit best (for a tropic-39 which has ~ the same diameter as a tropic-19).

 

I cut the cap down to an overall height of about 3/4" then drilled a hole in the center of the flat end so it could attach to my tool.

 

All seemed well BUT.... my tool had a little rubber "foot" that pressed against the caseback as I crammed the retaining ring on.  A thin caseback (like my 1675) was easily bent, and I did ... I dented in my caseback.  

 

So another new approach, I used a "cup" on the top to fit down over the crystal and push on the retaining ring, and I used another "cup" on the back to fit the perimeter of the caseback.  

 

With that arrangement I could summon the powers of Thor and install the retaining ring like it's supposed to be.

 

 

 

 

Afterthoughts:  two frozen hockey pucks with drilled holes would have worked better and not dented in my caseback.

[freddy333]

Unless the case/crystal are low profile, they may not fit in between the jaws of that press. Although I have a few presses, most of the time (nearly always), I use a pair of delrin die that fit the case & a Sears portable vice with rubber jaw liners. Easy to use & works perfectly every time.

[highoeyazmuhudee]

 i could never get a crystal press to work correctly with fitting tropics on vintage subs

 

also the mbk retaining rings are a little tighter with after market crystals. dont buy the WSO theyre the wrong outer diameter

 

ive always just used this setup here and it works 100% no guessing whether its water tight after this press

 

[alt.watch.obsessive]

I have that tool (can't beat the price) but as mentioned the domes are too high. Even a T19 service IIRC. I happen to have a spare retaining ring that I simply place over the one to be pressed. You will need to rig up something similar to that or the examples above.