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How to kill a watch :°°°-(


GenTLe

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Easy: be in hurry (I was in the airport just after the security checks) and try to wear your nato-strap watch.

Then see it falling to the ground and land exactly on the crown.

 

:cry2:  :cryss:  :cry: 

 

I'll probably buy the "el cheapo" version and then transplant the movement (witch is a gen ETA). I like this model too much...

 

 

post-63910-0-10280300-1404943005_thumb.j

post-63910-0-57457600-1404943008_thumb.j

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Bad luck but you can't easily transplant an ETA in a cheapo. Unfortunately.

 

Do you mean that the case is different?

This is the El Cheapo: http://www.ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=11568

This my version: http://www.ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=11573

 

The cases to me looks the same (also the TT reference are from the same batch: ROLGMT097B is the cheapo, ROLGMT097C is the ETA), don't you think, Rolexman? I'm also worried about taking the case out: will I need to take out the bezel and the glass, or it will come out from the back?

Tnx!

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Do you mean that the case is different?

This is the El Cheapo: http://www.ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=11568

This my version: http://www.ttw888.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5&products_id=11573

The cases to me looks the same (also the TT reference are from the same batch: ROLGMT097B is the cheapo, ROLGMT097C is the ETA), don't you think, Rolexman? I'm also worried about taking the case out: will I need to take out the bezel and the glass, or it will come out from the back?

Tnx!

Dimensions could be different. Or at least some spacers like movement spacer and dial spacer. Maybe even stem hight. You will need some basic watch skils or find a watchmaker.

Mark.

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Buy a $7.00 tube from clark/ofrei.  I can't tell from the photo, but did it push into the case, or snap and part is still screwed into the crown.  If it snapped, you just need a rat-tail file end of, or ez-out, to extract the broken tube, and chances are you can unscrew the rest of the tube from the crown since it is not under any real tension or again ez-out.

 

I wonder if there is any stem or keyless works damage from the impact or balance spring???

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This is really a misshap - once they are on they are bomb-proof even if one of the lugbars snaps but You always need extra-care when putting it on the wrist - bracelet is safer. Still You have a good one, on others half of the markers and probably one of the hands would have come off. For this kind of situation the PAM CG-solution is brilliant. Ask SSteel if he can fix it. Good luck

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I have a similar problem. I have a watch, simple 21J movement so it's not a big deal. But the crown and stem came loose. I can put the stem/crown back into the watch but I can't wind the watch then. 

 

It came off like this picture. Is this easy to fix? :)

 

m4i2a5LlIMwnh7ubOSmbZ5Q.jpg

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I have a similar problem. I have a watch, simple 21J movement so it's not a big deal. But the crown and stem came loose. I can put the stem/crown back into the watch but I can't wind the watch then.

It came off like this picture. Is this easy to fix? :)

m4i2a5LlIMwnh7ubOSmbZ5Q.jpg

.

Marti sounds like either the end of your stem snapped off and is still inside the movement or the keyless works got fouled up. Either way would likely require uncasing of the movement, removal of dial and hands to get a look. If it's just a keyless works issue then it'd need to be reset otherwise if the end of the stem did break off its need to be removed and a new stem sourced. Time to call for help if your not adventurous.

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Finding a new tube with PVD and that will fit the rep case? Not sure that it will be feasible :(

The tube can only be seen when the crown is unscrewed, so I wouldn't worry that a replacement tube isn't PVD coloured. If you really want it black, as it cannot be touched, the black doesn't need to be tough so enamel paint will do.

 

Does it still run? Does the crown still wind / alter the date / alter the time? Whats not working?

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The crown and stem look fine.

 

The tube has snapped in half. Half is still in the crown, half is in the case.

 

Getting the part out of the case will be easy, getting it out of the crown will be damn hard. Can't use an EasyOut as you would need a hollow one exactly the same ID and OD as the tube.

 

What I would try is gripping the main PVD body of the crown in a vise (wrap it in lots of layers of tape to protect it) and then get a very small screwdriver (a disposable one cause this will wreck it) and then with a very small hammer, put the screwdriver on the snapped off tube in the crown angled at 45 degrees and tap it so as to rotate the tube counter clockwise.

 

With luck it will start to rotate and once it's started it'll be a doddle to get out the rest of the way.

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I've removed the tube from a case once with a Torx bit that just fitted inside. Worth a try if you can find one that just fits inside with a bit of help (gently tap it in).

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Ok, some news about this.

Just consider that it will be my 1st reparation test, that I was ready to throw the case away, and that i'm used to work on things like these, that also require precision, but at a different scale respect to the watches:

 

post-63910-0-83382400-1405255044_thumb.j

 

Yesterday morning I went to my ultra-specialized ironmongery shop and I bought a 2,5€ (3.4US$) 2,7mm cobalt drill bit and (!!!!!!!) 19,5€ (26.5US$) M3x0.3mm HSS tap. Luckily here in EU the metric ISO tools (even the unusual ones like this ISO fine thread ones) aren't difficult to find, if you know where to search for :)

post-63910-0-17235300-1405255448_thumb.j

 

As I don't have a cristal/bezel press, and therefore I can't completely disassemble the case, I self created a system to keep the case in position under the vertical drilling machine without press on the crystal (basically 2 pieces of wood, with the front one with a hole large like the crystal, practically I did a watch case sandwich:

post-63910-0-06521200-1405255444_thumb.j  post-63910-0-95142900-1405255445_thumb.j

post-63910-0-68854900-1405255449_thumb.j

 

The hole went easy and the threading too (this last done manually, slowly and using a good amount of machinery cutting oil). Then, when I was already happy of the result, I noticed that the hole (and thread) I did was not well aligned  :huh:   :frusty: 

post-63910-0-11518200-1405255451_thumb.j

 

In the meantime I'm waiting for a couple (took 2 in case i'll destroy one, as I'm not skilled about the torque I should screw this parts) of tubes from cousinsUK:

post-63910-0-66069900-1405255925_thumb.j

 

Just wondering if those 3-4° of misalignment will be enough to make the whole work useless, or if it is within the tolerances. Or if I could try to fix it for example filling the hole with some epoxy compound and re-drill/tap within the compound (this time straight!)...

 

Any suggestion? 

Edited by GenTLe
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Most of the holes I've seen have been tapped off center. You can work the tap slightly to correct the alignment. You should still have enough good threads to hold the tube. Won't be as loose as you think. Loctite and gasket between tube and case you should be good. Only install the tube once. It will bugger the threads, and if you remove it, you won't be able to reuse it. Good luck.

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I also want to say , its bad luck but you can't easily transplant an ETA in a cheapo. Unfortunately.

Generally speaking I'm with you, but once you have 2 identical models (even the same dealer model nr, just one is /B an the other /C) the case is the same, and about the spacers, you can just take the one from the broken case. Isn't correct? The only thing that could differ is the height of the stem hole (yes, that would be a serious problem).

Anyway I am fixing the broken one, instead to try replacements, as you can see from the post just before your one :):)

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Easy: be in hurry (I was in the airport just after the security checks) and try to wear your nato-strap watch.

Then see it falling to the ground and land exactly on the crown.

 

:cry2:  :cryss:  :cry: 

 

I'll probably buy the "el cheapo" version and then transplant the movement (witch is a gen ETA). I like this model too much...

You know this is just my thoughts, and I could be waaaay wrong, I've seen "cheap" PVD GMT watches on ebay under the name "parnis gmt" for 115 bucks or so, maybe you could use the case from that watch and swap out the dial, movement, hands, crown, insert etc.. from your ruined case, if I'm right these are rep cases so I don't see why they wouldn't be same size as they are the same as noob cases that I can tell visually????? What's anyone's else's take on this idea? On top of that hey if worse comes to worst you'll even have an extra movement...

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DAMN!!!  :fool:  :bangin: 

 

Got the wrong tubes.

 

Looking this pic:

post-63910-0-49499200-1405967758_thumb.j

it seems the diameter A should be taken where there's no thread. So I measured the BP one and it's around 4.35mm.

Therefore I ordered the Twinlock:

post-63910-0-64883500-1405967878_thumb.j

 

Well, it fits the drilled and tapped case, but does NOT fit the crown: the real size is 4.35 OVER the thread!!  :protest:  :angry2:   And my BP tube, over the thread, is 4.95mm

Now again ordered, but this time the Triplock, and I HOPE that it will fit!!!! Will discover in a weektime...

post-63910-0-64068200-1405968136_thumb.j

 

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