Sub Bezel Insert Tutorial

[bruce79]

So let’s see if we can’t demystify this modification to the Rolex submariner rep that probably is more discussed/inquired about than any other mod…with the exception of crown guards…the bezel insert. To begin, we all should understand and accept the fact that no genuine, oem, factory original, or decent aftermarket bezel insert will go into a standard Rolex Submariner replica without some modification. Now when I say standard, I mean all models except MBW VINTAGE models, which, though I’ve never owned one, apparently will take all of the above listed inserts with no modifications at all. Must be nice ☺. But if you have any of the modern subs from any of the dealers, cn or tw, and including MBW…you will need to modify you’re insert, trust me.

I’ll be demonstrating on my tw classic sub. So let’s get started. Here is a pic of the sub before. Now the insert in there is actually an aftermarket insert that I modded sometime ago. Recently Rob lumed the pearl to match the hour markers on my gen dial which has taken on a nice patina. Problem was the texture of the lume was too grainy and flat so I added a dab of craftsman glue to add shine and gloss. The result was decent and it actually looked like a 20-year-old pearl. I will be keeping this for when the pearl falls out of my oem insert…I’m sure it will.

Now here is the factory original insert that I will installing. I’m pretty sure it’s a factory reject meaning it didn’t meet certain requirements. If you look closely, the lume in the pearl is uneven and is more to one side than the other, it didn’t set right I guess. It’s certainly not visible unless you’re a few inches away.

Now when you flip this insert over you see that it’s in fact pretty thick and sturdy. You can see where I used the dremel to scrape away a little of the black paint that covers the insert. As it is, these inserts are too thick to be inserted into our bezels which is why the under part here needs to be sanded down considerably to fit our shallow bezels.

Ok, here is a pic of our friend, Mr. Dremel. It’s actually a Sears Craftsman rotary tool but dremel is sort of a generic term to mean all rotary tools. You can pick them up for as cheap as $20. You will get to know this tool very well. Oh yeah, be sure to wear protective eye wear as there will be little pieces of metal flying at your face and you’d hate to catch one of these in you eye. I wore a cheap pair of my fiancé’s sunglasses…there will be no pics of that though. lol

Ok, so popping the bezel insert is pretty simple. Take the bracelet off. Then use a small screwdriver to pry the bezel insert off. If you do it like the picture I’m showing, be sure to protect the lug. I actually didn’t do it this way…I pried it off towards the center between the 2 lugs. At any rate, it should come off with relative ease.

Once off, assuming the existing insert wasn’t welded onto the bezel, it should just pry up with light pressure from your fingers. If not, try adding a little heat from a hair dryer or something.

The dried glue will need to be cleaned off of the bezel, warm water, soap, and a small screwdriver should do the trick. Here is a picture of the old insert I modded and the bezel. Note how much metal actually needs to be sanded away. Yikes

So let’s get to sanding. I take the dremel and hold it like so. It should be held like a pencil for better handling. It’s best to take a look at your bezel and try to mimic that shape where the insert will sit…it’s curved.

Here is the first layer taken off the flat portion of the insert. There is still so much more to take off…

Now at some point the sides of the insert will need to be taken in too to fit the bezel. The bezel on the gen subs is a touch wider than our reps, thus the inserts are wider too. Now some might create some way to do this faster or more time efficient but I like to do it by hand with very fine grit sand paper…when you’re dealing with a gen insert, trust me you don’t want to f*ck it up. Take small amounts off and test it in the bezel several times. I do the sides of the insert about ½ way though sanding the insert. The insert needs to be able to sit low enough in the bezel so that the sides insert can somewhat fit within the bezel. So sanding the sides is done with light rounded strokes covering about a 1/3 to a ½ of the outer side of the insert.

This is a tedious mod and sanding down the insert takes time and patience. Plan on spending about 1 to 2 hours if you want to get it right. When it’s done, you will know because the insert will sit just at or just below the lip of the bezel and the insert will just fit within the walls of the bezel. If you sand the sides of the bezel too much or unevenly, you’ll end up with a marginal finished product. Take your time. The finished modded insert will be very fragile and light and if not handled with care, will bend and pretty much ruin you day. Be careful with it.

Almost done…now it’s time to glue the insert to the bezel. Now I tried 3 times to glue the insert to the bezel before putting the bezel back on the sub and all 3 times the insert popped off when I tried installing the bezel on the sub. Not saying it can be done but with my barbaric methods, I had trouble. So what I did was glue it after the bezel was on the sub. I used 5-minute epoxy which allowed me to handle the parts for a few minutes before the glue set.

Pop the insert onto the sub…I used the top of a vitamin bottle that was just smaller than the circumference, put the cap on top of the bezel and pressed done firmly with the palm of my hand.

Once on, glue must be applied to the bezel and to the insert. Be careful not to put too much glue on to the point that it gets into the inner workings of the bezel mech as you’ll end up with a stuck bezel. I use a toothpick.

Then press the two together and quickly align the pearl with the 12 o’clock marker before the glue sets. After, press evenly and firmly on the insert so it will set with all sides firmly under the lip of the bezel. Don’t worry if a little glue comes out and gets on the insert, bezel, and crystal. Try and minimize this but it can be taken off with a little vodka and a Qtip. On one of my 1st attempts, I had glue all over the place and was freaking out but I managed to get it all off. And the finished product.

Ok, now I know that was long but hopefully it will inspire/help those who need it. After all that, I think I like the old insert better as the old pearl matches the dial and hands better...more vintage looking. This new oem pearl glows like a torch and the green glowing lume of the pearl really doesn’t go with the cream patina hour markers and hands...that don't glow at all... but oh well, I can live with it. Thanks for reading. ☺

[RWG Technical]

Very well done and detailed. I prefer to have a larger surface area for bezel removal, and use a case knife, it's cheap and less risky when trying to pop off the harder ones.

Great job, we need more of these How-To posts, thanks for taking the time to do such a throught and detailed post...

RWG members at their best,

RG

[bruce79]

Very well done and detailed. I prefer to have a larger surface area for bezel removal, and use a case knife, it's cheap and less risky when trying to pop off the harder ones.

Great job, we need more of these How-To posts, thanks for taking the time to do such a throught and detailed post...

RWG members at their best,

RG

Thanks Rob. Yeah, I definitely knicked up the lugs a little bit but I don't mind. It gives the sub a bit of character as I'm going for at circa late 80's early 90's look. Doing a couple DYI post really makes me appreciate all the time you put in to your post...this is not easy and is very time consuming. So thank you for your comments.

[HauteHippie]

Bruce - FANTASTIC write up. And that sub looks great too.

[HauteHippie]

Thanks Rob. Yeah, I definitely knicked up the lugs a little bit but I don't mind. It gives the sub a bit of character as I'm going for at circa late 80's early 90's look.

BTW, with the SELs, what you've got is an early 00's look.... You'll want to find a non-SEL bracelet to complete the 80's/90's look.

For what it's worth.

[bruce79]

BTW, with the SELs, what you've got is an early 00's look.... You'll want to find a non-SEL bracelet to complete the 80's/90's look.

For what it's worth.

Yeah I know It's on my 'to-do' list. It's also still got the solid mid links too..it's the tw bracelet but the sels are already drilled so I'm just going to wear it for a while as is...Only notciable if the watch comes off the wrist and to be honest, for those non forum member, average joes, who spot that flaw, right on.

[gioarmani]

Damn nice.

[pannylovernr1]

Just a fantastic tutorial, thank you!

[Pugwash]

Brilliant stuff!

[alligoat]

Great tutorial, Bruce.

And don't forget, after cleaning up the excess epoxy with vodka and a rag, you can always drink the remaining vodka, as a celebration of sorts!

[HauteHippie]

Yeah I know It's on my 'to-do' list. It's also still got the solid mid links too..it's the tw bracelet but the sels are already drilled so I'm just going to wear it for a while as is...Only notciable if the watch comes off the wrist and to be honest, for those non forum member, average joes, who spot that flaw, right on.

Well, the non-SELs look different from the top too, but the hollow vs sold midlinks are impossible to see on the wrist for sure. They don't feel right in the hand, of course, but who cares.

When I first saw your watch in a different thread I thought it was a gen P serial (2000-2001). The gen dial and gen insert with SELs will do that. Couldn't tell if it was a transitional dial or not from the pics, though, so I assumed not seeing the SELs.

[ubiquitous]

Good stuff, Bruce. Amazing how much material needs to come off, eh?

This is not a difficult mod... But a time consuming one. Lot of trial and error until the fit is just right. Just when you think you've got enough material removed, you'll find that you still need to take off more

Your 16800 is really shaping up nicely! It looks great!

[yt74]

Thank you Bruce, you are correct, this has been a long time coming, I hope it gets stuck ASAP!

[By-Tor]

Excellent tutorial Bruce, well done!!!

I used sandpaper only to make my GMT insert thinner. It really takes a long time and requires patience.

[bruce79]

Great tutorial, Bruce.

And don't forget, after cleaning up the excess epoxy with vodka and a rag, you can always drink the remaining vodka, as a celebration of sorts!

If you don't mind a little epoxy in your vodka, you can pound it and really celebrate.

Good stuff, Bruce. Amazing how much material needs to come off, eh?

This is not a difficult mod... But a time consuming one. Lot of trial and error until the fit is just right. Just when you think you've got enough material removed, you'll find that you still need to take off more

Your 16800 is really shaping up nicely! It looks great!

This is so true, it's really not a tough mod...just really time consuming. You must exercise a lot of patience...sand and test, sand and test. You always end up taking off just a bit more.

It really feels good to contribute something...give back to the forum. I've spent so much time here over the last year, learned tons. It was well worth the time & effort

[Tribal]

Great Tutorial,

and a nice Sub....

[stac]

Great read!

Must be placed in the "must read" files for noobs (if we had one)

Thanks!

[HauteHippie]

We should pin the post for sure!

[Seadweller4000]

Great! Thank you! I'll try it for sure!

[jnkay]

Bruce79, thanks for taking the time and energy to create this fantastic step-by-step post. Your sub looks fantastic. The gen dial makes a world of difference.

[vaccum]

Great pictorial....Thanks!

vaccum

[bluespower]

Just a small addition to a great post: After you take down the underside of the bezel insert with the dremel, in order to get it nice and flat on the bottom, lay a piece of fine emory or sand paper on a piece of glass (glass is perfectly flat), lay the insert on the emory or sand paper and work it back and forth, rotating frequently to change the pressure points. To increase your grip and avoid grinding off your thumbnail, get a box of rubber fingertips from the office supply store. They come in handy for many applications -- caseback opening, for example.

Most important, as Bruce says, TAKE YOUR TIME.

My $.02.

BP

[ChronoKing]

Great tip on the rubber fingers! I'm going to attempt this mod.

[EuroTimez]

Just wanted to say TKS! This was one good read! Try it as soon as my current bezel gets damaged under daily wear...

[promotersf]

Nice one! I was happy to sell my old EL Taiwans best sub to Chieftang awhile back, but if I still had it, I would definitely try this. very nice