5513 - CWP Crystal too loose. What's the fix?

[e30m3]

Cartel 5513. CWP T19 just came, but there's about. .08 - .1mm of play between the crystal and the neck of the cartel case. The CWP crystal just drops right on. Fear is, I go to put the Clark bezel assembly on, and it cracks the ($94 shipped ) crystal. Anyone have a trick for this situation? I get 28.12mm on the case neck, and I believe it should be 28.2mm, which adds up. What about installing with crystal adhesive, then putting the bezel stuff on when it's dry?

Danke.

[Nanuq]

Some articles about this:

https://rwg.cc/topic/188228-my-pcg-5513-or-5512-build-help-me-decide-on-parts/

https://rwg.cc/topic/187736-finally-decided-to-do-things-myself/

https://rwg.cc/topic/139330-clarks-t19-fitment/

https://rwg.cc/topic/186326-rolex-5513-nearly-off-the-bench/

[e30m3]

Thanks for those - I did search and swear I found two of them... Thing is, they discuss fitment of the bezel assembly to the crystal - what I'm looking for is a neat trick in attaching the crystal to the case itself - a micro-spacer of some sort or something?

[Nanuq]

Yeah..... unfortunately you're fighting the case geometry.  Looking down through the crystal, it's already far too easy to be left with a big steel lip around the dial opening (the rehaut) depending on which crystal you use.  Having the rehaut be noticeably smaller than the crystal it's just gonna look weird.

 

CWP does make awesome crystals, but they're not the only ones.  I've had good results with Sternkreuz and GS, and they offer a few size variants.

 

I gotta be honest with you and admit the search feature here sucks.  I found my links on Google thusly:   crystal t19 3 sizes site:rwg.cc

 

*cough* 

 

[DVNE]

You are better off reselling that crystal or saving it for a future project with a different midcase.

 

Ofrei has 4 different t19's and one of them fits perfectly on the cartel case. I used it plenty of times.. I forgot which exact one.

[alligoat]

I found a Sternkreuz crystal- XS305.451- it is a T-19 and has an ID of 27.9 and OD of 30.5. Hopefully that would be a tight fit on you case neck and also work w/ your crystal retention ring

[Nanuq]

This is why this place is so great!

[e30m3]

In my limited time posting (long time member) I swear I’ve yet to receive an unhelpful response on rwg. It really is uncommon - particularly in the forum world. You’re all much appreciated. I’ll seek to return the knowledge in time. Great place for sure.

 

On the crystal, I hate to concede, but you guys are right. Rather than break it, I’ll sell this one to someone who has a 5513 with correct neck diameter. (Uh, that’s about 28.2mm for anyone listening!) And I’ll buy one of the Sternkreuz crystals. I actually bought a couple of weird GS crystals before ordering the CWP in hopes they’d work (but I think the OD is too big).

 

Is there a SK crystal that mimics the “super dome” T19? I’m only aware of the “dome” ones and I’d love to find a super dome. 

[dieselpower]

The knowledge here never ceases to amaze me. Nice one guys.

[alligoat]

The XS 305.451 is definitely a domed crystal, probably a super. I've got a page which I believe came from Cousinsuk and it shows the Round Special Forms Plastic Topglasses from 294-310 diameter and the nice thing is it has all of the IDs listed also.

[e30m3]

Interesting. I've been looking at that one, and the XS 303.472 (which will likely be too big ID). BUT... I went through the GS crystals I bought before ordering the CWP, and one of them - I believe the PA 462-19M - is damn near identical to the CWP, but with a smaller ID (fits like a glove). (Like an idiot, I may have mixed the envelopes up between that and a 462-20A, but I'm pretty sure this is the 19M.) Haven't seen too many posts about that part number (just one, actually, but without pictures). I'll try and post some pics once I get it installed today, but at $10.50, it's pretty damn promising. Here's a crappy comparison picture in the meantime (the CWP still has the protective plastic on, but note the beginning of the dome is the same, and the curvature is at least really close (maybe even the same). 

[automatico]

"You are better off reselling that crystal or saving it for a future project with a different midcase".

 

Agree.

 

 

"I went through the GS crystals I bought before ordering the CWP, and one of them - I believe the PA 462-19M - is damn near identical to the CWP, but with a smaller ID (fits like a glove). (Like an idiot, I may have mixed the envelopes up between that and a 462-20A, but I'm pretty sure this is the 19M.)"

 

This is not much help but I had this same trouble when fitting crystals to David Wong aka 'DW' cases.  The case neck is about 28.12 to 28.15 and the crystals are too big.  When using an oem spec crystal retaining bezel there is a GS no mag domed crystal that fits.  Do not know the number of course because I did not write it down.

 

Not as lucky when using a DW case for a '1680' project because I have not found a magnifier crystal that works very well.  The DW cases came with an odd size 'spring wire' bezel kit and a lot of the crystals were already cracked when they pressed the inner bezel down over them.  DW '1680' bezel kits and crystals were not genuine spec.

 

If I was 'The King of the World'...I would have all replica 5512/13/1680 cases made to oem specs.

But I'm not...I'm just a pissant with a digital caliper.