702 tube for rolex 5514 instead of 703

[fitch]

Hi

it's been a while since I last posted here but I've never lost track of RWG and would like so advice from the rolex vintage experts; I have a phong case which has the fitting for a 703 tube but I would like to use a 702 instead; any idea if a conversion  is possible (or who might be able to do this in the EU)? thanks in advance for your input!

[Mr Seamaster]

Threads inside the case fit 702 as well as 703 and 700 tubes- no problem.
Unscrew the current one, screw in the new one.

Remember you need a 702 crown for a 702 tube, 700 crown for 700 tube etc.

Cheers!

[fitch]

I am confused as to what the correct info about this is; I've been told the threading is different and it does seem that way, also the case is phong 5514, it has accepted a 703 tube in the past, I have an ataya 702 and it gets stuck (in the past ataya 702 worked like a charm in my HH5514). I found a psot from 10 years ago: 

 

which addressed this and also the solution but this seems out of my league so instead of trying to solve this myself I might be better of with a watchmaker, any suggestions in the EU who might be able to help me out?

 

thanks!

 

[marsupilami]

hi,

 the tap is 3,00 x 0,30 mm for the 702 tube

I made a few tubes (700 and 702 ) in 2009 when there was no source for generic parts.

same tap size for both.

[automatico]

All five of my MBK watches have the same case tube threads and all will accept early or later 7mm tubes and crowns.

 

Crown Info... - The Rolex Area - RWG

 

Added 2-9-16:

Word for word from an original rolex repair bulletin:

The tubes Nos. 5330 and 7030 with the crowns Nos. 530, 603, and 703 compose the new OYSTER TUBES AND CROWNS assortment.

The tube No. 5330 bears a crown No. 530 or 603 according to the reference of the case. The tube No. 7030 bears a crown No. 703. The tubes No. 5330 and 7030, as also the tube No. 6010, have the splines cut in the crown side part of the tube.

The splines must not be reamed out any longer and can serve for unscrewing.

Etc, etc.

Finally and most important:

The tubes with old type splines Nos. 5300 and 5310 can be replaced by the tube No. 5330, the tube No. 6000 by the tube No. 6010 and the tubes No. 7000, respectively No. 7020, by the tube No. 7030, for as much as the crown No. 700, respectively No. 702, be also replaced by the crown No. 703.  

 

Deciphered, this means any matching case tube/crown combo will work in most submariner cases made since the mid 1960s.

[freddy333]

Be careful mixing & matching 7xx series crowns & tubes.

 

I have not dabbled with any of this for many years, so I cannot provide definitive guidance (there are many old threads on the subject like this or like this that you might want to read before proceeding). However, I do recall fitment issues of crowns not fully or properly screwing onto tubes due to varying thread pitches & locations. Therefore, I would recommend that you make sure a given crown properly screws fully-down onto whatever tube you want to use before installing. You will save yourself many headaches & requests for help if you test 1st. Remember also that early 7xx crowns were essentially Twinlocks & later 7xx crowns were Triplocks, which partially accounts for the variations between tubes.

[Jimster]

702 & 703 tubes are very different. 

[automatico]

"702 & 703 tubes are very different." 

 

Many replica 7mm crowns and case tube threads are not oem spec either. 

You can get in a real mess, real quick, when re-tapping case tube threads in cases.  It can sometimes be very extremely hard to get the tap started straight.

It can be as bad as drilling lug holes in a case with blind holes.

Do not ask how I know this. 

 

It's like the guy who kept boring his air-cooled motocross cylinder out to the next oversize every time it seized up...first over, second over, third over, Wiseco.

Sooner or later, you end up with a stack of big flat washers.