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UPO Bezel with attitude


scotty

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Well - to add to my adventures with my 45mm UPO.

Saturday at the beach with family and kids. The beautiful med.

Swimming and fun in the water, I'd decided to wear my waterproofed UPO. It had been on an outing and survived perfectly, so why not repeat.

However after the first dive, I noticed my UPO was missing something. The bezel insert and pearl.......

Now ----- how can that happen ? :blink:

SO I'm now missing a black bezel and pearl insert.

Anyone have a spare they'd be up to selling ??

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Sorry to hear that Scotty, Dont have a spare one and to be honest all the ones i have seen on the bay have the pearl too pronounced, Try one of the "colletors" I am supprised theu dont do spares like inserts, especialy UPO inserts as they look better than what i have seen on ebay

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Cheers Andy.

I'm in contact with a collector - the original source of the watch.

Inserts available but without the pearl.....

states that the pearl is part of the bezel. However there's only a green mush left in the bezel where the pearl maybe should have been.

So - I'm looking for a bezel insert with pearl, or a complete bezel. And i've no idea if removing the bezel will be a nightmare or not......

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH PARTS ?

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Thanks Pug. Why would they use water based glue ?????

Anyway - the search is on to find parts / someone to help re-build the damn thing.

Seen inserts with pearls on the bay, but i'm not sure of them.

Someone said you need to change the whole bezel, not just the insert.

I dunno - not an expert. I just want to get my deloved UPO back in order......

Any more offerings of advice and best course of action ??

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Seen inserts with pearls on the bay, but i'm not sure of them.

Someone said you need to change the whole bezel, not just the insert.

You'll need a new bezel and insert as the pearl is part of the bezel.

290702-5523.jpg

Your best bet may be simply to buy an Asian uPO. :-(

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well that's good news then isn't it.......f**k.

Q. That picture you've posted is from your own experience, or you've found it somewhere else ?

My UPO looks the same except minus even the pearl......

I'm no good at modding / repairs, so I guess I have to try to find a kind European based hand to help on this.

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You're not a repairer / modder are you?

Yes, I am - I do my own mods and repairs for myself. However, I haven't decided whether or not to offer my services to everyone. I don't have enough cash to hold a stock of spares, for instance, and I can make far more money doing UNIX consulting.

Have you not got a local watch repairer?

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I'm based in Spain, although originally North of the border.

No - no regular watchsmith. I've not gone into extensive modding etc. First attempt was SuperLume work on 2 PAM's with Finepics. I received them - excellent work - but it was a wee struggle.

If you think you can help anymore, PM me or I can PM contact details.

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If you think you can help anymore, PM me or I can PM contact details.

I don't know how I can help as I don't have access to spare bezels or inserts. :(

If you decide to get a replacement, my article mentioned above explains how to change them, however.

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thanks Baltic. But the saga continues - I'd found these.

BUT these have the pearl incorporated into the insert: The UPO has the pearl in the bezel, and the insert just has a wee hole that fits over.

This e,bay item is the same construction as a gen (or apparently a 42mm 4th generation). But the UPO has a different set-up, so this wouldn't fit.

Another member has confirmed that gen bezels won't fit UPO, (following some attempts to do so) so any replacements based on a gen construction and dimension will also NOT fit a UPO.

That said, Mr Precious is hunting for a complete bezel, as my watch lost both the insert AND the pearl (all that's left is a green mushy stain).

C'est la vie.......then I'll have to have a go at Captain Pugwashes explanation of how to remove and re-fit the bezel (which I am sure will mean my needing to end up buying a complete b****y new watch...)

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then I'll have to have a go at Captain Pugwashes explanation of how to remove and re-fit the bezel (which I am sure will mean my needing to end up buying a complete b****y new watch...)

Don't panic! I've done precautionary work to a few uPO bezels (ie. regluing with proper adhesive) and they come off fairly easy if you use some common sense and care, and a plastic kitchen spatula ;).

Also, take the opportunity to lightly grease the 'leaves' on the spring while the bezel and watch are apart!

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Cheers but already starting to panic. PT has advised he'll source a complete bezel.

I tried Pugs tutorial on removing the bezel - thought I'd practice a bit first.

An lo and behold - impossible to shift the bugger. No gaps at all to even get a razor blade in there for leverage.

:-(

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  • 1 month later...
Hey Scotty, how's your UPO doing? Have you found a solution to your problem? Would it possible to order an original bezel/insert/pearl from Ofrei and have that installed? No idea... hope all is well

Regards,

Viennawatch

I have no idea that it would fit the rep but it does appear to come with the pearl in the photo. However, at a cost of $189 US it would probably be wiser to purchase a new UPO.

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Hey Scotty, how's your UPO doing? Have you found a solution to your problem? Would it possible to order an original bezel/insert/pearl from Ofrei and have that installed? No idea... hope all is well

Regards,

Viennawatch

Afternoon....

In the end I purchased an insert off the bay. It looks OK, but doesn't sit perfectly recessed inside the bezel itself. So it sits close to the top rather than in.

The pearl was rubbish - a perfectly round blob that had zero glow.

At present the watch is with a modder for SuperLume to dial and hands, and a go at getting the pearl into a reasonable condition.

I should have it back in a week or so, and will try to post pics or at least write up how it went.

I was still keen on a gen bezel set, but have been told from numerous sources that it won't work on the UPO.

Cheers

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@jdavis

I have to agree with you on that, considering the price tag... Ofrei's components are often just as expensive as the entire rep... I love your camel by the way, reminds me of the times when I used to live in Cairo. :)

@scotty

Its a shame the gen bezel wouldn't fit, if it did and you'd be willing to spend the money, you'd have a great rep, but I guess we just have to be careful not to exceed the spending limit. That is the spending should not reach all the way to that of a gen... I feel that sometimes modders overreact and in the end realize they could have just purchased the gen... :/ Good luck anyways, looking forward to seeing your pics!

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