Eric L. Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 Alright folks, my UPO purchased late last year from EL has performed flawlessly until tonight when the crown refused to screw down. I opened it up to clean the stem but there is no debris on it, and for the life of me I don't see any threads on the tube (well there's your problem!). I did some searching on the forum and have not found a satisfactory answer as to how to fix this, since apparently the gen tube does not fit on the rep case. So, how can I repair this? I doubt I'd be able to get a replacement from the dealer since the watch is ~10 months old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 One solution I've read, was to shorten the crown stem so it simply pushed down and stayed in place. Only thing I would say, is, given the costs of repair/parts, it might be as cheap and easy to just buy a new watch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 Yes, I shortened the stem on my black version. As you can see below, the result is visually identical to a normal PO. Just forget about swimming with it. BTW, the reason that you can not see threads is because they are inside the tube on the PO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric L. Posted September 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 (edited) How did you shorten the stem? Can you post brief instructions on how this was done? I know how to remove the stem from the movement but how do I separate the stem from the crown? Does it just pop in? Or is it screwed in? I don't want to break anything (yet). Edited September 22, 2007 by Eric L. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake48 Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 Yes, I shortened the stem on my black version. As you can see below, the result is visually identical to a normal PO. Just forget about swimming with it. BTW, the reason that you can not see threads is because they are inside the tube on the PO. The same thing happened to my PO - as andreww pointed out, this is the best fix and works good. Do a search on eta 2836 stem removal, follow the directions, unscrew the crown from the stem and shorten the stem from the crown side. Be careful! File very small amounts off and check it as you go by screwing the crown back on to the stem, installing it back into position and test it for proper clearance. The watch will look as good as it did when you first got it. Just be careful around water... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric L. Posted September 22, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 The same thing happened to my PO - as andreww pointed out, this is the best fix and works good. Do a search on eta 2836 stem removal, follow the directions, unscrew the crown from the stem and shorten the stem from the crown side. Be careful! File very small amounts off and check it as you go by screwing the crown back on to the stem, installing it back into position and test it for proper clearance. The watch will look as good as it did when you first got it. Just be careful around water... How do I remove the stem from the crown? I know how to remove the stem/crown from the movement (push the little dot) but the stem seems to be pretty tight on the crown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jake48 Posted September 22, 2007 Report Share Posted September 22, 2007 How do I remove the stem from the crown? I know how to remove the stem/crown from the movement (push the little dot) but the stem seems to be pretty tight on the crown. C AR E F U L L Y -! Naw, just kidding. But you don't want to maul the cr@p out of it. After removing the stem & crown, grab the top of the stem as close to the crown as possible with a pair of tiny pliers - (if you have a small jewelers vise or pin vise you could use that) squeeze light enough to keep the stem from spinning, but not so tight that you crush it. With two fingers from your other hand you should be able to unscrew the crown from the stem. Here is a pin vise. They are cheap. You can get one for less than five bucks. Good luck... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed11 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Hi guys, how did the crown ended up like that? Is this problem in particular to UPO or all reps? And how do we prevent this from happening? My UPO is on the way, and would want to take real good care of it... Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitmic Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Hi guys, how did the crown ended up like that? Is this problem in particular to UPO or all reps? And how do we prevent this from happening? My UPO is on the way, and would want to take real good care of it... Cheers It's a known problem with the uPO. It's really sad, since it's one h3ll of a rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THANOS Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 hi, i have the same issue with my upo 45.5 by yesterday when i pulled out the crown to wind it up and then i couldn't screw it back.my upo is 2months old,so i contacted with the supplier and he told me to send it back to far east.my concerns so far is that the previous time i sent a watch it took 2months or more to get it back and this upo is my daily beater, is there any solution that i can give?could a local watchsmith fix it or should i try by myself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric L. Posted September 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Hi guys, how did the crown ended up like that? Is this problem in particular to UPO or all reps? And how do we prevent this from happening? My UPO is on the way, and would want to take real good care of it... Cheers I tried it with a pair of small pliers but for the life of me cannot get it to unscrew. Does it screw in like normal (i.e. righty tighty lefty loosey)? So I should turn the stem counterclockwise to unscrew is right? I think mine is just in there really really tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mentalist Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 I've had my UPO for a couple of months and have unscrewed the crown regularly to adjust it (almost daily). Thus far, the crown functions as good as the day I bought it (touch wood). Just how endemic is this problem? I have a suspicion that it's nowhere near as bad, given the number of watches sold, as it appears to be. Maybe no more than a couple of dozen. As long as you're careful unscrewing the crown and treat it with a bit of respect, it should last fine. PS. Sod's law, the moment I post this, my crown will suffer the same fate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 If you have ever visually inspected the threads on the inside of the crown tube, you will understand why this problem is so widespread. The threads are very small, and they are not cut very deeply in to the tube wall. It really doesn't take much to strip these, even if you are careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed11 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 I tried it with a pair of small pliers but for the life of me cannot get it to unscrew. Does it screw in like normal (i.e. righty tighty lefty loosey)? So I should turn the stem counterclockwise to unscrew is right? I think mine is just in there really really tight. Ok, so the best way to prevent it is not to wind it at all? Is it the winding of it, or the screwing and and screwing of the crown? I think i read somewhere (in this forum) that we keep winding of the crowns to a minimum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mentalist Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 If you have ever visually inspected the threads on the inside of the crown tube, you will understand why this problem is so widespread. I hear you, but is it really so widespread? Apart from a dozen or so posts on the boards, is it really as bad as is suspected? I think the only people that will really know the extent of the problem are the dealers themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed11 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 If this prob is known, why do people still wind their watches? Just shake n rock n roll will make it move, rite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Not just winding, but likely also re-setting the time to account for daily -/+... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 If this prob is known, why do people still wind their watches? Just shake n rock n roll will make it move, rite? Most people here have at least a half dozen watches, so unless you have a winder your solution just isn't practical. This problem is fairly widespread, and the dealers are aware of it. There are a lot of people around here that have these and only wear them once or twice a month, so obviously these will last longer. But, I will guarantee that if you use these things regularly, the threads will strip. Its just a matter of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mentalist Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Apart from the shortening the stem fix, is there any other way of replacing the tube and crown? Has anyone tried replacing with a Gen tube/crown? What about find a suitable stem and tube and then putting the UPO crown on top of the replacement stem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed11 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 I think we can get parts from Ofrei http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=50774 However I'm not sure how to replace the crown and tube. Experts, any tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearcat Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 Hi guys, how did the crown ended up like that? Is this problem in particular to UPO or all reps? And how do we prevent this from happening? My UPO is on the way, and would want to take real good care of it... Cheers Happens on about 90% of the asian-movment UPOs eventually. Problem with manufacturing source for the Asian models (UPO lite). The Swiss UPOs are mostly OK, although this problem has been reported on a few of them. Depends on the Source. All the more reason to wait a while....Your 4th generation PO is still a mighty fine watch. --Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric L. Posted September 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 I think we can get parts from Ofrei http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=50774 However I'm not sure how to replace the crown and tube. Experts, any tips? In another thread it was clear that the gen parts will not fit the rep without extensive modification. I'll ask the question again, which direction does the stem screw into the crown? Lefty loosey, righty tighty? I cannot unscrew mine even with pliers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Mentalist Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 I have an ETA UPO so I now don't feel so paranoid about it screwing up on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed11 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 In another thread it was clear that the gen parts will not fit the rep without extensive modification. I'll ask the question again, which direction does the stem screw into the crown? Lefty loosey, righty tighty? I cannot unscrew mine even with pliers. so effectively once the crown / thread is gone effectively the watch is useless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed11 Posted September 23, 2007 Report Share Posted September 23, 2007 In another thread it was clear that the gen parts will not fit the rep without extensive modification. I'll ask the question again, which direction does the stem screw into the crown? Lefty loosey, righty tighty? I cannot unscrew mine even with pliers. http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...amp;hl=upo+tube Hi searched and found this... Quoting bruce79 : "I agree. The threads are questionable. Doesn't really affect the appearance of the watch but it's very tough to screw in. Just have to be super careful when screwing in...always back 3/4 turn, then slowly forward. We'll see how long it lasts. Has anyone installed a gen tube/crown? Hope this helps. Btw by-tor mentioned that some peeps have installed the gen tube/crown combo. Hope some experts can shed some light and show us the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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