how do i take apart my rubberclad

[fotoman]

ok, i am thinking i want to send this watch for chieftang AR> i'm nervous about how this thing comes apart and the potential to scratch it up -

do you have to use a screw driver on both sides of the bolts? or is one locked in place

is it easy? or tuff?

anybody else sending their Seconds @12 for AR?

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

OK:

Step One: remove the screws from the case back. They are actually bolts, and not screws... You will see what I mean when you get it open.

Step Two: If you want to be truly safe, you could remove the movement at this point... Remove stem, remove movement retention screws, movement will come out. I have done this with/without removing the movement.

Step Three: In each of the holes you see, there is a small bolt on each screw. These bolts are notched so that they can be removed. I found that using a very small steel pick (actually it is a hooked dental pick) works very well to loosen these. There is almost no chance of damaging the thread on the bolts, and they are not on very tight to begin with.

Step Four: once all of the little bolts are removed (TIP: lay them out in the position that they came from... I found that the threads are inconsistant and when putting them back on, they may need to be on the correct bolt) You may simply lift the case off of the bezel and crystal.

Step Five: pop the crystal out of the bezel assembly.

Now, if you remove the movement... You MAY NOT need to actually remove the bezel assembly and just push the crystal out toward the front. Im not sure about this, as I have always removed the bezel assembly. But I dont see why you would need to take the bezel off if the movement is out.

Hope this helps, its not tricky... but remember, you are taking apart a $500 watch.

[Guest carlsbadrolex]

Here is a link to some pics I took the first time I took one apart.

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=77458

[fotoman]

cool - i thought the screw/bolts went all the way through the watch. - I'm not going to take it apart, but i don't want my watchmaker guessing the rubber is way to easy to screw up.