How to prevent dust from being on dial and inside crystal

[majo1000]

Hi all,

Recently I had to open up some of my watches a couple of times. Since I'm good with tools, no problems there. However, when everything was fixed, I had a very hard time making sure no tiny parts of dust were left on the dial. Also the inner side of the crystal was hard to clean. Even when I thought the job was done and assembled the watch, some spots were still visible.

I was wondering, do you guys have any tricks to solve this problem?

Cheers!

[Guest HaloArchive]

Just take apart and mod/whatever your watch in a VERY clean area with NO carpet. Anyways, to rid of that stuff like dust, use some dust off and spray from far away and it will blot the dust right off. As for the crystal; not sure.

[HauteHippie]

AR coated crystals can be pests as they tend to attract dust. Generally I will wash the crystals with warm water and soap and dry them with a lint-free cloth. After the initial cleaning they seem a little better and dust doesn't cling quite as much. But, it is still necessary to use a lens dust blower to get the remaining specs off. Blow the inside of the case as well, and then install the crystal. Then blow off the dial and put it all back together. And after all of this, every now and then a little piece of lint will remain requiring you to disassemble to start over.

Dust blowers are available for camera lenses as well as watch parts. Both do the job:

[fakemaster]

Dust is one of the most annoying things I have deal with on a daily basis. It can make you crazy.

[freddy333]

I use Windex & a lint-free cloth or Viva paper towel to clean the crystal & case before installing the movement. As a final check (because there are always a few specs of dust that adhere to the inside face of the crystal no matter how well you clean it), I place the open case onto a shiny, dark surface (a green leather Rolex card case works well), which makes it easy to see any debris that remains

Then I use a can of compressed air to blow out the debris. Once the crystal looks completely clear, I reinstall the movement & close the case. Works every time.

[kbh]

No one has mentioned Rodico putty. Is that not also used to clean the dials and glass?

[HauteHippie]

No one has mentioned Rodico putty. Is that not also used to clean the dials and glass?

I once had rodico lift the dial print off a rep dial, and off of a gen 2836 ETA date wheel. As far as the glass, I'm not sure it would leave a clear surface or if it would leave smudges. So I don't use it on the glass either.

[freddy333]

Rodico is great for removing fingerprints, debris & smudges from dials. However, it is kind of unwieldy for small, tight spaces. It also retains whatever it collects & also soaks up oils from your fingers. So, unless the Rodico is fresh & unhandled, it is not the best tool for cleaning crystals.