WATCH REPAIR DISCUSSIONS, HELP & ADVICE
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By Neverenoughwatches · Posted
A bergeon one would be about the best money can buy. I'm not sure how much they are now for a new one. But they pop up on ebay from time to time for about 50 quid, you want the small adjustable platform as well that sets up the spacing on the crystal to leave room on it when fitting it bsck into the case bezel. -
An inexpensive generic crystal lift, under $20 on Esslinger.com, is fine to remove the crystal on a vintage watch and fine to reinsert one. If you start working on more valuable watches, getting a better crystal lift might be necessary since these cheaper ones can be a little rough in the jaws. If you are not careful it is easier to scratch a crystal with these than with a $120 version. The other difference is in how smooth the screw action is on the more expensive Swiss one. It does take some practice no matter what to install a crystal with this tool, and you can expect to not get your first one or two right without some scratches when installing. But if @caseback is right and this is a 2 piece case, then it opens up other better options to install a new crystal with a press of some sort instead. -
Thanks Neverenough. That's exactly why I posted this. I'd rather wear it dirty than destroy it. I took a high powered magnifier and looked all along the crystal and found no evidence of prying, so my presupposition was that the glass came off. I'd never heard of a crystal lift, and don't have one. Is there one you recommend? Would one from Amazon suffice for my purposes? -
I am not sure how well horosolv evaporates, or if it leaves any residue that would negatively affect your later cleaning stages. It certainly would not hurt to quickly dip in IPA after that stage.
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Don't be so hard on yourself. We've all been there! One slip and hours of work down the drain. It's in the nature of the job/hobby. A huge sense of satisfaction when you finally get the job done is the other side of the same coin. That top pivot was scrap anyway. 😉 And you will, even if it takes longer than you hoped. Now you are going to learn how to replace a balance staff. All good!
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