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If that's the case, you might have to consider the possibility of a front loader. If you look at the size of the dial and the size of the opening in the rear of the case, if the dial is bigger than the opening, than it has to come out through the front. Check that and come back with your findings.

I remember now. My mentor showed me a video of a tool that is used to open these type of Rado cases. The tool costs over $1000. The caseback is first removed and a model specific die is fitted to the back. Another die is fitted to the front, which presses on the "bezel" to get an airtight seal on the back. A screw down plunger holds down the crystal to prevent it from flying off when air pressure is applied throught the bottom die. The plunger is slowly backed off to allow the crystal pop out in a controlled manner. It's a real piece of engineering marvel. Way over engineered in my opinion. China came out with a tool to open these type of cases. It uses double sided tape to pull the crystal off. I'll look for the Aliexpress link. I found this while searching for the crystal removal tool. This is a Chinese copy of the tool by Rado. SG$ 230.56 40%OFF | Watch Crystal Remover Tool For DW Longines Dismantling Watch Sapphire Glass Inflatable Opening Crystal for Armani Watch https://a.aliexpress.com/_mPyUYDI Here is the other Chinese tool. I shared this on another thread recently. SG$ 37.08 | Watch Front Cover Glass Opener Flat Glass /Arch Glass Remover Screw Tool Watch Part Repair Tool Accessory for Watchmaker https://a.aliexpress.com/_mM3LBFe

tiny bit of information on your movement below. From the 1948 parts catalog a little bit on stop watch repair. That I have another book that does show this movement unfortunately it's a book so I'll have to get around to scanning at a couple of days if you would like to see it. https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/31793867

If you can, it's a game changer. I do everything under the microscope. I don't know how people can tweak hairsprings using a loupe - your head has to be where your tweezers need to be.

Though this spring can be sorted as it is in the movement, as a beginner you would have a better shot at it if you CAN UNPIN THE HAIRSPRING FROM THE STUD, the balance assembly would then be easily detachable from the cock, in which case you best take a picture of the coil for your reference and to show us, we will work with you to fix the fault. You need to master detaching the balance from the cock for many tasks, including worse messed up hairsprings. Regds

Here is a good book for beginners incl. the basics of hair spring adjustment. The book is available as a pdf too.

Evening all, here's my latest 404 club success. An Accurist LED watch. Came to me as part of a job lot. A little grubby and missing battery cover, though still had the original bracelet. After some gentle cleaning popped some batteries in shorting the top of one of the batteries to the case and was amazed it burst into life. Easy fix. After a couple of months I managed to find a replacement battery cover from a donor and it's been working ever since. If there's any LED watch experts out there I'd love to know who made the module. I guess it wasn't a cheap watch back then either, probably hundreds in 1970s money. I just love the red led's, I don't think they make them like this anymore.

Thanks for your reply. Dial size is 36.5mm, case back opening is 28.5mm. That confirms it's not coming out through the back unless there's a special way to remove the synthetic case ring that's holding it in. Thanks for your thoughts. Side view of the case. I've checked under a 20x mag loupe around the top edge and I can't see the slightest tell-tale that there is a bezel holding the crystal on, and I don't like the prospect of a craft knife slipping!! For me, compressed air isn't an option either. I don't have such tool and I'd be surprised if the case back would hold on as it's a snap-on case back. Looks like I may be returning this one to its owner unrepaired (suspected keyless works disengagement).

I'll give it a try Mike. I'll be picking up a working Elma cleaner in the next couple of weeks so will see how that works out. Could really do with a microscope to check, but the other half may be removing body appendages if I spend any more money this month.

The same argument as the small Diashock - can they be cleaned properly without disassembly. I think that, as long as there isn't "baked on" crusty oil, using proper cleaning fluids in a heated ultrasonic will clean OK (?). Though I always disassemble where possible. I'm surprised a company like JLC will use them on escape wheels. I looked on the Incabloc website but no info on cleaning.

oh and it did occur to me that the last time I put in jewel in I didn't actually use the tool up above. I think the bushing that I used was a really tiny clock bushing it was the right size to friction and that I opened it up with the regular jeweling tool and pushed in a jewel.

Elma machines behave the same. These rheostats are no real speed control, they need the water resistance to work kind of. Soldering the end is less secure than the bare wires and is avoided since many decades. The solder will give in by and by, the wire can get loose, hot and even catch fire! Today end sleeves are used. Frank

Lol. Which is why i have permanently empty pockets

The spring shape is probably like the top, with arms that line up with the 3 slots when turned. It will need to come apart for cleaning. Try turning it with some pegwood and see what happens ! Post a pic

Right! Looking at the typical shape of the Diamaster case it should be a front loader. No way to get the dial out through the back.

Some time ago I was able to fix the same issue by just demagnetizing the watch and cleaning the hairspring. This movement doesn‘t look clean.

It's something I have to seriously look into, pardon the pun, as I sometimes battle with a loupe and varifocals. I have tried just wearing reading specs with a loupe but then cannot see anything beyond the end of my arms.

Hi Bill, not only is it rubbing against the balance cock, it's also all bunched up where your arrow is pointing. If you remove the balance cock, lay it upside down on the bench and place the pivot into the jewel, it would be easy to visualize it. It could be an easy fix or a nightmare, depending on how badly distorted the hairspring is. This is not a job for a beginner or those with a weak heart. My advice would be to store it for the time being and come back when your skills have caught up with the problem. Good luck and happy watchmaking.

the other mystery here is the movement is still in the case? Usually people servicing a watch remove it from the case with some minor exceptions. Then I don't know how many stopwatches somebodies done but usually the dial comes off with the hands the hands are not removed separately the dial the hands in the heart-shaped cams underneath all come off as one unit otherwise are a pain to put that back together again especially if you're really enthusiastic taking the hands of so we still have the watch in the case that still seems odd to me?

this is where the catalog doesn't do the best job but I snipped out a page free you don't need the entire fancy tool you just need the bushings. Providing and that's the catch by the way what is the diameter of your brass setting? So providing it was a standard diameter they make brass bushings. You could friction in the bushing even though that's not the way they show to use it you can friction in the bushing into your plate and then ream the whole out there and then put a jewel in its a way of using a smaller jewel in a large setting. Then if you got carried away with your reaming in your two big developers just start over and put another bushing and but this assumes that the whole is the same size as the standard bushings but I have used this before if memory serves me it was on a upper pallet fork jewel for an 18 size as because it's really easy to break the 18 size either the pallet whole jewels or the escape wheel jewels because Jeff be extremely careful to have everything in alignment when you're putting the plates together which is why oftentimes will see the tools are cracked from people before you and putting the jewel in the setting acceded worked out quite nicely it wasn't as noticeable as one huge red Ruby jewel on a vintage plate

Look closely at the top image and you'll see there is in fact a cut out to allow the lifting of each of the three points.