Search the Community

I'm in the late stages of fixing up this TV cased Timex. It has a conventionally circular acrylic crystal, but ground or molded to the TV shape in the center. Luckily it responded well enough to polishing that I don't need to replace it. But this watch came into my possession assembled with the crystal loosely placed into the case, with a thin gasket between its circular flange and the case interior. When the movement is installed, the dial's outer edge presses the crystal slightly into the gasket, but not enough to seal at all. The crystal does not snap into place or fit under any friction; it falls right out when the movement comes out. I assume it's the original, if only because its implausible someone would've ever replaced a weirdo crystal on this $25 watch. Do you think I should just glue this crystal in with hypo cement? Or maybe try a thicker gasket to put more pressure against it? It only has a snap-on caseback. Sandwiching it in loosely with the gasket doesn't seem like the right solution. Any water resistance at all is a secondary goal to a watch that doesn't fall to pieces when the caseback comes off. And it's staying in my own collection.