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I have a Hamilton T-502 with an issue in the keyless works that may or may not be rust related. It does not have the original signed crown, so a bad stem seal is a possible cause. From the back of the movement i don't see any rust stains, but sometimes a little nugget of dark crud falls out. The basic symptom is that the crown always winds the watch, but also is not released when i unscrew the stem release screw. By taking the spacer ring out of the watch i can finagle things so that i can grip the stem with a pair of hemostats, and i attempted to remove the crown but was unsuccessful - it just spun within the grip of the hemostat. Possible solutions i can think of: Cut the stem and source another. I'd rather not. Apply a small drop of solvent where the stem meets the crown in hopes that some fool glued it on and i can break the glue. Apply a small drop of penetrating oil where the stem meets the crown. Apply extreme heat very locally at the crown itself -- I have a temperature-controlled hot air wand with a set of nozzles. Further ideas?

Cannot release stem Armitron 20/xXxX I have tried pushing a pin in the hole by the arrow and the other nearby holes. Any help appreciated.