Anyone having experience with this glass press?

[VWatchie]

My experience with the handheld cheap Chinese glass presses on eBay is truly poor, and I've come to learn that I'm not alone. Yesterday I was struggling with it for over 30 minutes to fit an armoured glass in a Vostok Amphibian before giving up. At that point, while still holding it in my hand looking at it with disdain, I thought: "What a piece of utter rubbish!".

Anyway, what I'd really want would be a Robus press, but gosh, that would be over £500 with the die set (tax included, excluding shipping)! So, I found this tool "Professional spindle press for housings and glasses with twenty-four inserts" on eBay for £72. It sure sounds promising, but it would be great with a review, or if none can be had your opinion.

[jdm]

That is the Indian copy of an MKS 46610 (famous Japanese brand), I got one as clearance from Germany and paid maybe less than that. If you use the search function you should find my posting.

Edited June 17, 2019 by jdm

[rogart63]

Have a Sternkreuz press i use for most glasses. Love it. I bought a second one on tradera some month ago for spares.  Also have an other which looks like a Robur but not 100% sure it's a Robur. Was thinking i could make an adapter  so i could use some other dies as the Robur ones cost a lot of money. Maybe i can part with that as i have to many presses anyway. 

 

[rogart63]

Not sure it's a Robur ? Have some up and down movement so need to have a shim made .

[praezis]

12 hours ago, VWatchie said:

So, I found this tool "Professional spindle press for housings and glasses with twenty-four inserts" on eBay for £72. 

These (Indian) presses nearly all are poorly bored: axis of upper and lower die are neither same nor parallel. That makes problems like you had.

Better go for used pro presses as advised before.

Frank

[oldhippy]

You really cannot skimp on a watch fitting glass tool. You need to have one that you can trust and get the repair done without worrying about is it going to work. The cheap tools will not do a good job, they do not fit properly, and they break, not lined up and will not last long. Buy the best and it will last a lifetime. I had many including the Robur. It is necessary have tool.

[jdm]

3 hours ago, praezis said:

These (Indian) presses nearly all are poorly bored: axis of upper and lower die are neither same nor parallel. That makes problems like you had.

I have no problems with mine. you had one or are you speaking with the usual prejudice about Asian tools? 

Another type I recommend is the Aluminum one withe the screw in between pillars.

No need to spend big money or go hunting vintage when it comes to decent tools. 

 

[VWatchie]

If money wasn't an issue, I'd go for a high-quality press. As oldhippy says: "Buy the best and it will last a lifetime". Not only that, over time high-quality tools are the most inexpensive as you never have to replace them. Being a hobbyist though I have no idea how many crystals I'll be needing to replace. It is a predicament, and as per usual I really don't want to wait until that perfect used tool becomes available for auction, and then I might still lose the bidding.

Haven't really made up my mind, but I'm leaning towards giving the press I linked to a chance. The seller has a 100 % reputation and the description says: "Heavy and precise spindle press for safe pressing in of glasses, for careful positioning of steady rests and for safe closing of pressed housing bottoms. Extremely precise work due to finest spindle actuation." The seller also claims: "Proven Ernst Westphal Premium Quality - we only supply with products which meet our high standards as a traditional German wholesale specialist for fine watchmaking and jewelry supply for more than one hundred and twenty years." Plus covered by the "eBay Money Back Guarantee".

It would have been interesting to read the post @jdmwas referring to but (as usual) I'm unable to find it...

Edited June 18, 2019 by VWatchie

[VWatchie]

 

 

1

22 minutes ago, jdm said:

I have no problems with mine. you had one or are you speaking with the usual prejudice about Asian tools? 

Another type I recommend is the Aluminum one withe the screw in between pillars.

No need to spend big money or go hunting vintage when it comes to decent tools. 

 

That's a valid and interesting question and I'd like to know as well. Being a Swed and consequently naive (as our genius prime minister put it a few years ago) I just assumed there was personal experience behind the statement, so yes, let's make sure!

[jdm]

1 hour ago, VWatchie said:

It would have been interesting to read the post @jdmwas referring to but (as usual) I'm unable to find it...

It's a pinned topic, all the most used tools have one. And this very thread is a great candidate to be merged there.

 

[matabog]

I have this one and it is very nice!

 

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F142718220541

[jdm]

1 hour ago, matabog said:

I have this one and it is very nice!

If I'm not wrong it has no lever neither screw, which means some tight crystal, caseback or rotating bezel  will not go in place with the limited direct force. The dies are few and have a threaded hole, so one would have to make new ones to be use correct size or hollow ones.
As common with Chinese products it can be found cheaper elsewhere https://www.aliexpress.com/item/E25-Watch-Case-Press-Tool-High-Quality-Desk-Set-Watch-Pressing-Machine-for-watchmakers/32850805250.html

[matabog]

even a better price on ali

 

Actually it is a screw type press. Rotating the round knob (or wheel - it is about 6cm in diameter) the working piece descends, without rotating.

The tool provides a lot of control.

You need M6-hole dies, which I suppose are standard.

 

[matabog]

Somewhere on this forum, a kind colleague of ours, posted pictures with the tool disassembled. I can't find the thread but I saved the pictures. Here is on of them:

[jdm]

16 minutes ago, matabog said:

You need M6-hole dies, which I suppose are standard.

These are nice alu+nylon https://www.aliexpress.com/item/8PCS-Precision-Watch-Nylon-Dies-For-Press-Fitting-steel-ring-for-rolex-repair-tool/32794479036.html

[praezis]

20 hours ago, jdm said:

I have no problems with mine. you had one or are you speaking with the usual prejudice about Asian tools? 

I used to import them from India for years and know their tools very well. There were tools that I didn't touch and tools that were ok and usable. I could examine them at the exporter's site,  the customer here has to try and error.

Frank

Edited June 19, 2019 by praezis

[VWatchie]

With the tool I'm considering buying, do you know if the die is rotating with the screw/wheel when rotated, as I've tried to illustrate in image B, or if it stands still as I've tried to illustrate in image A?

 

[jdm]

2 minutes ago, praezis said:

I used to import them from India for years and know their tools very well. There were tools that I didn't touch and tools that were ok and usable. I could examine them at the exporter's site,  the customer here has to try and error.

Every batch of items made in a low tech / no QC factory may come out different. The press I got has castings defects, so it was sold for a discount. Now the Chinese largely use CNC and QC had improved.

Good to know you were in tool business, still you are? 

[jdm]

5 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

With the tool I'm considering buying, do you know if the die is rotating with the screw/wheel when rotated, 

Of course it doesn't, otherwise I could not have said that it works.

However I recommend that you consider the other one posted above, which is more sophisticated and not so unnecessarily heavy. That original MKS is after all a something dating back to the 60's easily. 

[VWatchie]

 

 

 

13 minutes ago, praezis said:

I used to import them from India for years and know their tools very well. There were tools that I didn't touch and tools that were ok and usable. I could examine them at the exporter's site,  the customer here has to try and error.

Frank

Thanks! Do you have any personal experience with the tool that I show in my previous post (and provided a link to in my first post)? If so your opinion would be much appreciated!

[VWatchie]

4 minutes ago, jdm said:

Of course it doesn't, otherwise I could not have said that it works.

However I recommend that you consider the other one posted above, which is more sophisticated and not so unnecessarily heavy. That original MKS is after all a something dating back to the 60's easily. 

Thanks! I knew it was a "stupid" question, but I've had too many tool disappointments during the past two years (that I've been doing this) that I no longer dare to take anything for granted.

Yes, that other tool looks like a very good option, but then I would have to order dies separately. I don't really mind that, but I have much too little experience to know what to get. The ones you listed look nice, but then I can't determine if that's what I need, how I can tell if they will fit without some modification or extras, if it's just for Rolex watches, or if... and so on... You get the picture 

Anyway, if you guys can provide me with a link to a nice set of dies that will fit without modifications to the tool or the dies that will cover most common needs I'll order it without a moment's hesitation 

[jdm]

2 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

Thanks! I knew it was a "stupid" question, but I've had too many tool disappointments during the past two years (that I've been doing this) that I no longer dare to take anything for granted.

Yes, that other tool looks like a very good option, but then I would have to order dies separately. I don't really mind that, but I have much too little experience to know what to get. The ones you listed look nice, but then I can't determine if that's what I need, how I can tell if they will fit without some modification or extras, if it's just for Rolex watches, or if... and so on... You get the picture 

Anyway, if you guys can provide me with a link to a nice set of dies that will fit without modifications to the tool or the dies that will cover most common needs I'll order it without a moment's hesitation 

Is not that difficult really. As Matabog noted, dies threaded M6 are standard. The nice expensive set have their Dia. specified, the Chinese write Rolex just to indicate quality, but we know that true Rolex-specific dies are for the screw-on case-backs ...that's another story.

Then on AliX search  "watchmaker dies", 20 pieces nylon are like$8, aluminium quite a bit more. I personally choose based on shipping times, things have improved but China post is still very slow, HK, NL post are OK, 7-10 days. 

[praezis]

JDM,
 

Quote

Good to know you were in tool business, still you are? 

No, does no more pay.

VWatchie,
no personal experience, that type is a newer one. But it has the Indian look.

Frank

[oldhippy]

I have been reading the comments on this thread with interest.

I had loads of tools for removing crystals and backs of watches.

Today you only need a few, but make sure they are the best that you can buy. If not they will not work, they will break and damage the crystals. You need tools that you can trust. For removing backs, the last photo. 

[jdm]

46 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Today you only need a few, but make sure they are the best that you can buy.

Correct, I'm sure readers can appreciate a detailed discussion with the reasons why something is good or not.
Also I agree with your recommendation about using a  double-handed, four-points hand wrench, that can be a good alternative to a bench opener, but will require a vise and a good holder - see below.
Since these have become kind of rare, here two links for buying new

• Chinese from Cousins £22.95+ VAT and S&H https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/double-handed-up-to-060mm
• Same from AliX $27 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32862783435.html - I'm thinking of getting one myself.

And, to demonstrate how Brand and Price do not necessarily equate to function and practically, here's something that i think is really stupid. https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/straight-double-arm-up-to-054mm-bergeon-polygonal
After speeding £150 must be deluding to learn that a 2 points hand-held will easily slip and scratch the case-back.

Common issues with all these is holding the watch tight. Forget about plastic and metal holders with round posts, the watch will always push up and leave. What really works for me is a wooden one https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32995883552.html

Edited June 19, 2019 by jdm