Vulcain repair

[toptime810]

Here is a beauty I have been working on

[watchweasol]

Hi  Very nice  I like watches with clean simple lines, classic.

[Koen1101]

Hello, all. Does anyone know how to remove the alarm button on one of these Vulcain Crickets? Mine is a cal 120 in a chromed case, with most of the chrome missing. I have the bezel and case ready to send to a company that re-chromes cases, but I would like to remove the alarm button first. But there is no clip on the inside of the case to release the button. Your kind assistance would be appreciated.

[jdm]

12 minutes ago, Koen1101 said:

 But there is no clip on the inside of the case to release the button.

Have you pressed the button and looked on its stem?

FYI we have dedicated section here where it's considered polite for new members to introduce themselves.

 

Edited March 5, 2020 by jdm

[watchweasol]

Hi Usually these buttons are held in by a micro clip, Press the button in and look at the end of the stem for the small clip. If its there put the case in a plastic bag and remove clip , that way if it springs off which it will surley do it will stay in the bag.   Cheers

[nickelsilver]

It could be the push piece is just frictioned in to the button, quite a few correctors on triple date watches for example are like that, it could also be screwed in despite the lack of a slot. I would say frictioned. The pusher tube is likely a press fit in the case, these can be quite challenging to get out. There are special tools for it though.

[Koen1101]

It seems friction fitted to me as well. There is definitely no clip. I've worked on a couple of chronographs, which invariably had those clips. This watch is older than what I am used to, though, and its (case) construction shows that, for better or for worse. Having repaired and serviced quite a few Seiko's from the sixties and seventies, I have been in situations where spare parts are very hard to find. However, in this case there seem to be no spare case parts available at all. Or am I mistaken? So I feel very nervous to try and extract what is likely to be a stainless steel tube from a brass case, neither of which I am likely to find a replacement for if things go wrong. Any suggestion is appreciated at this point... Many thanks.