My first inspection/maintenance attempt - Catena Spaceman (maybe fake)

[OCB]

Hi,

I’m going to attempt to get what I though was a rough/beaten up Catena Spaceman up and running - or at least a quick inspection before handing over to a professional, but after closer look - it might be a fake.

No matter, I will crack on!

I need to get it open to inspect it - most certainly it needs a clean and oiling.

my first snag - how to get into the movement. 

I don’t see anywhere obvious to remove the crown and stem.

nowhere on internet I can advice on this model all

Ideas?

[Nucejoe]

What makes you suspect it fake? 

It a front loader, two piece stem.

Pull the stem out to set position, place your tweezers between the case and the crown, pry open.  A nipper works too if you got one.

Reomve the crystal, pop the movement out.

[OCB]

16 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

What makes you suspect it fake? 

It a front loader, two piece stem.

Pull the stem out to set position, place your tweezers between the case and the crown, pry open.  A nipper works too if you got one.

Reomve the crystal, pop the movement out.

Cheers, I’ll check to see if there are any videos on YouTube for that. How do you know it’s a front loader, two piece - if you don’t mind me asking?

thoughts on it being fake are:

1. It’s black black, not black-brown. From what I’ve read, there was never a black model of this watch. 

2. So far, I’ve not seen any official variant that had Medana as the brand. My NoS version has Tressa Lux below the calendar - which is another hint...no calendar on this one either.

Even if it is fake, that alone will be interesting

 

[Nucejoe]

Many brand names went on spaceman dials, movements are mostly AS and rarely ST 96. I am pretty sure you got a genuine piece.

Save the strap , impossible to find, any replacement would de-value the piece,  the crystal is rare and expensive polish it if you can,  the watch is sought after, though not as much as audessiuse version.

The case has no removable back.

Good luck.

 

 

 

[OCB]

Stem and crown off - is it a ziplock and syringe job to pop the crystal off?

Interesting comment on the strap. I have seen reproduction straps. As it’s a watch I plan to wear semi- regularly, I was planning to get a replacement, but obviously keep the original if I ever planned to move it on.

Polishing and cleaning to come after the mechanics obviously

[OCB]

Disaster.

last weekend I put the partly disassembled watch on work tray, on my dining room table as in the mornings the light is perfect.

Cat saw me for once sitting at the dining table, and wanted to see what I was doing.Young dog got jealous - jumped to get the cat, tray got tipped over - and I heard something hit the window just behind me.

2h later I gave up trying to find the crown and stem

Lesson to self - my basement workshop might be depressing (it’s where I’ve worked every day during Covid), but it’s kid and animal free....

I keep meaning to restart the work - but I’m so annoyed that 1 second of cat/dog nonsense lost a watch part, quite literally inches from my head.