Jump to content

Crown Threading Problem: Crown or Crown Tube? [Sinn U1]


Recommended Posts

Hello all,

First, I went to mention that I'm quite grateful for the help I've received on using alum to remove a broken stem from a crown on an earlier forum post.

I do have a question regarding a watch that I'm considering buying, and I'd appreciate any insights the forum might be able to offer. If this sort of question is not appropriate for this forum, please let me know and feel free to delete it, mods!

Specifically, I am considering buying a German diving watch a (Sinn U1) that uses an ETA 2824-2 movement. This watch was purchased new in 2012, and has been serviced most recently in August 2018 by a local watch repairer. This sounds fine to me, given the common movement. It is, apparently, "keeping good time," and all of the normal crown/stem functions are working well (adjusting the time, adjusting the date, hacking the seconds, and manually winding the movement). Fairly or unfairly, older versions of this watch using ETA 2824-2s have a higher perceived value than younger examples since the company has switched to Sellita SW 200-1 movements.

Unfortunately, the seller has reported that the watch crown is not screwing into the case properly

Quote

The crown basically will not screw down. It will catch maybe one thread to hold it in and thats how I have stored it since the problem started occurring a couple of weeks ago.

I've asked some follow up questions, and got this additional information:

Quote

I bought it back in 2019 and I didn't have this crown issue until about 3 weeks ago and once it started feeling a little threaded it became nearly fully threaded within a few times of unscrewing and screwing, it was kind of scary and disappointing at the sane time.

...  and

Quote

the crown looks fine for threading but the tube does look worn and that's what they told me when I took it in.

To me, this problem appears to be either that the watch needs a new crown and stem (an easy fix), or a new crown tube (which sounds much more difficult to me). I asked the seller if he had an opinion as to whether the problem was with the crown or the crown tube, and he stated:

Quote

Its hard to tell honestly I see threading on both the crown and the tube. But when I first started seeing the problem there were these tiny metal shavings and they appeared to be darker metal (like the crown), I believe the tube is stainless, so I would also hope that it would be the crown. I did go to my local jeweler and thats where I got the appraisal for $50 for the crown and $150 for crown and stem but that may vary a little bit depending on where you go.

///

So, my question to the group is whether this sounds like an easy crown/stem replacement, or a crown tube problem? This specific watch is a Sinn U1, which does not use normal 316L stainless steel. I have no idea whether the crown tube can be replaced independently from the case, or whether the entire case would need to be replaced. Does anyone have any insights here? Unfortunately, the seller has not provided any photos of the crown / stem / tube that might be helpful in figuring out this situation. Would it help to ask for some? I don't think this seller would be comfortable removing the crown/stem from the movement. Poor photo of the movement provided, just for context.

This watch is several hundred dollars cheaper than other examples, and I'm trying to determine if it represents a real cost-savings (if the repair is easy) or whether I'd be better off waiting for a better example. In either event, I'd probably be sending the watch back to its manufacturer or its authorized repair partner in the US (RGM watches) for service. I'm just worried about the bill -- will it be a few hundred dollars for a new crown and stem, or some significantly higher number if the case needs to be replaced.

Thanks in advance for any advice you all might be able to share.

All the best,

Dan

sinn-u1-ETA2824-2.jpg

Edited by dpn
Clarity
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Update:

I've confirmed that the crowntube can be replaced on this watch without needing to replace the entire case. That's a relief. Buying the parts is another question entirely, and I've reached out to Sinn to see if I can buy them directly or whether they'll only sell them in connection with a factory service.

... and now to see how hard it is to replace a crowntube! I'm not at all worried about replacing the crown/stem, but I've never attempted a crowntube before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, rodabod said:

In my experience, replacing either the pendant tube or crown will often make it work acceptably well again. 
 

Getting parts could be tricky. 

Interesting -- so it'd be worth trying just replacing the crown and seeing if this fixes the problem? That'd be awesome, as that's an easy and inexpensive fix.

You're right about the parts availability:

I've reached out to both Sinn and Sinn's US repair parter (RGM watches) to see if either will sell me the parts directly. Sinn's US AD will not sell the parts, and essentially said that the watch would undoubtedly need a $750 full overhaul performed only by Sinn-trained technicians in addition to the crown/stem/crowntube replacement. There's nothing unique about the 2824-2 movement in question, so I'm taking this recommendation with a huge grain of salt. That said, the crowntube might be proprietary or weird enough to complicate this repair. And, of course, I'd be putting the correct crown on the watch.

Fingers crossed that either Sinn or RGM would be willing to sell me the parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick update in case anyone is curious:

The specific watch I was looking at was sold to another buyer.

After more research, I'm convinced that replacing the crown tube (or is it properly called the case tube or pendant tube?), would have been a pretty straightforward task with the correct tools and technique.

If I weren't concerned with using factory parts, generic parts are readily available. I'm starting to understand the frustration I've read about obtaining factory parts from the Swatch group!

Obtaining the correct parts would have been a challenge. The US Sinn AD wouldn't sell me the parts, and Sinn responded to my request to purchase the parts by referring me back to the US AD. The Sinn US repair partner, RGM, hasn't responded to my parts inquiry yet.

Although I wasn't destined to purchase this specific watch, this has been a fascinating research exercise. Thank you @rodabod for your helpful hint on this repair.

Cheers,

Dan

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • people be honest.... Swatch is evil for the watchmakers and repairers, BUT not everything in watches from Switzerland is from the Swatch-Group. As far as i know, Selitta got sacked by Swatch as a Movement-Assembler for them and they started to produce Movements in their own Name with slight Modifications. As far as i know, they sell Parts to the Market for their Movements. In most cases, if a ETA-Movement fails, it is a valid Option to replace it with a Selitta Movement, which i consider the Solution for this Mess with the Swatch-Group...... I have no Connection to anybody at Selitta, but being a Swiss-Guy, i still like to have Swiss-Made Watches, but not from the Swatch-Group.   ok ? regards, Ernst
    • Just one more greedy act by Swatch. They started a number of years ago here in the US..cutting off supplies to watchmakers that could build complications that many Swatch houses couldn't even touch. Old school masters who had gone through some of the most prestigious houses in the world. Otto Frei has some statements on their page about it. I tell all my customers to avoid new Swiss watches like the plague,..unless they just want an older one in their collection that still has some parts out on the market, or they have really deep pockets and don't mind waiting months and paying through the nose to get it back. Plenty of others to choose from..IE Seiko,..or other non-swiss brands Even a number of Chinese brands are catching up with the Swiss,..and I think that in time, their actions will be their downfall
    • Yes. If that's not what you are experiencing...start looking for something rubbing. A 1st guess is that one of the hands is rubbing against the hole in the center of the dial. Especially if you now have lower amplitude in face up/ face down positions.
    • Once a movement has the dial and hands put back and it is recased, would you expect the assembled watch to have the same amplitude as when the movement is in a movement holder and is without hands and dial? Thanks
    • C07641+ not sure what the "+" is for after the last digit.
×
×
  • Create New...