Jump to content

Opening a Tissot "UFO" - (use key 275 T)


MrBeam

Recommended Posts

Hi guys, I'm back with another case that I'm having trouble opening.

I have this really nice Tissot from the 70's, with the text (use key 275 T) on the back. I understand that this model requires the crystal to come off then remove the dial. It should be friction fit.

The trouble is that the "bezel" around the crystal makes it really hard to get a grip with a crystal lift. Does this bezel come off like a regular one? Last time I used force on something a broke a crown. So I want to be sure before starting to "experiment". Thanks!

 

IMG_20200911_104849655.thumb.jpg.c7a60e11bfdae9fc5d8e8b9c50dcf0a8.jpgIMG_20200911_104900803.thumb.jpg.5c4b3021bc40f7e97d7fae7d49a3e322.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

275T is an old bakelite bezel removing tool, unfortunately I'm not at my shop so I could take a picture right now., but these go quite often at Tradera and Ebay so a quick search would give you a general ide of these..
I can add a link
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TISSOT-Seastar-Seven-Vintage-Bakelite-Watch-Case-Bezel-Removing-Tool-Set-/283797633911

Edited by HSL
Added link
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, HSL said:

275T is an old bakelite bezel removing tool, unfortunately I'm not at my shop so I could take a picture right now., but these go quite often at Tradera and Ebay so a quick search would give you a general ide of these..
I can add a link
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TISSOT-Seastar-Seven-Vintage-Bakelite-Watch-Case-Bezel-Removing-Tool-Set-/283797633911

I see, so there is a tool to remove the bezel! Do you think there is a more manual way of prying it loose or do I have to find one of those?

Could the crystal lift work on the bezel perhaps?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, clockboy said:

A new one for me. It might be a split stem. However the bezal might lever come off which will expose more of the crystal. 

I've read somewhere that these usually don't have a split stem. Last time I made that mistake I broke the crown. That's why I'm doing more research this time ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, MrBeam said:

I've read somewhere that these usually don't have a split stem. Last time I made that mistake I broke the crown. That's why I'm doing more research this time ;)

I know for a fact that Tissot has produced some front loaders with one piece stems.  I  had a  Sea Star Seven front loader on which the dial feet were a friction fit into the movement so once the crystal was out of the way the dial could be lifted off. The  keyless works then had to be disassembled to remove the stem so that the movement could come out the front. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, Marc said:

I know for a fact that Tissot has produced some front loaders with one piece stems.  I  had a  Sea Star Seven front loader on which the dial feet were a friction fit into the movement so once the crystal was out of the way the dial could be lifted off. The  keyless works then had to be disassembled to remove the stem so that the movement could come out the front. 

I think it was your answer I've read :)
You wouldn't know if there is a safe DIY way to remove the bezel? If not I will have to purchase one of those keys.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, MrBeam said:

You wouldn't know if there is a safe DIY way to remove the bezel? If not I will have to purchase one of those keys.

Not with any certainty I'm afraid. If it was mine I would be inclined to do a bit of careful exploration with a case back knife to see if it could be safely lifted.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Removing the bezel was no problem, a little push and it was off!

New problem, the glass is armoured. Thus rendering my glass lift useless.

IMG_20200919_224329431.thumb.jpg.a2a58030b7a6156cad3a9d54d472fbbc.jpg

I wonder, how does the Tissot key actually work? I'm having a hard time seeing that it would open the glass better than my lift.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

37 minutes ago, MrBeam said:

I wonder, how does the Tissot key actually work? I'm having a hard time seeing that it would open the glass better than my lift.

The two tools has the same function, the Tissot tool just sqeezes the crystal with three bacelite blocks. 
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, HSL said:

 

The two tools has the same function, the Tissot tool just sqeezes the crystal with three bacelite blocks. 
 

But I've learned that using a crystal lift on a tension ring crystal is not good practice. Because of the risk of breaking the crystal. Is this wrong?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The chances to break it is greater since the "Claws" of the ordinary crystal lift will not spread the tension in the same way as if you used something that sqeezes over a bigger area. 
There are more universal tools out there but the price usually is higher but they are also better.
On this site you can see two other usefull tools , the air pump (will mosty not work on crystals with tension ring) and the Crystal wrench. The crystal wrench is the tool of choise for these jobbs.

http://thewatchspotblog.com/?p=2495

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • That would be something! Which brings me back to;  
    • you think you're going to sleep tonight you're not, you're going to ponder the question of what makes you think those of the right parts?  
    • Does anyone knows what size case a need for a dial diameter 20.60mm?
    • Sounds like the story with my Rolex. Poor (expensive) job done by an official Rolex dealer with an "in-house" watchmaker, hence I learned watchrepair and did the servicing myself. Same story as I learned with the Omega 861, again poor job by an "in-house" watchmaker by an official Omega dealer. Once your watch goes through that back-door, you have no idea what is going to happening to it 🫣   Quite nice that they sent back the parts which had been replaced !
    • yes that's definitely not right at all. I have a picture one of my friends has a Omega coaxial there was having issues to lose asking me where he should send it. As that's a specialty watch I suggested the service center. When he got it back he sent me a picture so the replace the dial as you can see the hands the mainspring barrel and I think the price was really quite decent considering all the stuff they can replace. So I do know they do change the barrels but the other person I worked at the service center when I would ask questions and unfortunately I can't remember all the answers. I think a lot of the changing a parts is at the discretion of the watchmaker. Plus I don't know enough about the chronographs and whether that would be considered a vintage watch? I take some of the vintage watches may have been sent directly to Switzerland or another service center. Obviously with a watch like the one down below they probably have a infinite supply of parts is its relatively modern vintage stuff becomes more interesting even the watch companies don't have necessarily infinite supply of parts. But no matter what the watch shouldn't disintegrated six months that's definitely an issue.        
×
×
  • Create New...