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


MrBeam

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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

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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
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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?

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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 ;)

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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  • 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.

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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. 
 

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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?

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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

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