Replacement tension ring diameter too large - rookie mistake (?)

[fixermole]

What is the best course of action for the following problem?

This Gruen Precision auto with an AS 2063 movement needed a new crystal so I replaced it with a GS Ever-tite, and it went in fine. It was placed aside while I waited on a part from Europe. During this time, I tossed the old crystal and retaining ring during a cleaning binge (I should know better by now).

When I cased the movement, the dial dropped right through. Turns out the dial is 28.4 mm and the new retaining ring is 28.7 mm in diameter.

I've never had this happen before. Could this be a defective tension ring or do they come in different sizes? Do some watches have wider rings? I haven't called the supply houses yet.

Just looking for suggestions. I'll know to check next time.

[LittleWatchShop]

2 minutes ago, fixermole said:

during a cleaning binge

Oh boy...never throw ANYTHING away.

[AlexanderToerzs]

LittleWatchShop is right. It's a natural phenomenon like gravity or the refraction of light: if you throw something away you will need it desperately in less then ten days.

Cheers from Hamburg 

Alex

[Graziano]

Hi there ,I think what you actually threw out was not a tension ring but a dial ring that fits inside the back of the case,on the opposite side of where the crystal sits with just enough width to stop the movement coming out the front .You wont notice it unless you're looking for it .Looks very similar to a tension ring just a bit wider 

Edited March 25, 2021 by Graziano

[fixermole]

8 hours ago, Graziano said:

not a tension ring but a dial ring

Graziano, et al.,

Is there another common name for "dial ring" you mention? It would help in my further searching and education.

Below is a pic during disassembly. The original was definitely thicker than the replacement but not by much, but we all know microns are big in watches. The original was fit inside the crystal like a tension ring so I just made a bad assumption.

If anyone has any good ideas where to source something like this, other than getting lucky on a donor watch, let me know. Cheers.

[KOwatch]

I endorse: Never throw anything away

I've got a watch with a tension ring acrylic crystal that provides a flange for the dial, and I've had some issues with the tension ring Inner Diameter because I replaced the dial. The old ring covers up some of the markings on the new dial, and the narrower-ring replacement crystal seems to leave a gap between the dial and the case.

There's a few versions of the crystal from Sternkreuz with at least 2 different widths of the tension ring, the ATC (regular) and ATCB (wide). They don't seem to give exact specs on the ring IDs, but the wide version is maybe double the ring width of the ATC version. There's also diver's (ATCT) and recessed (ATCR) versions that may be different again? Not sure, you'd have to try them out and measure.