First time to order replacement crystal - overwhelmed

[Charette]

Hi all,

it is the first time for me to order a replacement acrylic crystal and I am finding all of the options a bit overwhelming. 
I am in Canada so am looking at the Perrin crystal catalogue. None of the selections give crystal height - I think I am looking at a high-dome, but it would be ideal to confirm through measurement.

They also make reference to a GS catalogue, which I cannot find on their site but have found elsewhere. Are these the most common/available crystals? 
The crystal I am looking to replace is still in one piece so I can measure it. I am quite sure it has ‘no step’.

It is just the height that is catching me up mainly. Can anyone advise where they order crystals from if in Canada, or otherwise point me in the right direction on researching what I need?

Thank you

[grsnovi]

Give this video a viewing (and take notes and capture links). At 22:37 he talks about http://tiptopcrystals.com although I have never used them.

GS Crystals manufactures acrylic crystals and their numbering system and designation is common.

Edited September 12, 2022 by grsnovi

[Charette]

4 hours ago, grsnovi said:

Give this video a viewing (and take notes and capture links). At 22:37 he talks about http://tiptopcrystals.com although I have never used them.

GS Crystals manufactures acrylic crystals and their numbering system and designation is common.

Thank you - could you share the video link please?

 

[grsnovi]

I'm sorry:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viq9-V1sv7M

[Neverenoughwatches]

8 hours ago, Charette said:

Hi all,

it is the first time for me to order a replacement acrylic crystal and I am finding all of the options a bit overwhelming. 
I am in Canada so am looking at the Perrin crystal catalogue. None of the selections give crystal height - I think I am looking at a high-dome, but it would be ideal to confirm through measurement.

They also make reference to a GS catalogue, which I cannot find on their site but have found elsewhere. Are these the most common/available crystals? 
The crystal I am looking to replace is still in one piece so I can measure it. I am quite sure it has ‘no step’.

It is just the height that is catching me up mainly. Can anyone advise where they order crystals from if in Canada, or otherwise point me in the right direction on researching what I need?

Thank you

Hi Charette. Post up some pictures of the watch and the crystal you are replacing so we can have a better idea of what you are doing. Seiko diver ? old divers are armoured crystals that have an inner strengthening ring. What tool will you be using to replace the crystal ? 

Edited September 13, 2022 by Neverenoughwatches

[Charette]

8 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Hi Charette. Post up some pictures of the watch and the crystal you are replacing so we can have a better idea of what you are doing. Seiko diver ? old divers are armoured crystals that have an inner strengthening ring. What tool will you be using to replace the crystal ? 

Thanks - here are some photos. (Have not cleaned the case yet). This is a birks dress watch. I saw my retro watches on YouTube did a bulova with a strikingly similar case. 
 

I was planning to use a watch crystal lift. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Charette said:

Thanks - here are some photos. (Have not cleaned the case yet). This is a birks dress watch. I saw my retro watches on YouTube did a bulova with a strikingly similar case. 
 

I was planning to use a watch crystal lift. 

This looks like high dome crystal, the crystal lifts are good for replacing these.  Use a vernier gauge to measure the diameter and take a few measurements around to get an average of the size. Its normally good practice to order a size above and below to compensate for inaccuracies. 

[Charette]

Thanks. Am I seeing things right that on esslinger they aren’t showing any stepless crystals? 
I think I assumed these would be a lot easier to track down! 
Perrin has told me all GS crystals are $27 each. That seems high based on what I have seen online, along with the suggestion to buy multiple sizes.

[JohnR725]

20 minutes ago, Charette said:

stepless crystals

the reason why the step is in the crystal is so they can grab it with the crystal lift. If you don't have a step you need some way to space the lift up to grab the crystal. In other words you can't just randomly grab a smooth sided crystal and have it work usually the crystal lifts will come with complete. I swiped a picture off cousins websites you can see what the plate is for holding a crystal **BLEEP** will raise it up if it doesn't have a step. Then at one time there are other types of Crystal lifts more suitable for crystals without the step. Then the step really doesn't bother it's not a big step is usually in the recess of the case anyway so you probably won't see it.

20 minutes ago, Charette said:

Perrin has told me all GS crystals are $27 each. That seems high based on what I have seen online,

if you think the price is high just purchased them some where else.

much material houses and pricing art interesting place. Depending upon what it is can often be cheaper than eBay other times they'll be more expensive than sources like eBay.

For instance here's a place that has your crystals for a really nice price

https://mccawcompany.com/product/phd-hi-dome-plastic-watch-crystal/

https://www.esslinger.com/gs-watch-crystal-phd-hi-dome/

 

 

[Charette]

1 hour ago, JohnR725 said:

the reason why the step is in the crystal is so they can grab it with the crystal lift. If you don't have a step you need some way to space the lift up to grab the crystal. In other words you can't just randomly grab a smooth sided crystal and have it work usually the crystal lifts will come with complete. I swiped a picture off cousins websites you can see what the plate is for holding a crystal **BLEEP** will raise it up if it doesn't have a step. Then at one time there are other types of Crystal lifts more suitable for crystals without the step. Then the step really doesn't bother it's not a big step is usually in the recess of the case anyway so you probably won't see it.

if you think the price is high just purchased them some where else.

much material houses and pricing art interesting place. Depending upon what it is can often be cheaper than eBay other times they'll be more expensive than sources like eBay.

Thanks John. I do also have that little plate to lift the lift jaws.

You've taught me something here - I thought that the step was to fit into a groove in the case - not to facilitate lift with the crystal lift. I was certainly noticing with the original damaged crystal, the lift will not get a grip. Will research crystals tonight.

[JohnR725]

one of the problems that comes up with crystal hunting is there is a lot of them. If you look in the GS catalog page after page after page of specialty shaped crystals and these are only supposed the most common ones. They're not going to have every single obscure shape out there.

then over the years are variety of Crystal manufacturing companies that will have slightly different shapes and styles. Like your Crystal without the lip somebody once made that impossibly somebody still making it out there somewhere.

then you basically end up with a heck of a lot of crystals and an awful lot of them will never get used. Probably one of the reasons some material houses charge what they do is they could have literally thousands of crystals waiting for a new home but no one may ever ask about them.

then watchmakers to have an assortment GS used to make crystal cabinets like the images I have attached. You go into a watch shop and they usually have several of those. Filled with all the various assortments they purchased over time. You'll notice in the smaller image you can see the sections in the separate crystals.

then there's interesting problem with these crystal cabinets today. They'll become acquired and somebody will attempt to sell them. The look at all the pretty crystals in their cabinet and decide they're going to retire off selling these crystal cabinets. I was at a watch and clock shop once were somebody explain to some people it had been about five or six of these things. Explained that yes are filled with crystals yes the brand-new yes they cost this much to purchase brand-new. But they're all basically worthless. That's because they're still in the cabinet because no one is ever used them.

I was going to recommend cousins and cousins has crystal catalog PDFs but I'm not seeing what I'm looking for there? So I have another link so we can get part numbers then you can see where else you could purchase them if you don't want to purchase them from this place.

okay casually the pictures look right for the crystal you need in other words you want the crystal without the lip price looks good and Jan that I'm not you deal with what you have here cousin should have the same thing if you can figure out what all the numbers mean it be nice if we do catalog who.

I should probably rewrite this but I'm not going to being annoyed with the link below and cousins having the catwalk fragmented across a whole bunch of sections I found a complete It's attached. college to study the catalog of the link below catalog is also interesting in the very back tools.

https://www.hswalsh.com/manufacturers/1251

 

 

 

Sternkreuz_Sternkreuz_Gesamtkatalog_G22 watch crystal glass.pdf

[canthus]

Check out Cousins in UK for info on these domed acrylic crystals. May be able to source locally.

Sternkreuz HH or HWS (has step) may fit.  Very high dome HH.

BSL BHD also available in some sizes.

[Anthony7]

having exactly the same problem, but I have decided to go to a jewelers/Watch repair shop and let them do all the umming and arring over what it is I need...

The catalogues are impenetrable for the beginner so its maybe best to let someone with years of experience advise you on this. 
But what strikes me as odd is that everything else in watchmaking is precision to the enth til it comes to the crystal, then there is merely, buy two or three til you get it right...ridiculous...

[JohnR725]

2 hours ago, Anthony7 said:

having exactly the same problem, but I have decided to go to a jewelers/Watch repair shop and let them do all the umming and arring over what it is I need...

this is where depending upon where you live in the planet if you had access to watch material house often times that they will do that. When I used to work in downtown Seattle we would just take all the watches it needed crystals and put all the cases in the tray in the go downstairs and then later that come back all with crystals.

One of the material houses it still left in Seattle originally started when the father branched off from working at all the other material houses and he just went into the crystal business. It would supply crystals the watchmakers as he recognized the need. Then they recognize the need for the watchmakers having another material house so we launched his own material house which is.are still runs to this day. And yes she's really good at understanding and fitting crystals. But she is not online like a lot of material houses probably are never used to being wholesale to the trade only.

[Anthony7]

Well to be honest with you when it comes to retailing, America is light years ahead of Europe in every respect. You have the large big box stores like Walmart and the rest that everyone knocks but uses nonetheless and lot of small specialised stores and you can buy any autopart you need that day mostly and they'll lend you the special tools to fit it...

Whereas in Europe it's still all a bit hogwarts, small specialised shops if there are any in your vicinity. (personally I have just moved to Lisbon and its environs, so if anyone knows of any in that area please do let me know) and specialised retailers in the major cities like London that have been around since the year dot and are struggling often to get their often extensive catalogues online or can't be too bothered with it...
Often also only dealing with the trade and not with hobbyists like myself.

The vintage Cauny watch that I bought and restored I ended up putting the old crystal back on it for now, as looking through a million crystals that all look the same but are slightly different just phased me.
So I may go to a jewelers and pick their brains as to what they can order me, as I see this kind of like an auto parts thing...
I need a middle man to fish out what i need as he is an expert in that field with a lot of years experience.

As when it comes to parts the watch world is a bit weird at times as ordering two or three crystals to get the right sized one just irritates me.
I dont think i'd like ordering 3 starter motors for my car to get the right fit...
But that's the Swiss up and down for you isnt it, they can't help themselves from being secretive and oblique with information about everything...lol.
even when they are trying to sell something.