"Montblanc" 20 atmos - loose bezel

[odlmag]

Hi!

Ready for my first question here! Just came across this Mont Blanc diver (although not thinking there is any association with the pencil brand) and thought it looked really cool and in a nice size. Came with a ETA 2782 automatic movement, 25 jewels. 

However the bezel is not attached to the case anymore, and I haven't really done any case repairs before. Do you think it is repairable?

Googling "loose bezel" just returns a lot of info on how to TIGHTEN an already attached bezel. Not fixing a really loose bezel. It just sits on the case. (Maybe there is another expression for this?)

Both the case and the bezel have a groove. 

In the case groove there was some residue, don't know if it was an old dried gasket or just old glue. You can see it just below the bezel here:

I tried inserting one these springs from an Ebay case bezel into the bezel groove, but got no action when trying to press it on. That's the extent of my bezel knowledge. 

Anyone came across anything similar and have any recommendations?? Before I resort to my last resort and just glue it on, living with a fixed bezel (as I won't be going anywhere near diving with this anyway - and for pasta cooking I can still just use my phone timer) 

 

[odlmag]

Hi again,

Seems I'm at my own here

Anyway if someone else has the se problem best to let everyone know where I'm at and a possible solution. Trial and error has led me to believe that it should be a bezel spring there, since the one I have fits and sets the bezel onto the case. But veeery loosely. So I guess I'll have to try to make my own with a thicker spring wire! 

However I read on some other forum something along the lines that "70's bi-directional bezels were mostly pressure fit with a bezel gasket".

Would that be just a regular gasket with the "correct" dimensions or is that a special gasket of some kind? 

[Marc]

It looks like you have got the right type of bezel spring there but it may not be the right size.

These bezels can be fiddly to fit with the spring in place, especially if you don't have a press and are trying to do it by hand. You have to make sure that the spring stays properly located in the groove in the case all the way round, and then have to apply a fair bit of pressure, which is where the press comes in.