Omax Spaceman getting movement out of case

[quantieme]

Hi All, I have a Omax Spaceman and wonder if anyone can shed some light on the correct way to get the movement out of the case. You will note that it is out now and i originally assumed that the stem was a snap in stem but as you can se from the pics it is not. I gave it some leverage but it did not seem to want to move so i left it, I managed to get the movement out as the dial was loose and i could just get a screwdriver underneath to loosen a dial screw and the other one just levered out quite easily. By taking out the date wheel and disassembling  the keyless work I was able to lift out the setting lever which is a pressure push from the other side so clearly access is required from the balance side under normal circumstances. It has been suggested that the case back is tightly pressure fitted but I can see no way into it i.e no case knife slot etc and being black I did not want to mark it, I can see no evidence from inside either that would suggest it is meant to come off and i have also tried unscrewing it with suction dies. Any advice appreciated.

thanks tony

[ManSkirtBrew]

I don't have one of these myself (yet!), but I did just acquire one of the earlier oval shaped ones, so Spaceman has been on my radar.

I found this site that has pictures of the back taken off, and it does look like a snap back, but with a very deep channel for it to sit in. That might be why it doesn't look like it comes off from the inside.

 

Also, you might find this thread interesting which has a lot of good info about spotting fakes.

 

[quantieme]

15 hours ago, ManSkirtBrew said:

I don't have one of these myself (yet!), but I did just acquire one of the earlier oval shaped ones, so Spaceman has been on my radar.

I found this site that has pictures of the back taken off, and it does look like a snap back, but with a very deep channel for it to sit in. That might be why it doesn't look like it comes off from the inside.

 

Also, you might find this thread interesting which has a lot of good info about spotting fakes.

 

yes I think you are right, it has to be the answer. I will try and press it off from the inside with a die. My watch is original with a AS 2006 movement really good quality in fact the whole watch is beautiful. It is quite heavy and has a nice solid feel. I got it at a good price £170 because although the watch works the crown did not pull out properly which has turned out to be a broken setting lever, parts not cheap though, £50 for a new one.

thanks for the info.

having looked at the link you sent i am sure my case is a fake, the back definitely does not come off, I put it in a press and applied serious pressure and it is a one piece case which probably explains why the dial was loose as they put it in from the front. the movement and hands are certainly genuine but i now have doubts about the dial. Given what i paid I will probably repair it and keep it  as it is a cool looking watch.

[ManSkirtBrew]

A little more looking around, and it seems like there may have been a bunch of different backs, so that alone might not indicate a fake. It is, however, super strange that a front loader doesn't have a movement with a split stem.

 

[RichardHarris123]

Most of the front loaders I've worked on haven't had a  split stem.

[ManSkirtBrew]

7 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Most of the front loaders I've worked on haven't had a  split stem.

But they have some other way to get the movement out without needing access to the balance side, no? Like a cut in the side of the case or something.

In this case if the dial weren't already loose, how would @quantieme have gotten the movement out? Unscrew the crown and try to slip the stem through the case tube?

[RichardHarris123]

I think we're at cross purposes here.  I assumed you meant cases with removable backs that load from the front. 

[quantieme]

definitely this case back does not come off, it is a one piece so I think as i have said that the case is aftermarket although why they would make it like that baffles me. Having just repaired it and recased it  could only do it the way  took it out, from the front and putting the movement and stem in the case first, and assembling the keyless work back that way.

dial went in with access to only one dial screw if I tilted the movement out the other one remaining loose but held solid once top part of case went back on.

On 6/28/2023 at 7:02 PM, ManSkirtBrew said:

A little more looking around, and it seems like there may have been a bunch of different backs, so that alone might not indicate a fake. It is, however, super strange that a front loader doesn't have a movement with a split stem.

 

thats interesting would like to see if it is split stem but surely it must be.

[CTL]

Hi quantieme,

I believe I have the same Spaceman copy as you.  It looks great, but had problems from the start.  It could wind infinitely--I always remember wind-up watches reaching a limit when winding, but this one never stopped.  After a few weeks of running, it began stopping suddenly and sporadically.  Then the knob/stem fell off.  I was able to screw it back on, but then winding became difficult.

Are these some of the same symptoms yours had?  If so, was the repair very difficult?  Is there a way I can better secure the stem so it doesn't fall off?

I have zero watch repair experience besides replacing watch batteries.  In fact, when I first received this watch I attempted to replace its battery before realizing it winds up!  That's when I saw the movement is all one piece--the same as yours.

I noticed you removed all the hands and dial face from the movement.  Would it be possible to install a higher quality movement and reattach the face and hands?  I'm just thinking of ways to make this watch usable.

Thank you for any helpful information you can offer.

 

[Marc]

55 minutes ago, CTL said:

It could wind infinitely

If it's an automatic it is supposed to wind indefinitely. The main spring is coupled to the barrel via a sliding bridle so that the automatic winding system doesn't cause damage by trying to wind the spring beyond fully wound.

[ManSkirtBrew]

1 hour ago, CTL said:

Would it be possible to install a higher quality movement and reattach the face and hands?

The movement in @quantieme's picture looks like an A. Schild 2066 21-jewel Swiss movement. In my limited experience, that's a pretty decently high quality movement.

It sounds like you have more than one problem. Just so we all use the same names for things:

If your crown unscrewed from the stem, it can be screwed back on and held in place with a dab of Loctite. I think most folks use the blue, which is easily removable for repairs later, but I have very limited experience there.

If the stem has popped out of the movement, that's something else. The screw that holds it in place may be loose, or there may be something damaged inside.

If the watch stopped running sporadically, it could indicate something else wrong inside. Maybe a screw came loose and is getting into parts of the movement to stop it, maybe it just needs a good service.

Someone with experience would have to get in there and check it out.

Edited January 6 by ManSkirtBrew

[CTL]

Wow!  Thank you for your replies.  I had no idea how the winding mechanism worked.  If I get it running again I won't worry about that aspect.

I have learned more names for watch parts in the past 12 hours than I ever have.  The winding crown is the part that came loose.  I can try using Loctite.  Does the crown seal normally keep the crown in place so that Loctite isn't needed? 

[RichardHarris123]

The crown seal stops water and dirt from entering the case.  Loctite will work, you only need a tiny drop. 

[CTL]

Makes sense.  Thank you for the advice!  I'll try opening it up someday soon and see if there are any loose parts.