Hamilton 974 stuck case ring screw

[JackH]

I have been trying to disassemble this Hamilton 974 pocket watch and have run into a screw wanting to stay in the ring. The ring is just below the dial and there are three screws that attach it.  I was able to get two of the screws out. The remaining screw is not rusted or corroded, it spins freely and I hear a click when unscrewing it. It is not stripped and tightens down easily. The screw head seems to be a bit tight for me to remove the screw. I have tried rodico and gravity but it seems to want to stay in the ring. If anyone has any ideas on how to get this out, I would appreciate it. My experience is mainly with wrist watches. This is my first pocket watch and I do not want to damage anything.

Thanks,

John

[RichardHarris123]

Try gluing the flat end of a screwdriver blade to it. May not work but worth a try. 

[JackH]

I will give that a try. Thanks for your help!

I was able to remove the screw. (I did not realize that they were dial screws). There were four of them but only three are used for the dial feet. I was able to carefully remove the dial and then slip a pin in the dial foot hole and move the screw out.

I will be sure and polish the screw when re-assembling it so it does not happen again.