Bent lugs on 10k rolled gold plate case - 1959 Bulova President "A"

[ManSkirtBrew]

Looks like someone really squeezed the lugs down on this guy. At the case the lugs are 18mm apart. At the ends they're 16 and 15.5mm.

Before I snap them off trying to fix it, is this something I'd be better off bringing to a local jeweler instead, or can it safely be done at home?

[oldhippy]

Do you know what the case is made of? 

[RichardHarris123]

How are lungs held on? Are they soldered?  Heat would help but if soldered too much heat would melt the solder.

[ManSkirtBrew]

34 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Do you know what the case is made of? 

Looks like brass from the inside.

30 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

How are lungs held on? Are they soldered?  Heat would help but if soldered too much heat would melt the solder.

I haven't a clue. I was thinking heat, but I'm also thinking discretion may be the better part of valor here. I'll have a chat with my local jeweler this week and let you know what he has to say.

[oldhippy]

If it is brass then you can bend them out. 

[CYCLOPS]

I normally just bend them back to specs by eye with soft-jawed pliers, sometimes the area where the lug is attached has enough material to also grab and that would take the pressure off of the solder joint, I have also seen a spreader used.....good luck and Happy New Year

[ManSkirtBrew]

My jeweler gave me the same advice. He said he'd just do the same thing I could do at home.

So I put some tape on my smooth-jaw pliers and gently started bending. I got them just open enough for an 18mm strap.

After some careful reshaping of the hour hand, some crystal struggles, and a little more lug tweaking, it sure looks nice on my wrist.

[Waggy]

I had a strange thought strike me that maybe the lugs were designed to be tapered in, but then on closer inspection of the picture they seem to be uneven and not a deliberate designed look, just to be sure I just looked around the web and it seems you were 100% right and they should be parallel:

Great work!

[mikepilk]

Lovely watch @ManSkirtBrew.  My favourite style - plain white dial, gold hands and sub-seconds.

What's the movement ? - I'd like to find one 

[ManSkirtBrew]

Thanks! These are cool because they're so thin, too. This one has an 11AF movement. More info and pictures at this thread here.

I also have a 1956 President "P", which I love. It's got a 10BU movement. The face is a repaint, but it's so handsome I don't care much. My thread on it here.

 

[ManSkirtBrew]

16 hours ago, Waggy said:

just to be sure I just looked around the web and it seems you were 100% right and they should be parallel:

Oh weird, your post just showed up for me!

I also had the same thought as you, but luckily I have that other President case, and the lugs are aggressively parallel.