Removing crystal with retaining ring from Seiko DX

[ManSkirtBrew]

I've never seen this arrangement. Looks like the crystal seals against this steel retaining ring with a gasket, but I don't see how to remove the ring.

I tried pushing on the crystal from the outside, but it didn't budge, and it seems like a bad idea. Prying from the inside with hand levers seems like a bad idea, too.

It seems like it should just fall out, but no such luck.

Before I ruin something, does anyone know the right way to do this?

[Marc]

According to the Seiko casing guide you do just push down on the crystal from the top.

I believe that someone else had the same issue fairly recently so a search may come up with something.

[ManSkirtBrew]

51 minutes ago, Marc said:

I believe that someone else had the same issue fairly recently so a search may come up with something.

I did give that a go through Google without any luck. Turns out the forum search was the better choice this time and I found the thread.

1 hour ago, Marc said:

According to the Seiko casing guide you do just push down on the crystal from the top.

That was it! It came out with a medium scary POP, but it came out safely.

[ManSkirtBrew]

So now I have to find the gaskets. I found a casing guide with the part numbers:

Caseback: FA3100B

Crown & stem: OJ0060B

Glass: 0B3005B

but I haven't been able to find specs on these. I think at least the glass gasket started out as an o-ring, which I have an assortment of. As well as stem o-rings.

Is there a place to cross reference the numbers to dimensions/shapes reliably?

[ManSkirtBrew]

Edit for anyone coming here looking for gasket part numbers for their 6106-5549:

Caseback: FA3100B: square profile, 0.6mm width, 31mm inner diameter.

Crown&stem: DJ0060B: D-shaped profile, 0.8mm thick, 0.6mm ID.

Crystal: OB3005B: O-ring profile, 0.75mm thick, 30.05mm ID.

Found it at Seikoworldtime.com! Wow what a tremendous resource.

Edited January 3, 2024 by ManSkirtBrew

[ManSkirtBrew]

Well, I got the original gaskets, and I can't get the crystal gasket to fit properly.

There's a little ridge around the crystal, but it's not deep enough to hold the o-ring in place, which seems to need a little stretching to fit properly.

I'm dying to wear this guy, so I put the flat gasket that came out back on, and it's a perfect fit.

 

And after an embarrassing time assembling the crystal, gasket, and retaining ring in the wrong order, It's back together and running again. What a handsome watch!

You know what...I think I got the caseback and crystal gaskets reversed. That would make so much more sense and I'm an idiot. Back soon.

[ManSkirtBrew]

Okay, definitely got my wires crossed and had it backwards. But that brings up a new issue.

FA3100B is supposed to sit around the ridge on the crystal, but it's too big. It doesn't even fit inside the case.

I measured the crystal, and it's 30mm. What the heck?

[ManSkirtBrew]

13 hours ago, ManSkirtBrew said:

Okay, definitely got my wires crossed and had it backwards

Well, maybe not. The 1978 Seiko casing guide confirms the o-ring is supposed to go under the crystal. But looking at the crystal and caseback (and the crystal gasket that came out) it really should logically be the other way around.