Having trouble removing the back from old Rotary watch.

[Ruehara]

Hi, sorry if i'm being an idiot here. I have never run into a caseback like this before and I am at a loss for how to remove it. The watch is a front loader, the dial is too big to come out of the back. There are no clear notches for a case knife on the back, only a small hole that looks like it could fit a screwdriver. Looks like someone else has tried prying it open which made me think it's hot I open it. I tried prying it with a screwdriver, but felt that if i applied any more force it would just scratch or damage the case so i stopped. I took off the crystal and dial, to see if the watch had a split stem however it does not. I cannot access the setting lever screw from the front so am unsure of how to get this movement out. Hoping that I am just being a noob and the answer is simple. 

Thanks in advance for any help. 

[AndyGSi]

You need something like this.

https://www.cousinsuk.com/search?searchTerm=C32766

[Nucejoe]

 You have a gold plated case and stainless steel back (two different metal), this tells me the back is removable.

The one piece cases, ( which I think are called monoblock ) tells us it has to be a front loader. 

I would place a piece of 1/2mm thick  cardboard on the " hole" and pry the back plate with screwdriver, the cardboard will hopefully keep the case from getting scratched. 

Removing the winding crown might let the movement to come out. 

The movement in your watch is likely to be a rotary in-house, thus collectable. 

 

Rgds

Edited June 11, 2024 by Nucejoe

[Marc]

1 hour ago, Nucejoe said:

The movement in your watch is likely to be a rotary in-house

I'm pretty certain that Rotary never made their own movements. I have only ever seen AS, ETA, and Peseux movements inside Rotary watches, and some Chinese in more recent examples.

[oldhippy]

You open it here with a case knife. 

[Ruehara]

Update: The caseback is finally off! The case knives I have are too large to fit inside such a small indent, and I also sadly do not have one of the screw in tools with a very narrow tip, which is what I most likely needed in the first place. In the end i just forced in a screwdriver with a bit more force that i was really comfortable with and the caseback shot off. Somehow I did not damage the case any further which I am happy about. 

Thanks for your advice, next payday I will most likely increase my caseback removal arsenal. 

Also for anyone interested the movement inside is an AS 1795

[Nucejoe]

40 minutes ago, Marc said:

I'm pretty certain that Rotary never made their own movements. I have only ever seen AS, ETA, and Peseux movements inside Rotary watches, and some Chinese in more recent examples.

 For some reason I keep thinking Rotary and Longines are related, weren't both company  established by folks who were somehow related?  Did Rotary use movements made by Longines. 

I think this is the second time you corrected same mistake of mine on this point.

Rgds

[oldhippy]

They are not related. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

38 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

 For some reason I keep thinking Rotary and Longines are related, weren't both company  established by folks who were somehow related?  Did Rotary use movements made by Longines. 

I think this is the second time you corrected same mistake of mine on this point.

Rgds

Something tells me the same or something similar Joe, i have read something somewhere, doesn't mean to say it was accurate information though.  Oh  and Joe , where the hell have you been hiding ?

1 minute ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Something tells me the same or something similar Joe, i have read something somewhere, doesn't mean to say it was accurate information though.  Oh  and Joe , where the hell have you been hiding ?

You may be right Joe, I've just looked back at my notes I have Longines , Wittnauer,  Record and Rotary together so i have definitely read about some connection between them.

I found a little snippet that stated Longines SA owned Rotary in 1972.  You only have to look at the winged logos to wonder

[Marc]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_Watches

https://coron.et/new-1minute-reads/longines-record-whats-the-story

[Nucejoe]

8 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

 Oh  and Joe , where the hell have you been hiding ?

 Hi matey, I was right here reading you all discussions, but the site wouldn't let me post a single word, then I found Richard's email on his profile and sent him two msg's I am not sure if he ever received any of them, or was Mark Lovic who fixed the issue.

It's hapened  before, so to get back I registere as a new member, say  nucejoe1   which awaits Mark's approval, he recognizes it's same ole nucejoe and fixes the issue.

Mark knows I used to be a superadict, need a fix, always let's me back in WRT. 

Rgds

 

Edited June 11, 2024 by Nucejoe

[RichardHarris123]

How strange, I  have been locked out of my account before, had to set up a new account and say " it's me, help". Didn't receive an email, try again ASAP and I'll see if it arrives, if so, I can get you reinstated. 

Let me know when you have sent the email. 

[Nucejoe]

Just now, RichardHarris123 said:

 Didn't receive an email, try again ASAP and I'll see if it arrives, if so, I can get you reinstated. 

Let me know when you have sent the email. 

Hi Rich, your email seem to have an extra underline  "_"

I think I tried emailing you with and without that second underline.

PM sent.

Rgds

[RichardHarris123]

Yes two underscores, I don't mind people having my email 

*****@*****.tld

Copy and paste it. 

 

 

Oops didn't work. 

That's annoying r underscore harris underscore @ hotmail.com 

[Nucejoe]

Just now, RichardHarris123 said:

 I don't mind people having my email 

You=angel, when I gained access to your email. 

   Rgds

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Marc said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_Watches

https://coron.et/new-1minute-reads/longines-record-whats-the-story

Uncanny coincidence ? I only found a quote of the ownership change in 1972 but no explanation . If anything just a late connection,neither company would have been in their prime by 1972.

[oldhippy]

Here is the info on Longines. As I said not related. The only thing they both have is Switzerland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longines

[Neverenoughwatches]

I knew i had read if somewhere probably the same place that Joe did. Misinformation ?

Here's something interesting. 

Looks like they did collaborate on a watch at least once.

[RichardHarris123]

I used to think that ancient history was at the best flakely but modern history isn't so much better.  Personally I think that Rotary and Longines weren't connected but I could be wrong.  Who knows, with all the conflicting evidence ?

[oldhippy]

The place I worked we were longines agents. I had all their equipment all there service manuals. We were also agents for Rotary. Longines are in a different class. Rotary were bog standard. Again I say they are different and have no connection. Don't believe all you read on the internet.   

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

I used to think that ancient history was at the best flakely but modern history isn't so much better.  Personally I think that Rotary and Longines weren't connected but I could be wrong.  Who knows, with all the conflicting evidence ?

There isn't much evidence at all to say they were , just that little piece of info , no idea how accurate that might be but i could not find anything else. The two watches are curious though , both claim to be Olympic editions and they're surely from the same factory the design is almost identical with a slightly different case, maybe just a one collaboration that has been made out to be more than just that.

[ScrewDropper]

On 6/11/2024 at 4:38 PM, Nucejoe said:

 For some reason I keep thinking Rotary and Longines are related, weren't both company  established by folks who were somehow related?  Did Rotary use movements made by Longines. 

I think this is the second time you corrected same mistake of mine on this point.

Rgds

Rotary usually have either ETA or AS movements in them. I work on them a lot. Vintage Rotary are under appreciated watches, usually with a nice movement. You can pick them up dirt cheap, spares are easy to find and they're usually really nice to work on.

[eccentric59]

On 6/11/2024 at 4:10 PM, oldhippy said:

Don't believe all you read on the internet.   

You mean all that stuff about aliens and black helicopters isn't true?

[oldhippy]

12 hours ago, eccentric59 said:

You mean all that stuff about aliens and black helicopters isn't true?

I think you have to be mad if you think we are the only ones in this ever increasing universe. When you think of how old the universe is and compare it to how young Earth is. Aliens as you call them are probably millions of years technically advanced then us. Do I believe the U S A are hiding information from us. The quick answer is yes. I follow Steven Macon Greer if you have never heard of him look him up.