Date window removal tips/advice?

[tIB]

Thinking of swapping a date window out (long story short is probably OCD based!) - the one going in should fit and is bigger (on the face side - it should be the same dimensions) than the one coming out...

Is this a terrible idea, will I kill an otherwise good dial and if not are there any tips to share?

 

I'm thinking heat a little and push gently from the rear? Tiny amount of glue to fix the new one?

[AndyGSi]

What are you trying the achieve here?

Are you fitting a new movement without a date wheel to a dial with a date window and want to blank it out?

[tIB]

It's literally removing one date window from a dial and fitting another the same size but ever so slightly different shape, because apparently that's important to me! 

53 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

What are you trying the achieve here?

Are you fitting a new movement without a date wheel to a dial with a date window and want to blank it out?

 

[AndyGSi]

You've lost me, you can't remove a date window from a dial, it's just a hole!!!

Edit

So I've just realised what I think you're asking about is a bubble window on a lens.

The answer is I think you'll be lucky to remove the old one without destroying
the lens so your best option would be a new lens with new bubble.

Edited August 23, 2024 by AndyGSi

[tIB]

36 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

You've lost me, you can't remove a date window from a dial, it's just a hole!!!

Edit

So I've just realised what I think you're asking about is a bubble window on a lens.

The answer is I think you'll be lucky to remove the old one without destroying
the lens so your best option would be a new lens with new bubble.

Ha, no sorry if I'm not clear/using the wrong term - I mean the surround on the date window/hole... When in doubt, picture!

Edit: it will not be removed on this watch obviously!

Edited August 23, 2024 by tIB

[AndyGSi]

I think it will all depend on the dial, if the surround is recessed and how it's fitted.

Personally I think there's too many options for failure to attempt it.

[tIB]

7 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I think it will all depend on the dial, if the surround is recessed and how it's fitted.

Personally I think there's too many options for failure to attempt it.

I'm pretty sure both the one it's coming off and going into are glued, though I appreciate that wisdom.

I have a similar dial I could try it with thinking about it - maybe I'll see how removal on that goes before convincing myself to stop! 

[JohnR725]

11 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

Personally I think there's too many options for failure to attempt it.

Just as a reminder this discussion is occurring in a very interesting section of the message board. This is where were supposed to be cheerful and helpful and not negative and well be quite honest a lot of times I just walk away and don't even bother because too many rules and I'm going to hurt somebody's feelings etc. etc.

14 hours ago, tIB said:

Thinking of

Always important to share your thoughts with a photograph so we grasped what you're trying to do.

14 hours ago, tIB said:

it should be the same dimensions) than the one coming out...

I'm not sure you actually going to know that until you take it out. Typically although I watch repair the word typical isn't exactly correct because it was way way way way too many variations. But as somebody else said you have a square hole in the dial the frame typically will push in so is going a little bit of a flange and probably just Glue. The markers often times will be almost riveted in place depending upon a variety of factors

As usually things like that would be the last thing on the dial as long as it's not stuck to the finish you should build to probably push it out being very very careful not to get your fingerprints all over the dial or damage anything's if you're lucky. Then you should bill a push it in and glue it would just a very tiny bit of some sort of glue

Then the best thing of all would be more photographs like to dials both of them and the backsides the dial so we can see for the future. Then if anyone else ever asked the questions we can refer them to this discussion and others can learn from whatever we learn here

[AndyGSi]

42 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

Just as a reminder this discussion is occurring in a very interesting section of the message board. This is where were supposed to be cheerful and helpful and not negative and well be quite honest a lot of times I just walk away and don't even bother because too many rules and I'm going to hurt somebody's feelings etc. etc.

I find it strange that if someone has a questionable idea and has asked

15 hours ago, tIB said:

Is this a terrible idea

that you'd rather just ignore the post than give an honest opinion at the risk of hurting somebody's feelings

[tIB]

Just to say I really welcome AndyGSI's input in both this thread and in all the other ones he's helped me out in (thanks!) - I haven't read anything in here that's hurt my feelings or anything, so from my perspective there's good advice in here and nothing at all negative. (I don't think Andy's advice has even been classed as negative here but just in case thought I'd mention.)

The 'is this a terrible idea bit' is a genuine question as ive attempted other things that sound/seem easy but end up being really tricky, and really ruining a dial that (while relatively cheap) is 99% as I want it seems a little silly. 

Anyhow, with the window switch I'm going to do a bit of side by side without magnification to see if I'll even notice that much - if I do I'll have a play with a spare dial.

From the reverse (and other similar dials) I'm assuming both are just glued - once everything is here, if I decide to go ahead I'll have a gentle poke with a little heat and go from there... 

I'll try to take some pics and will of course update here. 

Thanks both for the input, appreciated. 

(Oh, and as an aside I'll also add that my experience as a noob here has been fantastic - I've gained some fantastic help, advice and perspective- it's a really great forum!)

 

1 hour ago, JohnR725 said:

Just as a reminder this discussion is occurring in a very interesting section of the message board. This is where were supposed to be cheerful and helpful and not negative and well be quite honest a lot of times I just walk away and don't even bother because too many rules and I'm going to hurt somebody's feelings etc. etc.

Always important to share your thoughts with a photograph so we grasped what you're trying to do.

I'm not sure you actually going to know that until you take it out. Typically although I watch repair the word typical isn't exactly correct because it was way way way way too many variations. But as somebody else said you have a square hole in the dial the frame typically will push in so is going a little bit of a flange and probably just Glue. The markers often times will be almost riveted in place depending upon a variety of factors

As usually things like that would be the last thing on the dial as long as it's not stuck to the finish you should build to probably push it out being very very careful not to get your fingerprints all over the dial or damage anything's if you're lucky. Then you should bill a push it in and glue it would just a very tiny bit of some sort of glue

Then the best thing of all would be more photographs like to dials both of them and the backsides the dial so we can see for the future. Then if anyone else ever asked the questions we can refer them to this discussion and others can learn from whatever we learn here

[JohnR725]

11 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I find it strange that if someone has a questionable idea and has asked

Sometimes I'm not sure what people are getting at so would you like to re-explained this to me?

[Bonefixer]

As a newbie myself I understood that doing anything to a dial is a terrible idea (unless it doesn’t really matter if it ends up in the bin and you’re just trying something to learn)

[Neverenoughwatches]

16 minutes ago, Bonefixer said:

As a newbie myself I understood that doing anything to a dial is a terrible idea (unless it doesn’t really matter if it ends up in the bin and you’re just trying something to learn)

A lot can go wrong with a dial, a lot can go wrong with anything in watch repair, but dial finishes dont like heat or solvents or tool slips and they can be expensive mistakes. Scuse the pun but your technique needs to be dialled in before you start so it would be good to practice on something similar and not important to you beforehand.  The times  we think to ourselves "why did i start this,why didn't i just leave it alone"

Edited August 25, 2024 by Neverenoughwatches

[tIB]

On 8/24/2024 at 10:21 PM, JohnR725 said:

Sometimes I'm not sure what people are getting at so would you like to re-explained this to me?

Not to speak for someone but it links to what I said that was quoted after it - I'd asked if it was a bad idea and AndyGSI considered that question in his reply (is my interpretation). 

 

Edited August 25, 2024 by tIB

[AndyGSi]

3 minutes ago, tIB said:

Not to speak for someone but it links to what I said that was quoted after it - I'd asked if it was a bad idea and AndyGSI considered that question in his reply (is my interpretation). 

I hadn't seen that post but yes my point was that if someone asks a question that you think is a bad idea then
my natural response would be to answer that question and not just ignore it for fear of upsetting them.

[CYCLOPS]

tlb you can do this but like said until removed one does not know if it is the same size window/hole in the dial, I know too that once the windows come out they keep falling out getting tangled in the hands so seal/secure it well when finished swapping, make sure the height is the same or lower too....  

[Jon]

On 8/25/2024 at 7:34 AM, Neverenoughwatches said:

"why did i start this,why didn't i just leave it alone"

Fortunately, that happens less and less these days, but it does happen, like giving that little mark on the dial a quick clean and then you've got half the lacquer on the end of your bud thinking that wasn't meant to happen!

[Neverenoughwatches]

44 minutes ago, Jon said:

Fortunately, that happens less and less these days

Experience teaches us that sometimes the benefits of letting things be and living with what you have, can outweigh the risks involved if things wrong.

[tIB]

Appreciate the input folks - I think all things considered, while I might have a closer look at things, it's probably more likely that rather than switching things around I'll look to buy a dial which has exactly what I want already present... there is one, it's just more expensive than messing around would have been (free!). 

Edited August 26, 2024 by tIB

[Neverenoughwatches]

47 minutes ago, tIB said:

Appreciate the input folks - I think all things considered, while I might have a closer look at things, it's probably more likely that rather than switching things around I'll look to buy a dial which has exactly what I want already present... there is one, it's just more expensive than messing around would have been (free!). 

If you have found a dial already that fits what you want and are prepared to buy it then there isn't anything actually stopping you attempting the mod on the original. 

[tIB]

2 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

If you have found a dial already that fits what you want and are prepared to buy it then there isn't anything actually stopping you attempting the mod on the original. 

That's not quite the case as it happens - in an ideal world I wouldn't need to buy the new one but I won't end up with a spare unless I manage to do some otger diao related hackery. 

I'll figure it out once I've had a proper look at things... ultimately I'm angsting over the smallest of details here and it may well be that once I've had a look I can live with it... maybe!

[tIB]

I've taken the plunge and ordered the dial - seems silly to potentially ruin one or two others by trying to make things work, and it leaves me with a spare that I can put into something else I have (which should cover the cost should I sell it). 

 

Thanks for the help. 

[tIB]

On 8/26/2024 at 6:22 PM, Neverenoughwatches said:

If you have found a dial already that fits what you want and are prepared to buy it then there isn't anything actually stopping you attempting the mod on the original. 

So I finally did this - both date windows were glued in place so I wiped with isopropyl and gently pushed from behind with a lightly soaked cotton bud. Came out OK (with a bit of marking of the face- more later).  

Spent a while messing (lightly) with a file/dremel in order to resize to fit, glued into place by holding with masking tape front side and putting a small amount of glue on a toothpick, leaving dial side down and wiping clean. 

Only issue was that a bit more isopropyl went on to the dial side when pushing it out, meaning I had to do a bit of cleaning of the dial I'd rather not have done. I also need to remove a bit of fluff I haven't managed to get with my usual tweezers. 

Otherwise, went fine enough. 

 

 

Oh, and here's the other one - larger hole and thinner glue meant this one wasn't quite as good. Passable though...