Can’t get dial to stay on a st3620

[Bill2024]

Hi All,

I’ve been playing around with this movement and am starting to get familiar with working with the tools.

So far I have taken apart and reassembled the keyless works without losing anything - so pretty happy with that!

I bought a cheap case, dial and hands when I got the movement, hoping to make a watch out of the parts after I’d learnt how to service the movement. 

Jumping the gun, I decided to try and put the watch together just to see if I could. At first I thought it was going OK and I got the hands on but the problem I’m having is that the dial won’t stay on and is loose.  I can see that the dial screws are cam shaped but they don’t seem to catch the dial feet properly.  

I guess either the dial feet are too narrow, or maybe I’ve managed to bend them, or perhaps I’ve managed to bugger-up the screws by overturning them.

Does anyone have any suggestions about what a possible fix might be?

Thanks,

Bill

[AndyGSi]

What diel did you get and is it specifically for the ST36**?

[Bill2024]

33 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

What diel did you get and is it specifically for the ST36**?

The dial I bought was this one. It is for the st3620. It seems to fit the movement and the dial feet and seconds subdial seem to be in the right place. 
 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007923938823.html

Edited December 8, 2024 by Bill2024

[AndyGSi]

I'd be dubious about the feet size.

Can you post a photo showing a foot and screw. 

[Bill2024]

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

I'd be dubious about the feet size.

Can you post a photo showing a foot and screw. 

This is one of the dial feet and one of the dial feet screws. 

If the dial feet are too small is there anything that can be done. Perhaps pad the feet with something like thin tape?  

Edit: I have added a picture on the screw with the dial foot inserted. 
 

Edited December 9, 2024 by Bill2024

[HectorLooi]

The eccentric screw appears to be missing it's flange.

[Bill2024]

36 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

The eccentric screw appears to be missing it's flange.

So I had a look with my 10x eyeglass and I can see a flange on the screws. 

I also looked closely at the dial feet and it seems like the dial screws are almost but not quite gripping the dial feet; I’ve attached another close-up of a dial foot and the mark right at the top is where the screw is catching it. Should the screw be engaging further down the foot, away from the tapered top? (The photo is not great but it’s the closest I can get)

could it be that the dial feet are too short? If that is the case is there anything I can do to try and make it work?

[HectorLooi]

The remnant of the flange is too short. It should cover at least 1/5 of the hole.

The dial feet also appear short. Maybe this was intended for movements with dial feet screws on the edge of the plate.

[AndyGSi]

As stated by @HectorLooi the flange on the screw doesn't appear big enough.

Will the screw not turn any further as it's only just contacting the foot or does it rotate past this point freely?

[nevenbekriev]

Bill, You just need a little big bigger screws. You can use normal screws, just source ones with head that is low (thin) as possible. Then screw the screw to the end (without dial) and mark the head where the hole is, then file the head. The idea is to be possible to insert the dial when the screws are tightened to the end. Then, fixing the feet is by UNSCREWING the screws. The first time some force should be used as for the head to make notch on the foot.

[Bill2024]

6 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

The remnant of the flange is too short. It should cover at least 1/5 of the hole.

The dial feet also appear short. Maybe this was intended for movements with dial feet screws on the edge of the plate.

Yes maybe that’s it. The product description says the dial is for this movement but maybe the manufacturing tolerances just aren’t good enough for a proper fit. 

1 hour ago, nevenbekriev said:

Bill, You just need a little big bigger screws. You can use normal screws, just source ones with head that is low (thin) as possible. Then screw the screw to the end (without dial) and mark the head where the hole is, then file the head. The idea is to be possible to insert the dial when the screws are tightened to the end. Then, fixing the feet is by UNSCREWING the screws. The first time some force should be used as for the head to make notch on the foot.

That’s an interesting idea but It doesn’t look like the screws on the movement come out. If I try to unscrew them without the dial in place they just seem to keep turning. 

I’ll take another look but, failing that, do you think there is anything I could do with the dial feet?

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

As stated by @HectorLooi the flange on the screw doesn't appear big enough.

Will the screw not turn any further as it's only just contacting the foot or does it rotate past this point freely?

On one side the screw will turn all the way around with the dial foot in place. One the other side it feels like it might be grabbing but it’s obviously only just catching the dial foot as the dial will come loose again very easily, either while fitting the hands or when placing the movement in the case. 

Is there a way to work on the dial feet to make them thicker and/or longer?

[AndyGSi]

I'm not sure if the problem is with the dial or the movement or could be a bit of both.

Can you post a straight on photo of the screw without the foot.

[Bill2024]

2 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I'm not sure if the problem is with the dial or the movement or could be a bit of both.

Can you post a straight on photo of the screw without the foot.

Thanks Andy. I’ve attached a photo with the screw turn to cover the maximum of the hole (I think)

Edit: added better photo

Edited December 9, 2024 by Bill2024

[AndyGSi]

My thoughts are that's not enough to be holding the foot, even if the foot was correct.

I see 3 options.

First is to glue it in place but this is difficult to reverse.

Second is to use a small piece of heat shrink sleeve over the foot.

Third is to look at the hole & foot size and see if you could replace them with larger diameter ones.

[Bill2024]

16 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

My thoughts are that's not enough to be holding the foot, even if the foot was correct.

I see 3 options.

First is to glue it in place but this is difficult to reverse.

Second is to use a small piece of heat shrink sleeve over the foot.

Third is to look at the hole & foot size and see if you could replace them with larger diameter ones.

Thanks Andy - I was thinking about trying to wrap something hung like electrical tape around the foot - but heat shrink is a much better idea!

Not sure about how to replace dial feet but I’ll look into it. So much to learn and I haven’t even taken the whole movement apart yet!

bill

[nevenbekriev]

Hi Bill,

You will be not able to wrap the feet, neither to use heat shrinking sleeve. What You can really do is to flatten or squash a little the feet with flat pliers. The squashing will make feet wider in one direction and narrower in perpendicular direction. So, choose the correct direction and go ahead.