Play Between Movement And Case - Causes? Remedies?

[WillFly]

From time to time I've come across the odd watch which is slightly loose in its case, and I've wondered what the causes might be - and what the remedies might be. I have one at the moment - moving the crown up and down slightly shows the dial tilting one way and then the other. Others I've seen don't tilt but seem slightly loose within the depth of the case. Causes, perhaps?

 

Missing outer movement ring

Loose case screws

Recasing in a not-quite-right case

 

Any remedies recommended in general?

[Mark]

Difficult question to answer.

 

 

Missing outer movement ring

Loose case screws

Recasing in a not-quite-right case

 

Of course these are the most common of reasons.

 

As far as remedies go, the cause has to be identified and then a strategy put in place for the fix. In my experience the problem is usually down to broken case clamp screws, but I have had watches where the mechanical movement has been swapped out for a quartz which will never fit well. And others where the crown is a short pipe instead of a waterproof with missing pendant tube causing the movement to wobble in the case.

 

Another issue could be the case clamps being installed upside down (some case clamps have an angle to them).

 

Or a regular perspex glass was used instead of an armoured glass (with a tension ring obviously missing).