Watch Crystal Cleaning

[SCOTTY]

HELP !!

Is it safe to use acetone instead of denatured alcohol to clean a watch crystal ?

[bobm12]

I use windex which is acetone based...and not problems so far unless it is glued. It dissolves the glue.

[Hertzogpholian]

@bobm12  I think you mean ammonia.  as far as i know, windex glass cleaner doesn't contain acetone. i do know i'ts been reformulated countless times over the past century.  it's always contained a lot of alcohol, too.  maybe that's your culprit?

@SCOTTY  Is the crystal glass or plastic?  Is it glued or pressed in?  What kind of gasket?  All important things to know before attacking it with solvents that melt things.  Anything "special" on the crystal? 

[SSTEEL]

Carbon lens cleaners are what I use, these below, particularly useful for cleaning crystals that have come back from the AR lab..

Untitled by Micky Aldridge, on Flickr

[SCOTTY]

4 hours ago, Hertzogpholian said:

@bobm12  I think you mean ammonia.  as far as i know, windex glass cleaner doesn't contain acetone. i do know i'ts been reformulated countless times over the past century.  it's always contained a lot of alcohol, too.  maybe that's your culprit?

@SCOTTY  Is the crystal glass or plastic?  Is it glued or pressed in?  What kind of gasket?  All important things to know before attacking it with solvents that melt things.  Anything "special" on the crystal? 

The material of the crystal is Hardlex glass. The watch is a Seiko 200m divers watch. The crystal seems pressed in.

Not sure about a gasket for the crystal.

[jdm]

I wash in soapy water , rinse well, rinse again in demineralized water. Blow with an hairdryer.

[bobm12]

7 hours ago, Hertzogpholian said:

I think you mean ammonia.

Absolutely, I don't know what I was thinking about! Maybe all three women in the house were doing their nails...wife and daughters, non a Harem!  

I use the one they sold here which specifically said that contains ammonia-D, whatever that is...for me, ammonia is ammonia no matter what alphabet letter they add at the end.

 @micky: Micky, where do you get those? I got the Bergeon one...expensive and probably the same!

Cheers,

Bob

[Hertzogpholian]

@SSTEEL  Mickey - I love those, too.  I converted to them for photography maybe 7-8 years ago and haven't looked back. 

@bobm12  I get mine on dx.com - $2-3 bucks per, direct from China and haven't had a problem with any of them.  Canon full-frame shooter with lots of "expensive as L" glass.  The cheapies are fine, no worries.  Test them first of a spare pair of eyeglasses or something if you're worried but no need to spend $20 for the canon namestamp or no idea how much bergeon charges for their name.

@SCOTTY  Which model?  I love Seiko divers...  Hardlex is real mineral glass so acetone or lacquer thinner won't touch it.  And yeah, it's pressed in with a gasket.  But I wouldn't use either on it, though.  windex would be fine.  dishwashing liquid (fairy liquid, if you're a brit reading this) and water would be fine.  distilled water rinse and wipe dry with a microfiber eyeglass cloth.

Unless you have something goober-y on it, like adhesive because your niece went crazy with stickers or something like that.

[SSTEEL]

Got mine from eBay, they are the same a Bergeon.

[OmarHaltam]

sometimes when I replace a crystal and use a glue to sett it, I use Ascetone to clean any excess glue off. but for general cleaning a divers watch warm water and soap and a tooth brush, and wipe clean with a paper towel.

[presto0906]

Brasso is great for plexi-glass (sand fully with fine emery then orbit with the lint-based Brasso) - Acetone attacks most condensation polymers BTW - have to be careful!