Cleaning underside of crystal

[Bev]

Hi,

  One problem i'm constantly facing is once the movement is running and I've got the dial and hands back on, I'm always struggling to remove the specs of dust from the underside of the crystal.  New crystals seems worse - as they appear to have a static charge.

What are the tricks to ensure that the underside is clean before casing the movement?

Rgrds

  Bev

[jdm]

Normally a blower is sufficient. Use a black background to inspect, and turn the case  in all positions under natural light. For obstinate dust, try anti-static microfiber cloth. Store the case under a jar while while working on the movement.

[Ishima]

If it makes you feel any better it's a constant battle on any kind of watch, I can't tell you how many times I've had to fit a new glass or work dial side on a watch, inspected the glass/dial with the watch on a casing cushion, under a lamp, with an eye glass, going back and forth a dozen times being ultra thorough, and then I'll finally put the winder in and the case back on, inspect again and some debris just came out of thin air and I have to start again. 

I'm not aware of anyway of making it easy, you just need a decent cloth, an airblower, a good eye and an absolute abundance of patience. 

A black background is a good idea though. 

Edited May 30, 2016 by Ishima

[mikepilk]

I recently had real problems trying to get the dust from the back of an Omega glass.  After polishing the acrylic the blower just wouldn't shift it.

I use clean Rodico, but even that can leave a mark.

I bought one of these 'Camera monitor lens cleaners' from ebay - it's like a solid blob of silicone, and picks of the bits of dust. Cheap, and works well

[vinn3]

yes,  camera lens cleaning techniques  WORK FOR ME.   there is l little brush with a air puffer attached,  i use it first.  next - if   nessesary,  use the "lens cleaner  cloth  and  paper".    this is  why  watch makers like a dust free shop.   a swiss trained watch maker once told me " stay away from the inside of that  crystol !".     vinn

[ramrod]

a while back, i got a very nice seiko watch from fleabay because the inside of the crystal was a mess. in the pictures, the dial looked awful and even questionable. i had a feeling and pulled the trigger. it turned out to be one of the cleanest watches i've got. the auction listed it as a black dial, but it turned out to be dark blue. and it was sold by the original owner! it turns out that the crystal had a film on the inside that obscured the dial. it's a beauty. that's a lesson in what a dirty crystal will do.

o.k...here's what i do. before i install a crystal, i clean it with soapy water, rinse thoroughly and blow dry. the water takes away the static charge and blow drying it assures that i'm not touching or wiping it to clean it.

[oldhippy]

This what I always used doesn't leave any flick or spots on the watch glass.

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/selvyt-pr-medium-weight