How do you install the lid spring on a hunter case?

[MKerlin]

My wife took my A Lange & Sohne, 1908 pocket watch with a 14k Hunter case, to a local jewelry store to get the glass crystal replaced as it was broken when the watch fell out of a cabinet about 4 inches and cracked the glass. When I got it back, they had replaced the glass with a plastic cover and the lid would not spring open as it had always done. I have no idea why they even had to remove the movement from the watch to replace the glass, but they did, and when they tried to put it back together, they did not put the lid spring back in place properly and it will not stay in place.

I have put it back, but when I open the lid, the spring pops back out, apparently the same way it did to the jewelry store guy.

There are 2 tiny square lugs inside the recess where the spring goes, and it looks like the spring ends should hook behind them, but I'm not sure since I can't seem to get the spring to hook onto anything at its ends, the only thing it does when I put it in the recess, is it catches behind the lid hook which is shown in the picture, but the ends remain free which I think is the problem since it looks like the ends should be captured and held into place on the protruding lugs. I don't think the designers intended for the lid hook to be the only thing holding the spring in place.

 

Can anyone give me a clue as to why this spring will not stay in the recess once I get it installed and instead just pops out which leaves the lid without anything to open it?

Could the jewelry store guy have broken off something in the recess that is no longer there, but was originally, and without it the spring now has nothing to hold it into place?

 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[wls1971]

Having looked at the pictures I would guess that the spring is held between the square lugs in the recess under its own tension. It also looks like there is a inner retaining ring on the inside of the bezel.

These watches are of such value I would not attempt a case repair  myself I think the best option for you would be to find a case restorer and let them do the job rather than risking damage to what is a very valuable watch, although it may prove expensive the value of the watch will far out way the cost of repair.

In short leave it to an expert.

[oldhippy]

Having the wrong glass is a good start. It should not have plastic; the height could be the problem. Take it back, tell them to remove the plastic replacement get your money back and take it to a reputable watchmaker. One other thing these plastic replacements expand when fitted causing the plastic to rise in height, the proper glass replacement cannot.

 

wis1971 is correct on how there held in place.

Edited December 20, 2017 by oldhippy