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Help needed with a watch

KelSolaar
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KelSolaar Member

KelSolaar

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Hi folks.

So I acquired an old non-working watch to practice what I have been learning, ie clean, diagnose and service/replace parts, re-assemble. It appears to have a non pop-off back, an assumption I briefly came to based on the fact there is no 'lip' under which to insert a tool and I remember Mark did a video/lesson segment covering this scenario.

Please would someone be kind enough to help me confirm my suspicions are correct (if this is possible by just looking at the photos)?

The watch is a 'Services' brand watch, the crystal appears to be plastic, heavily scratched, so I'm presuming this may be a 60's watch... feel free to shed any light on background too, guys. So enough blab, here are some photos, hopefully you can see the watch back and how it joins the case, it is exactly the same all the way around the circumference. 

 

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frenchie Distinguished Member

frenchie

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Are you sure there is no lip? Often, front-loaders have a smooth back, not something like you have, where there seems to be an edge of some sort... I could be wrong. Zooming in on the pictures, even the case material seems different, which would again point to a regular case back that opens with a case knife. If it seems overly tight, a razor blade is your best bet to get started (Once the blade is in, a sharp case knife will do the trick).

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ricardopalamino Distinguished Member

ricardopalamino

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It does seem to be a pry off case back and frenchie's advice about using a razor blade should work . I use an inexpensive utility knife for this for safety in handling the razor . Also I have seen case backs that gave no clue to removing them so I use a hand removing tool to see if the watch has a split stem .  If it does have a split stem then of course you have to remove any bezel and the crystal to gain access to the movement .

Good Luck .

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KelSolaar Member

KelSolaar

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Well, I used my watch back remover tool, a little black machine with a slider and it came off. Definitely no lip btw.

The watch didn't appear to have any charge in the main spring because I wound it and then tried to release the clutch on the wheel, can't remember it's name, and it didn't move. Hey presto, stripped watch and found a snapped mainspring:

 

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      By ManSkirtBrew · Posted

      Unfortunately I'm not that lucky. I started on the train side and after I noticed the binding I pulled everything out except the driving wheel to rule everything else out. It still binds. I'm going to double check that the pinion is fully seated on the staff first, then if no joy I'll push the bridge jewel up a fraction of a mm. Fingers crossed!
    • Waggy
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      By Waggy · Posted

      Happy to have helped, great way to start the day with a win! 🥳
    • doober
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      By doober · Posted

      Thank you for the advise!! It worked. The setting screw was a lock/unlock to remove the rotor. 
    • GuyMontag
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      By GuyMontag · Posted

      I have that French tech sheet too, it is a little different than the English one (eg, it doesn't have the auto works diagram). BTW, it looks like you are looking up the case number in the 1979 ABC supplement. The 1974 ABC catalog does have the 3093 case. As you determined it takes the 1222-5 crystal.  When I serviced my President 'A' (which also takes that crystal), I was able to fit a 29.8 crystal from my DPA crystal assortment. Those are, in my opinion, a great deal. The assortment comes with 10 sizes each from 27.8mm to 32.4mm in 0.2 increments. I pretty much use them for any non-armored crystal that takes a high dome crystal. I think they no longer make them but Cousins has still has some in stock but when I bought them they were around $40 for the set and now they are around $100. Still, at 40 cents a crystal it's still a good deal. For the large driving wheel, I remember I once assembled the keyless/motion works first and when I placed the large driving wheel it was interfering with the setting wheel on the dial side as the teeth were not fully meshing and it wouldn't fully seat. If that isn't the issue I got nothing and am looking forward to see how you solve it 🙂
    • Waggy
      Rado rotor removal

      By Waggy · Posted

      Not sure, but just looking at it, it seems like the screw on the right may be a fake? The one on the left may not be a screw in the regular sense at all, rather a 2 position device, I think you need to point the slot towards either of the 2 dots and one will secure and one will open. Like I said this is just my best guess looking at the pictures.
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