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Hello,

I am looking for some help on how to remove the watch dial from the movement on my ST96 from the mid 70s. I have got the movement out of the case and the hands removed but I am stuck on how to get the dial off.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

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Hello,

Gpsluvr and Nucejoe thanks for the information. I think I located the holes each of you were referring too, but I don't see any screw to loosen. I attached some additional pictures. I used my magnifying glasses to look in the hole and I can't see a screw.... additionally I don't have a screwdriver small enough to fit in the hole. I could file one of my down to fit in the hole but I just can't see a screw to loosen.

Thoughts? Appreciate the help you are providing this is my first go at watch repair.

Thanks,

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Two possibilities.

1. Dial plate has one or both feet undamaged.

In which case the dial plate is hanging there loosely.You can check between the dial and main plate, you may see the feet or insert in a razor blade between dial and main plate , the feet, if intact, will stop the blade at a point, three mm. If both feet are there ,just wiggle out the dial.

2. The dial feet are broken.In which case, The dial is glued on at previous repair. Just cut through the glue with a razor blade to cut the dial loose.In such  case the residual glue is a mess and can only be cleaned off with the main plate submergerd in solvent.

One feet intact the other glued is just as a mess.

Avoid forcibly wiggling the dial out, bends and gets damaged easy.

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Dosn,t look glued, if the plate slides sideways or at all, it is free( not blued on) .free to be wiggled out.

Chances of screws broken and tip of screws remaining  in the holes to keep the dial firmly are very slim.

Looks like all you got to do is wiggle the plate out ,EVENLY and easy.

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One feet may be intact and screwed down, the other feet broken.

The other whole is almost 170 degrees around the other side.

Give it a go leelemon, this movement is easy to work on, I have got all the parts you may need and will stay with you till last drop of blood.:Bravo:. Just save the dial, you will have a good runing watch.

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Thanks Nucejoe , watchabit between each of your advice the dial is now off of the movement. Turns our feet are intact, no scews and it was glued.... ugh what mess. Recommendations on solvent to remove the glue but not damage the dial face?

Nucejoe, My plan is a complete tear down, cleaning and reassembly. I had the watch for about 6 months and it was just ok at keeping time... then it took an unexpected swim and stopped working. I am hoping a good cleaning re-oiling and greasing will bring it back to life and maybe even work a bit better. I am also considering redoing the dail to a custom dial but step one is getting the movement working again.

I am sure I will be reaching out again as I move through the steps.

Well off to watch some other tear down videos to get a sense of the steps involved and try to match them to this movement.

Thanks again for the help.

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If you do need any spares for the ST 96 dont go and buy separate components on line. I made the mistake of buying a setting lever for £12. Go on the bay and from India you can find numerous ST 96 movements all under various names Titus Oris Tissot or like yours Tressa to name a few. Bid £9.99 and there is a good chance no one else will bid. If they do, leave it and wait for the next one, probably only a few minutes.  They all have of course,  hideous repainted dials but nevertheless good for spares. And ermm should'nt shockproof be all one word? Not bad for a tenner post free. Heres one I purchase last week'

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P1010055.JPG

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:geek:

I use kerosene for dissolving the glue, diesel fuel works as well  and I have not tried lighter fluid yet. Let soak for a day or more, use any wood or polymer  stick to remove the soaked glue.

If water has recently got to the movement, the sooner you drop the whloe movement in non water based solvent the better.

Like I promissed I have all the parts you may need or brake which I will gift to you. Commercial use of the forum is disallowed possibly due to license and tax issues.

1. Release the power, you may insert the stem back in place turn towards winding ,hold the click so to free the ratchet wheel, OR unscrew ratchet wheel  life the wheel , the wheel flies off violently in later case.

2. Loosen bridge screw, not to remove the screw just loosen, lift the bridge not remove, this will allow for lifting the balance pivot out of the jewel and ready to be rmoved.place the watch on surface so it can,t drop down . Remove the screw, hold the wheel and the cock in tweezer , remvove the bridge balance out.

Looking forward to recieving report of your successful work.

Regards

The rest of disassembly is risk free, lift all pivot stright up.

Use oil on hard to unscrew any screws, let soak for a day.

Auto brake fluid if you got some in garage works good on rust, B12 rust killer even WD 40.

Check the loc on the cabs , see how well it keeps the jewels in their housing, locs break easy ,so slide one side at a time using any needle tip tool.

Open the M S barrel ,remove the MS arbor,then take the spring out ,comes out violently.wear eye protction goggles.. soak all parts excluding the H/S in your cleaning solvent. 

Regards

 

 

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1 hour ago, chrisdt said:

If you do need any spares for the ST 96 dont go and buy separate components on line. I made the mistake of buying a setting lever for £12. Go on the bay and from India you can find numerous ST 96 movements all under various names Titus Oris Tissot or like yours Tressa to name a few. Bid £9.99 and there is a good chance no one else will bid. If they do, leave it and wait for the next one, probably only a few minutes.  They all have of course,  hideous repainted dials but nevertheless good for spares. And ermm should'nt shockproof be all one word? Not bad for a tenner post free. Heres one I purchase last week'

P1010054.JPG

P1010055.JPG

Nothing is obsolete in India, he problem is everything has work several lifetime there.

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Right, cheap source of spares.

The watch you bought is actually used for daily wearing in India. You may enjoy wearing it for little while, couple of weaks at most.

ST90 ... movement were inexpensive, worked well ,widely used by many brands.

Rgards

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Well in actual fact I might use the complete movement for the watch I'm working on. Its actually in better condition. The only problem I have is selling watches names as Tissot or Oris etc when they are just repainted dials and inside is an ST96. Most of the brands concerned have NEVER used that particular movement. I have several friends and aquaintances who think they have a quality watch only to find they have a rather poor effort at badge engineering.

 

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"rust and the dial foot set screws"   you are lucky if the dial screws are missing.  if you don't see a screw driver slot, in the hole, it might be  rusted.  put a drop of "penitrating oil"  let it sit awhile and probe around with the proper screw driver.  many projects ar stoped if the can not be removed.  vin

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I got several genuine pieces of brand names with ST90 movements. Also have six NOS ST90 movements and parts and lots of used ones. 

Is lake district in Canada? Memory no longer serves me as good as it used too.

I will be posting some pieces on the forum, I did one of a NOS seiko racing chronometer in gallery. Never seen one like it, which makes me doubt if genune.

Regatds

 

3 hours ago, chrisdt said:

Well in actual fact I might use the complete movement for the watch I'm working on. Its actually in better condition. The only problem I have is selling watches names as Tissot or Oris etc when they are just repainted dials and inside is an ST96. Most of the brands concerned have NEVER used that particular movement. I have several friends and aquaintances who think they have a quality watch only to find they have a rather poor effort at badge engineering.

 

I have got several genuine watches of different brands names that used ST90 and it's variants.

 fortis a dress watch two different fortis divers, camy, oris..... Never seen a tissot use one though.

Should you have a NOS dial and case, I have six NOS movements ST90 no calender, NOS stems and many other NOS and used parts. The movements are in factory sealed transparent cases, can be wound and runs, though expectedly their lubricants are no longer good. Used ST96, balance completes, etc.

I am not sure if lake district is in Canada or great britton? I think the former though.

 

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QUOTE

"It is far better to remain silent and be thought in idiot than to speak and remove all doubt"

                                                                                                                                                  UNQUOTE

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7 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

Remove the canon pinion located at other side( dial side) , you can use a pin vice to grip the cannon pinion with, pull straight out ,dont bend . 

Suitable tool, pin remover.

What is holding the minute gear is the canon pinion.

 

If you dont have a pin vice, use a hands remover but should look close not to hurt the pinions. Some folks even use a nail c!ipper, apply nail clipper like a hands remover.

This is a center seconds which makes other method/ techniques possible.

Also a strong tweezers, use the tweezer as you would hold a screw with it, to grab the pinion with tweezers pull straigt out.:stuff:

 

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Nucejoe, chrisdt, I've been watching these on ebay for a few weeks. I need something to play with and do a first stripdown. They are cheap and there's half a chance as my first, it won't go back together again :)

Just one question - they nearly all have a plastic spacer between the movement and case. Is that something that was in the watch when new or has it been added by people who have swapped incorrect movements/cases about?

Thanks.

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