Jump to content

Tip on how to open a completely locked up watch case back


Max

Recommended Posts

I bought a nice vintage chronograph watch with a 7733. Nothing fancy but the watch was just appealing to me and a good start in jumping into the topic of servicing a chronograph. So far I did only one, which was a Heuer pocket watch.

So I wanted to open the case back with a very trusty old stainless steel opener called Vari-Matic.  It did not open, when I tried to clamp the case into a vice and use force with both hands... the HANDLE of the steel opening tool was breaking away! Watch still closed !

I was desperate and after a while chatting with a friend working on cars he explained me that he was wielding nuts to cracked parts to use a ratchet..hmmm..ok wielding might not be feasible but i was trying it with superglue. I took a 23 sized nut sanded it flat an glued it on the back using superglue and let it sit for a couple of hours over night.

This is how it looks like:

IMG_4299.thumb.jpg.d3f08feaeb8fa9577dea78f0a1fcd175.jpg

Next i clamped everything in my large vise and used the ratchet:

Capture.PNG.5d9577ca4ae49fc400d7a987d745c36b.PNG

Voila it was open:

Capture3.thumb.PNG.1bf9cd66d844b10191820447bf0e0052.PNG

And the best thing was that i did not even need massive heat to remove the superglue but dropped the nut and caseback into acetone for about 3 hours and it was gone. No residue just wiping of the back. See the pic below.....now i can service this watch.

IMG_4316.thumb.jpg.a1e4ad83c0c7e941b6c1cfc1737272f5.jpg

I hope this helps someone if he has no other option beside damaging the watch - give it a try - it worked perfectly.

 

Am I nuts or are there others out there doing this?

 

Capture2.PNG

IMG_4300.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, a useful technique when you can’t get your hands on a big Bertha opener. The trick is to use the biggest nut that will attach to the caseback, I learned that the hard way!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps next time I change the oil in my car I will Superglue a watch case back to the sump plug

On a serious note 'Mole' grips or locking plier grips (end of jaws down) have never failed me.

Edited by chrisdt
spelling
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lucky professional back openers are not extinct, All remains to do then is to ask borrow his muscles       :gym: .

Oiling around the rim and letting set overnight is known to have been effective, in which case even he :cold: can open the back. 

Regards joe

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/28/2018 at 9:18 PM, transporter said:

i have one question, where did you get your case holding vice/clamp, ive never seen one like that, I like the way each side is a different size to fit between lugs

Sorry for my late reply. I have this beauty from an old watchmaker. Its a bergeon tool

bergeon case holder 4077 is one size, there are different sizes available. But if you google it you will find it.

Greetings

Max

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Moved in. Now working out the best place to have things so moving around the room makes sense. The wooden movement testing rig may end up being suspended from the roof with some pulleys and ropes that I salvaged from some alfresco blinds that we replaced. I always seem to salvage things from things we scrap thinking, "I have an idea what I can use these for." I hope I'm not the only one that does that. My wife hates me for it. "What are you going to do with all this crap?" Anyway, here you go. If anyone has suggestions for workflow around a room, speak up. All Ideas are appreciated. The bench on wheels will carry either a laptop or my Samsung table for using with the little camera that is on the tripod for photos while dismantling etc. The small bar fridge in the corners going to have water etc in it and I might move the coffee maker from the kitchen out there as I am the only one that uses it. I want to get an ultrasonic cleaner so I may set up some sort of cleaning rig in front of the glass of the sliding door. Where the grandmother clock is currently standing. I'm hoping that I will be able to transition my working area, which is the table that the stool is sitting in front of, fairly easily between clocks and watches. I'll be doing my best to make sure that tools for each are separatedwhen stored. Logistics. I'll have a bit of wall space for being able to hang clocks if I find some that I wish to keep or hopefully at some time to be able to hang customer clocks for monitoring after servicing/repairs. The clock on the left in the blue pillow slip and the grandmother clock are earmarked for  Jarryd and his wife, Sara. He helped me move the benches in today. And then went on to tell me that ticking clocks drive him nuts. Who doesn't like the rhythmic ticking of a clock? I have a green pad for adding to the bench for a working surface. It is not a cutting mat or one of the Bergeon mats. It is actually a green desk writing mat. Was really cheap and will do exactly what I want, I think. I also have to get the sparkies back that put our new stove in to put some power points on the walls behind the benches. Hopefully this is all going to go well. I'm excited about it. It'll beat having to live out in the garage doing it. The other thing I have to do is cut a circle or square of plastic to go over the bouncing watch or clock part black hole in the middle of the floor. I would pretty much guarantee that anything that sproings off the bench would end up going straight down that drain. 😄      I think I have been on this forum about 4 years and still yet to really strike a blow. That's a bit sad isn't it. Signed up to Mark's watch course and have yet to buy the movement for working on. Have most of the tools I think I will need so now all just a matter of will.  
    • So leave off the seconds. Stand the movement on its edge, its the dial edge that rests on the pad ( either rubber or cork , something that wont slip ). Use a finger of your left hand to hold the movement upright,  right hand presses the release and flicks out the stem. I do it this way so i can see what I'm under a microscope. But you could hold the movement between two fingers of your left hand, its the right that has to manipulate the stem out by pushing the release and flicking out the stem with  right ring finger nail. Sounds more complicated than it actually is. I guess you could fix a push pin to something solid, then all you need to do is push the release against the pin, leaving your right hand completely free to pull the stem out.
    • Try putting everything back together and closing the back cover. I think one of the two springs has to contact the metal casing to ground the casing. So when you press the button, it will touch the contact on circuit board and close the circuit.
    • Yes, the seconds hand is the longest and goes almost to the edge of the dial. I can’t quite picture it how you do it on the rubber pad
    • A don't think so it leaked or damaged it because the watch itself works it just the buttons ain't working not connecting with the circuit board have taken more pictures of where the buttons makes contact with the circuit board.
×
×
  • Create New...