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Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by watchpalooza »

I have this vintage diver, and the caseback is a screw-type as shown below. I have so far been unable to open it using the case opener below....it is too many years of elements fusing it together. Looking for suggestions for how to get this open without damage. Is there a different tool or process that will loosen and allow me to get into the watch? I will offer a free watch (not this one) to the first person with a suggestion that is successful.

8B82B275-EE51-4FDA-AD2F-D22A5EFDB59F.jpeg

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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by TheJohnP »

I've had good success with a ball.

https://www.esslinger.com/watch-case-op ... ener-tool/

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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by tommy_boy »

That's a tough one if the stainless has seized.

A WD-40 bath? It shouldn't damage the seal if it migrates to where you need it, but I assume you'll try to replace it anyway.

I bought a small bench vise with rubber jaws when I need to hold on to a case for extra persuasion.

Good luck!
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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by Stretch44 »

What about something like this with a little heat or cold?



or this looks interesting.

https://www.esslinger.com/horotec-sucti ... ndividual/

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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by Sporkboy »

I have had good luck with using hot glue to affix a lever to the caseback. Usually a chop stick acts as a good handle. In a clamp or vise and this works well. I also use a thin oil or wd40 just around the threads. I wouldn’t soak it, maybe a soaked rag around the threads for a few hours, and try it the a few more.

The other idea had to do with vibrating the caseback to loosen it up. You could put a bit of the wd40 or light oil around the threads, strap it to a speaker, crank up the bass.

No telling what that might do to the internals though.

Back to the first idea with affixing a lever to the caseback and holding the case steady. If you did that vertically in a secure fashion, you could affix a weight to the end of the lever and then add a light oil from time to time. This would allow for a slow pressure to work at it while you did something else.

Affixing the lever could even be done using a command strip that held one of those hooks and then slide the lever through the a hole drilled through a the hook mount. Just use a clamp on the strip for a while to make sure it has a strong hold. Actually, this is a really good idea. I could make a base that took a command strip and then had a piece that allowed you to insert a chopstick or dowel. Stupid lockdown keeping me from my 3D printer.
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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by Boourns »

Have you tried twisting?



I'll PM you my address.
I wish that watch were 38mm?
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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by whoagorgeous »

Dremel.

My best friend.
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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by Bbrou33 »

Set it on fire [emoji2369]

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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by PetWatch »

Tap with the rubber or plastic side of a watch hammer on the center and edges of caseback, as needed, carefully supporting the case so as not to damage case or crystal. Unscrew.



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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by watchpalooza »

Thank you Very much for the suggestions so far.

PetWatch wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 9:13 pm Tap with the rubber or plastic side of a watch hammer on the center and edges of caseback, as needed, carefully supporting the case so as not to damage case or crystal. Unscrew.
I tried this one since I had the hammer. After 30 minutes I have given up. :cry: May try again in combination with a soak in WD40.

TheJohnP wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 7:53 am I've had good success with a ball.

https://www.esslinger.com/watch-case-op ... ener-tool/
I have ordered one, but would be surprised if it can handle this job. Have wanted one for general use, and your comments sold me on getting one...and who knows, maybe it does work on this one.

tommy_boy wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 8:01 am That's a tough one if the stainless has seized.

A WD-40 bath? It shouldn't damage the seal if it migrates to where you need it, but I assume you'll try to replace it anyway.

I bought a small bench vise with rubber jaws when I need to hold on to a case for extra persuasion.

Good luck!
This will be the next thing I try. I think having a vise to hold the watch while I apply force to the case-opening lever will help. It is quite difficult to get enough leverage.

Stretch44 wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 11:41 am What about something like this with a little heat or cold?



or this looks interesting.

https://www.esslinger.com/horotec-sucti ... ndividual/

Image
I have my doubts that a suction-based solution will be strong enough for this one, but could be worth a try. Applying heat as you suggest could work...will give that a try if the WD40 soak fails to loosen it.

Sporkboy wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 1:47 pm I have had good luck with using hot glue to affix a lever to the caseback. Usually a chop stick acts as a good handle. In a clamp or vise and this works well. I also use a thin oil or wd40 just around the threads. I wouldn’t soak it, maybe a soaked rag around the threads for a few hours, and try it the a few more.

The other idea had to do with vibrating the caseback to loosen it up. You could put a bit of the wd40 or light oil around the threads, strap it to a speaker, crank up the bass.

No telling what that might do to the internals though.

Back to the first idea with affixing a lever to the caseback and holding the case steady. If you did that vertically in a secure fashion, you could affix a weight to the end of the lever and then add a light oil from time to time. This would allow for a slow pressure to work at it while you did something else.

Affixing the lever could even be done using a command strip that held one of those hooks and then slide the lever through the a hole drilled through a the hook mount. Just use a clamp on the strip for a while to make sure it has a strong hold. Actually, this is a really good idea. I could make a base that took a command strip and then had a piece that allowed you to insert a chopstick or dowel. Stupid lockdown keeping me from my 3D printer.
Great ideas, and I appreciate the out of the box thinking. I tried the hot glued chopstick, even a metal one but they are not strong enough (snapped, glue did not hold). Affixing a lever of any sort suffers the same issue unless I superglue it. Maybe the command strip could work for that. The soaked rag or light oil may help loosen it...definitely worth a try. I think vibration is out.
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Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by Sporkboy »

I figured vibrations wouldn’t be great for the watch. I have some heavy duty double sided mounting tape that might work better than command strips.?comes off with rubbing alcohol when you are done. The trick is figuring out what to mount.

Some way to hold the watch securely really helps a great deal.

Edit:
Thermal expansion and contraction have been mentioned briefly. What if you put the watch in a bag of rice to act as both desiccant and thermal buffer, let that sit for a couple of days on the counter to allow it to come to humidity equilibrium.

The. Put that in the freezer overnight. The rice should slow the chill so that if there is any moisture in the watch, it shouldn’t condense inside it. After taking out the watch, shove it in your pocket and let it warm up quickly. The case and caseback are different material thicknesses so they should expand and contract at different rates.

The relatively quick expansion should hopefully crack the seal. I guess this is if you get really desperate as there is a risk of condensation forming in the case.

Thank you for considering out of the box ideas. I will keep thinking to see if anything else comes to mind.
Last edited by Sporkboy on Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by PetWatch »

I recently had one of those stubborn casebacks that wouldn't budge, what ultimately worked was to get a solid grip on the case with one hand, use a rag to cushion if needed, carefully secure wrench prongs on caseback, do away with work bench as you hold in a natural body position for maximum leverage and apply a quick jolt with everything you got. It will hopefully brake free, be careful that it doesn't slip.

If all else fails, pull out your caseback knife tool and pry open. Lol

Something has to work.

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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by watchpalooza »

No joy with WD40 or light oil soaks. Tried also a wrench to hold the case while opening...broke the case opener.
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Re: Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by TheJohnP »

watchpalooza wrote: Thu Apr 23, 2020 11:24 am No joy with WD40 or light oil soaks. Tried also a wrench to hold the case while opening...broke the case opener.
WOW
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Free watch to whomever can get this open

Post by Sporkboy »

OK, that is getting serious. My ideas are starting to sound less crazy. I had edited my post above with an idea involving freezing the watch overnight, take a look at that. I know it is on the crazy side, but you broke a case opener.

Just to check, this is a screw back case right? Could it be a keyed snap back case?

I know that is crazy talk, but this is an extreme situation.

Edit: what watch is this anyway? It looks like it could be a skin diver, but can we get a picture of the front?
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