Thread: Home watch repair

Figured a thread for a different rabbit hole some of us might be prone to sally down.
New strap, or new crystal, or crown, or bezel. Post your repairs and watch mods here.
Help your fellow horological weekend warrior to learn from your mistakes.
Have fun, and no judgements.
If you want to spend more on upgrading a watch then the movement is worth, have at er but have fun.
Cheers.

I’ll go first with a somewhat vintage Zodiac Professional diver my dad gave me when I graduated college.

Been through a lot with me including my entire career in Aviation and has many scars including a crown worn half off from rubbing against my wrist for 35 years..

Apart and into the ultrasonic bath with parts of you.

Now everything comes apart easy cause it’s clean, and hot.

Stay tuned, new bezel, and crown on order since I was able to get my original apart completely.
Wouldn’t consider doing this type work without the use of booster specs either!

They fit over my readers and make me look even cooler than stock!
Cheers gents.
Stay on time.

I used to do maint. on my pocket watches but only played around with wrist watches.

If you really want to get into fixing watches you had better have a some spare cash because you need specialized tools. Yea you can McGyverize but having the right tools makes things way easier and in some cases you need them period.

A quick clean on a Quartz piece is a piece of cake and if parts aren't too specialized they can be had. Zodiac went out of business decades ago and is now Fossil and a Chinese outfit so you won't be getting parts from them. Probably a parts watch from Eboy or if you're lucky one of the parts houses might have something that fits.

I agree that you need custom tools, and have them covered as far as my mechanical movements are concerned.

Fully intact vintage watch press and all the implements of reconstruction. Bought for a Waltham pocket watch resto job a few years back.

With respect to this project though, I was able to reference the tag heuer 1000 model diver (980.613N) for the appropriate, oddly sized bezel ring @ 34.8mm Outside x 28.5mm Inner x 3.2mm Wide.
An original zodiac crown, from eBay, that will thread onto the stem, but will be .4mm smaller dia than the one I have now, is also on the way.
And that plus the new generic 27mm sapphire glass crystal will complete the facelift, and add scratch resistance the original mineral glass did not.
I may replace the gold on the bezel ring during the process as that’s the time to do it. But not if my current gold solution has expired. Stuff is as expensive as, well gold, and once you open it, the clock starts ticking whether you use it all or not..

In a perfect world I would have a bunch of gold plating jobs all stacked up at the same time. But who is that organized with their hobbies?

More to come once the parts arrive.
Cheers..

I will just enjoy your posts like the car, mike. I just use and wear a watch until it gives up. I just can see enough anymore for repairs. Even my radio repair is getting iffy nowadays. Not to mention my hands are not steady enough either.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I will just enjoy your posts like the car, mike. I just use and wear a watch until it gives up. I just can see enough anymore for repairs. Even my radio repair is getting iffy nowadays. Not to mention my hands are not steady enough either.

Yea that's why I pretty much gave up on watch repair. It's a hands thing. I can still change a battery or adjust a regulator or put a dab of oil here and there but other than watch strap changes and bracelet adjustments that's about it.

Replacement bezel insert received and original safely popped off the original.


Awaiting the new crystal, and need to put a little curve to the bezel insert Also I may end up ordering some gold and replating the bezel after all. Can really see how the outer edge has worn off.
Won’t be completed before Christmas, but I did get the seiko chrono restored, so that former gramma watch will be handed down at least.
Cheers.

Very interesting, lookin forward to more!

Finally received the new sapphire crystal and new gold plate so I can finish the watch up.

Hard to see but the golds worn off the top of the bezel crown.

The plating kit.

24k results. And on to pressing in the new crystal.

And then press in the new bezel ring.

A new OEM style band, reassemble and she’s good to pass down to my son.
Served me for 35 good years hope he gets that many more.
It’s a tank of a watch and I’m pleased with the results.

Cheers gents.