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Carbon Case Transplant Tutorial

Imaknockov

Active Member
18/1/11
336
0
0
This tutorial was designed to explain the process of transplanting all the components from your stock Audemars Piguet Grand prix into the composite carbon case. Before I begin, there are some important aspects of the carbon case which I feel are important to mention. Keeping these in mind will ensure that your aftermarket carbon parts last as long as your rep.

Firstly, while the composite carbon parts are designed to resist chipping, they can be scratched very easily. If your are clumsy or careless with your timepieces, this is not a watch for you.

Second, like most composite materials, they do not fare well in high heat environments. Planning on wearing your watch to the beach, or on a trek through the desert in 45 degree Celsius weather? This isn't the watch for you.

Thirdly, while every attempt has been made to ensure that the case design is water-resistant to basic use (hand-washing, rain, etc.) This particular watch is NOT designed to be submerged and is most emphatically not suitable for diving. Want a watch that can stand up to ten atmospheres? Get a Rolex.

Lastly, to keep your watch looking its best, it can be cleaned with a soft, damp sponge with a hint of dish soap. Avoid using any solvents (rubbing alcohol, spirits, thinners) on the carbon parts, as this may damage the finish. Treat this watch like it's worth 45 grand, and you shouldn't have any problems. Now, on to the transplanting process!


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First, make sure that your work area is both well-lit and extremely clean. If necessary, vacuum the work area to ensure that it is as dust-free as possible. Aside from the regular assortment of screwdrivers and tools, you will need the following (from left to right:)

-Cyanocrylate (CA) medium glue. Medium viscosity is best, and allows more working time, which is critical.
-Pliers with serrated teeth for secure gripping.
-A small file with 90 degree angles, sharp enough to file stainless steel.
-A razor saw with super-fine serrated teeth (optional.)


001.jpg

1) Place your watch onto your work surface. I recommend using a watch pillow or other sort surface to place the watch on while working to avoid damaging it.

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2) The first step is to remove the strap. Use a flat-blade (1.2mm) screwdriver to remove the case lug screws as shown. The screws will be replaced with brass units supplied with the carbon case, so you may discard these once removed.


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3) Turn the watch case over and remove the case-back screws using a modified Torx T6 bit.


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4) I use tweezers to manipulate the screws, as losing them is not an option.


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5) I also use a special rubber dish to hold all my tiny parts and keep them from rolling away.


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6) At this point, I recommend that you be wearing surgical gloves to avoid any fingerprints on the delicate internal parts of the watch. Carefully remove and set aside the case-back.


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7) Unscrew the crown and leave it in the winding position. Using a sharp sewing pin, depress the small button shown just below the pin's tip and pull out the stem.


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8) Using a flat-blade screwdriver, remove the two screws and tabs that hold the movement in place (red circles show the location of the screws/tabs.)


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9) Using a second watch cushion, rubber pad, etc. Place it over the back of the watch and holding both the pad and the case with your fingers, flip the case/pad over so that the case is now resting on the second pad.


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10) Carefully lift the watch case from around the movement. I recommend placing a plastic cup or dish over the movement while you work on the case to protect it from damage and dust.


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11) Place the empty case back onto your initial cushion/work surface. Using a slotted flat-blade screwdriver, carefully unscrew the lug nuts and put them in a secure place.


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12) The bezel screws should fall out of the case on their own. Some screws are more stubborn though, and you may need to insert an Allen key into the bezel screw to secure it as you remove the lug nuts.


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13) Using a flat-blade screwdriver or (preferably) a sharp plastic object, carefully pry the top bezel off the chapter ring. Be extremely careful not to scratch or damage any of the parts!


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14) From left to right: upper bezel, sub-bezel 1, sub-bezel 2, and the rubber gasket. You may discard the upper bezel, as this will be replaced with a carbon unit. The two sub-bezels should be glossy, so now would be a good time to paint them.


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15) Using a 1.3mm Allen/hex tool, loosen the screws holding the crown-guards in place.


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16) With the screws fully loosened, remove the entire crown-guard assembly with screws and put in a secure place.


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17) Now we move on to the chrono pushers themselves. For this operation, you'll need your serrated pliers. First, place the watch case firmly on your cushion with the pushers facing up as shown. Next, depress the pusher button all the way down. Holding the button down, grab the steel pin protruding from inside the case and gently but firmly pull downward. It's very important that you apply as little lateral force as possible, as this could damage the mechanism.


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18) Here you see the pusher assembly in all its glory. The button uses a simple but effective push-pin to hold everything in place.


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19) Now we move on to the removal of the chapter ring. For this operation, you will need a cylindrical shape that is wide enough to make contact with the bottom of the chapter ring from inside the case (object at bottom-left.) You will also need a cylindrical object (preferably plastic) that fits around the chapter ring without touching it, and applies all the downward force directly to the case itself (object at top.)


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20) First, place the case right side up onto the cylinder that presses against the chapter ring. There should be at least 5mm of space between the bottom of the case and the work surface to allow the case to fall away when the chapter ring is pressed out.


0021.jpg

21) The plastic part goes over the case as shown. When placed into a press, the upper component applies force against the case itself and pushes it downward, while the bottom piece holds the chapter ring in place. I prefer this method as it does no damage to any of the components while separating them.



022.jpg

22) The case and chapter ring now separated. Place the latter aside and cover it so that it does not become contaminated with dust.



023.jpg

23) These two components are used for extracting the crown and chrono pusher tubes. While this is a device of my own making, you can obtain a dedicated watchmaking tool resembling a pair of pliers that will do the same job.


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24) The larger component fits inside the opening of the case, with the brass prong going into the hole where the crown tube is located. The smaller component at top has a hole which fits neatly over the tube without damaging it, and applies a downward pressure to the surrounding case to push the tube out.


025.jpg

25) Here are the tubes in question: the crown at left and the pushers on the right. The crown tube has a rubber gasket on the outside, take care not to lose or damage it! The gasket around the pusher tubes is less critical, and you may discard these if you wish.


026.png

26) With the gasket carefully removed from the crown tube, we can examine it more clearly. The lower portion shown by the red square is the area which we need to modify slightly.


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27) To modify the crown tube, you will need a vies of some sort. I improvised one with an adjustable wrench which has a piece of plastic card glued to the inner faces to avoid damaging the tube while holding it securely. You will also need either a razor saw or a small file with sharply-defined edges.


027B.jpg

27B) Holding the tube firmly in the vies, use your saw or file to create grooves in the lower section, like crude threading. Be careful to only score lightly, you don't want to cut through the tube and damage it. Once this is done, rinse the tube with denatured alcohol and put aside.


028.jpg

28) To re-insert the tubes into the case, you will need the carbon case itself, some medium viscosity cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, and a toothpick with a fine tip.


029.jpg

29) Begin by placing your case (crown hole up) securely into a vise. I recommend using a sheet of plastic or plexiglass between the jaws and the surface of the case to avoid damaging it. Once secured, put a drop of CA glue onto the toothpick, and swirl it around the inside of the crown tube hole.


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30) Without taking too much time, place the crown tube atop the case as shown, and press it back in. Allow the glue to dry for 1-2 hours before handling to make sure that the tube is secured. You can use this same, exact process to replace the chrono pushers.


031.jpg

31) Place the crown tube gasket back into place on the crown as shown. You may apply a small amount of grease to the gasket and also to the threading. This will help preserve the threading during numerous screwings and unscrewings, as well as guard against the intrusion of moisture.


032.jpg

32) Now we will tackle the re-insertion of the chapter ring into the case. Take the chapter ring assembly and turn it over. You will see that there is a rubber gasket inserted into a channel on the underside. Remove the gasket, clean it and the channel with denatured alcohol to remove any dirt, grease, or contaminants.


033.png

33) Keeping your carbon case close-by, mix-up some 5-minute epoxy and using a toothpick or similar object, quickly but carefully apply a medium layer to the vertical surface that contacts with the inner case, as well as to the gasket itself. Make sure that the epoxy is applied as evenly as possible.


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34) Gently but firmly press the chapter ring into the case, making sure that the tachymeter ring has the "60" exactly at twelve O'clock. Place a weighty object on top of the assembly and let it cure overnight.


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35) You may now replace the chrono buttons by reversing the order of the instructions shown in step 17. Take care that the pushers move smoothly and freely.


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36) Replace (in order:) the bezel gasket, sub-bezel2, sub-bezel1, and then the carbon outer bezel. Insert the bezel screws. If you experience resistance when installing the screws, simply remove the screw and ream the holes with a 1.5mm drill bit. Reinstall the crown-guards.


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37) To reinstall the movement into the case, place it on a work cushion facing upward.


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38) Carefully place the case down over the movement, keeping the alignment as accurate as possible. Holding the case and the cushion together securely, turn the assembly over. Reinstall the movement-holder tabs, screws, case-back, etc.


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39) all that's left to do now is reinstall the strap. Your aftermarket carbon parts come with 4 brass screws to replace the stock case lug screws. As you insert and tighten these new screws about 9/10 of the way into the case, take a black, permanent marker and run it over the screw head, then tighten all the way. Your Grand-Prix is now ready to dazzle and inspire!

******************************************************************
 

trksh-bzr

Mythical Poster
Advisor
25/9/09
9,058
16
38
Outstanding!!

thanks a lot.

bet there wont be less run on these forged carbon parts now... :thinking:

This is now a sticky!
 

Bonesey

Mythical Poster
Advisor
15/1/11
8,926
63
0
Outstanding post and of course for your work on these carbon cases as well!
 

co-axial

Legendary Member
Advisor
16/9/10
23,226
10
0
Very well done tutorial! Had to become a sticky :)

Thanks for all the time put into this. I´m not an AP guy at all but I love these tutorials.
 

Asheron82

I'm Pretty Popular
Supporter
11/6/10
2,235
282
83
im flabbergasted! thats really an awesome tutorial and the CF case assembly is amazing! good job dude! hope to see more CF projects from ya mate!

keep it up!
 

StevenLee

This member is doing hard time, they pissed off the goat.
INMATE
15/8/12
228
32
28
Madness at its best .
The reason why Rep is so fun . Part of the challenge is to do the Mods
Similar to model making .

Very temped to do the dial re colour with metalic red
I have seen some car paint touch up which comes close with metalic paint
Any thoughts .
Would it be easier to reprint by disassemble the whole dial ?
 

AstroAvia

Renowned Member
29/8/08
761
31
28
BRAZIL
Imaknockov, is it necessary to glue the chapter ring to the CF case? I believe the bezel will secure the chapter ring in place once the bezel screws are tightly screwed in. My point is, if anything goes wrong with the watch in the future - who knows? - and it has to be disassembled, one will have to destroy the CF case in order to remove the chapter ring once it has been glued. Contrary to the pusher and crown tubes, there is no chance the unglued chapter ring will fall from the watch once the bezel has been installed, whether the chapter ring has been glued or not; so why risk future mods by permanently glueing this part?
 

Imaknockov

Active Member
18/1/11
336
0
0
Hi guys!

Thank you so much for all the kind words, it really does mean a lot :)

Astro: the use of epoxy for the chapter ring is to minimize the intrusion of moisture into the watch, as the ring does not press into the carbon case the way it does with the steel one. The bond with the epoxy is actually not as strong as it would be with cyanoacrylate, but unlike with CA, the epoxy is more effective at filling gaps and won't damage the rubber O-ring. The epoxy makes a good seal, and then the bezel assembly sturdily holds it in place.
 

zorro-l

Renowned Member
9/2/12
749
3
0
HI GIO

Great tut as per-usually.. very professionally done my friend!!

Just on the same note as (astro) ...If chapter ring need to be removed after sealed with epoxy .. would it damage the FC case if it had to be removed at a later stage ?
 

Imaknockov

Active Member
18/1/11
336
0
0
HI GIO

Great tut as per-usually.. very professionally done my friend!!

Just on the same note as (astro) ...If chapter ring need to be removed after sealed with epoxy .. would it damage the FC case if it had to be removed at a later stage ?

As always, it depends greatly on the circumstances of the application. However, having done it a few times now, I'd say that removal probably wouldn't damage the case. In fact, if the epoxy is able to form a consistent, void-free perimiter around the chapter ring and O-ring, if you press-out the chapter ring again, when reinstalling, you may only need to grease the O-ring and then the bezel assembly will hold it in place.