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Crown for A2824?

Ryedubs

Horology Curious
6/9/18
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Classic noob question I'm sure...

I'm looking to get a rolex crown on an A2824 movement. I need a 6mm SS and am wondering if I can get any 6mm SS or whether I need one specific for the 2824 stem?

It's logical that movements will have different stems, right? But I only really see crowns for gen movements, or a seller doesn't label the movement/stem that the crown is for (on the bay) so I'm not quite sure now.

Any advice appreciated so I don't end up gluing one on if it doesn't fit! haha.

R
 

Rx4Time

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A genuine rolex crown will accept a stem from a 2824
 

Ryedubs

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6/9/18
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Cheers Rx4Time - I'll get a gen crown then.

I guess this more by luck than it being the case that crowns and stems are universally interchangeable? I had a look through a lot the stickies and older posts but a lot of the links in the guides no longer work.
 

Raddave

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better check the fit on the crown tube before you install it ...threads might not be the same
 

tripdog

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A Rolex crown has 9 Tap thread, so does a 2824 movements stem.
But there's no guarantee that the Rolex crown will screw down on the tube in the watch case, so you may need to buy a tube for the Rolex crown, but that tube may not fit in the threaded hole in the case which means either re-tapping the thread or welding it back up and re-drilling and re-tapping the tube hole in the case.
 

Raddave

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at worst you might need to install a gen crown tube
 

Ryedubs

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6/9/18
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Thanks everyone, it seems most crowns come with the tube so I'll have one chance the crown fits the stock tube, and then a second chance the gen tube fits the case.

Not sure where my tap and die set is, but I'd be comfortable re threading the stem or the case if it come to it. I'll let you know how it goes once I've got the crown.

R
 

Raddave

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dont re-thread the stem
 

Ryedubs

Horology Curious
6/9/18
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Okay so my gen crown arrived and here's the fun part...

The stem fits as you guys said it would because the crown has has a tap 9 'female part' for the stem (proper name for it anyone?).

The crown didn't quite slot into the watch case, so I removed the small rubber gasket from the case and gave the inside of the tube a few twists of my diamond file, reinstated the gasket and it now slides in nicely.

To the naked eye, the inside thread of the crown looks like fits the tube, but it's a little tight. I think it's the same thread (is it 0.3?) but the inside of the gen crown is slightly and unnoticeably smaller. I gave a gentle turn with some cloth wrapped needle noses, but it wasn't going on. When I undid the crown, the tube come out attached to the crown. So I had to clamp the crown in my mini plastic vice (also wrapped in cloth) and gently remove the tube with the needle noses.

The tube fits back in nice, the original crown still fits well and the gen crown is fine, so nothing is damaged.

Guess there are two options:
1. Take the tube out and run it through a die so it flushes better to th gen crown.
2. Buy a gen tube and tap the case of it needs it.

More comfortable with 2. It seems like it would be easier to tap the case rather than re-thread the tube, right?

What are your thoughts?

Perhaps a properly secured tube in a mini vice could be rethreaded by forcing the gen crown on? Not my usual style I should admit.

I wanted to provide an update, and whilst this is still very much a noob build, I'm not sure if I should move this to a thread/topic on building rather than flame free? - sorry if it's the wrong place.
 

tripdog

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Buy a gen spec tube. You may need to re-tap the case, you will almost certainly need to countersink it as gen tubes are conical at the base, reps are flat.
 

Ryedubs

Horology Curious
6/9/18
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Makes sense, thanks tripdog especially regarding countersinking.

They seem hard to find other than the 'bay, but I'm cautious of buying gen parts from the bay when the parts are difficult to ID.

Any ideas what tap I'll need to use on the case?

R
 

tripdog

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Makes sense, thanks tripdog especially regarding countersinking.

They seem hard to find other than the 'bay, but I'm cautious of buying gen parts from the bay when the parts are difficult to ID.

Any ideas what tap I'll need to use on the case?

R

Tap is 3.0mm x 0.35. Do not drill it out first, just use the tap to cut it to the correct size - oil the tap, 1 full turn in, 1/2 back out, 1 full turn in, 1/2 back out etc.

Tube is 24-7030-01, it doesn't need to be Rolex, generic will do:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CASE-TUBES...ET-24-7030-STAINLESS-STEEL-PART-/171181591019
 

Ryedubs

Horology Curious
6/9/18
11
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So my tube arrived and I tested a few taps in to spare acrylic I had kicking around. The tube fitted perfectly so I tapped the watch case and again nice snug fit! The crown looks really nice when screwed on.

​​​​​​​thanks everyon for their help
 

Ryedubs

Horology Curious
6/9/18
11
1
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But... My long tube 2824 hands arrived and they just don't fit. I tried twisting my diamond file inside the tube a few times, but I think the tube twists inside the hand rather than filing.

Very surprising as they come from a reliable source, so perhaps it's my movement that is not correct, though this is also from a reliable source and is definately a 2824 clone.

Not suite sure what has gone wrong, but I manage to get the hour hand on, but the other hands just won't fit and I snapped the second hand pinion whilst think it was just a bit tight.

all a bit of a nightmare after everything was going so well right up until the end.

so now I have some hands that I'm not sure what movement to buy to match them to, and I need a new movement ...

any my ideas or suggestions?

Argh!