How badly did I mess up my NOOB V10 Submariner?

[chronax]

Hey RWI,

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I made a pretty stupid mistake. I received my V10 Noob Submariner (ordered from PureTime) and noticed that the bezel was off-center by a few mm. Watched a few YouTube videos about installing a new bezel and thought to myself "that doesn't look too hard, I bet I could do it."

I was wrong.

When I pulled the bezel apart, the little ball bearing tube assemblies flew all over the place. Also, the crystal came off the watch with the bezel and I can't seem to get the two back together.

I was able to recover all but one of the ball bearing tubes, but I also smudged up the crystal and the watch face trying to figure out how to reassemble everything.

Here are some photos of my quandary:

https://imgur.com/a/mH9LYYL

So, my questions:

1. Do I need the missing bearing tube thing (picture attached)? Is there any place for me to buy one, even if it means buying a replacement bezel assembly or something?
2. How can I clean the crystal and watch face, and how the hell does it go back together? The rep does not appear to mirror the gen assembly videos I've found online. I do have some Rodico, but it's not clear if that can be used to remove heavy oily smudges.
3. Is there any place I could just send my parts for repair?
4. Is it worthwhile to upgrade the crystal and/or bezel while I have it apart?

Thank you all in advance for any info you can provide. I thought about throwing the whole watch into the garbage out of frustration, but it _was_ almost $500 so I'd love to salvage it if it's possible.

 

[Digital.]

since you already messed up, the best thing you can do is send it to someone, you're probably just going to make it worse.

 

[Specter1000]

It's all fixable....like what is mentioned, you might want to send out...hell, since you got the crystal out, you might as well drop a prof black hole in it. You can always use a magnet to see if you can find that one last click ball...

 

[Rx4Time]

Use a vacuum with a sock over the nozel to try and find the last missing piece. I'd suggest place the crystal with gasket back on as best you can to keep the dial and hands safe. Depending on where you are located, reach out to a forum watchsmith and have them reassemble it. I'd suggest a movement service while it's there since it'll be exposed to the elements.

 

[KJ2020]

As long as the spring and ball part you lost isn't the unique click that goes in at the 7 o'clock position, you can remake a functional part with items from Amazon.

See this post about halfway through for details and links.

https://forum.replica-watch.info/fo...68-my-molotow-cocktail-with-springs-and-balls

Use lens cleaning wipes to clean the crystal, these are great

https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Pre-Moistened-Cleaning-Wipes-5-Inches/dp/B008555O7G

Reinstalling a crystal and bezel is not terribly difficult but based on your previous mishaps I agree it would be best not to attempt any further work on it yourself.

 

[chronax]

Thank you all so much for the info. I cracked the ceramic bezel trying to reassemble it, but I _did_ find the last missing ball tube thing.

Where can I buy a good replacement bezel, and how can I order a crystal from prof?

I think I'll source those parts and then send it for repair somewhere. I have an engineering degree, but clearly I'm not cut out for work on watches.

 

[Rx4Time]

Well I would suggest you reach out to Spongebob and pick up one of his inserts. It's the closest you're going to find to genuine for a fraction of the cost. The cost of genuine parts has gone through the roof unfortunately

 

[Nivka]

I say try and fix it yourself. I’ve fudged up a fair few times, but it’s a great way to learn. while it’s expensive to make mistakes on your own watches, that’s far surpassed by the satisfaction of having worked on your own watch and understanding what goes into their construction.

Spongebob insert is amazing, as is prof crystal (he’s user rnrprof and has his own section under sv). The missing bearing shouldn’t affect function of your bezel action

 

[Specter1000]

As long as the spring and ball part you lost isn't the unique click that goes in at the 7 o'clock position, you can remake a functional part with items from Amazon.

See this post about halfway through for details and links.

https://forum.replica-watch.info/for...ings-and-balls

Use lens cleaning wipes to clean the crystal, these are great

https://www.amazon.com/Zeiss-Pre-Moi.../dp/B008555O7G

Reinstalling a crystal and bezel is not terribly difficult but based on your previous mishaps I agree it would be best not to attempt any further work on it yourself.

I was going to add...you don't need the exact part on click. Seiko 6309's and early 7002 divers use a spring and ball. Just put a little silicone grease on the ball to hold it in place while you assemble the bezel.I have even used a springs out of a spring bar, cut to size and some people have used a roller pen ball...but you can pick up balls pretty cheap as long as you don't buy them from a watch guy!