Question on crown tube and crown guard of JF16610LV

[chubbychaser911]

I have read the posts here on how to waterproof a watch by using silicone grease on the gasket in the case back and the case tube and crown. I’ve also read that people switch out the case tube and crown. I was wondering if the case tube and crown which come on the JF replica are a weak spot for water resistance. After all the Rolex triplock system supposedly was an innovation on their watches which aids in water resistance. I believe that a genuine case tube and crown would have a total of four gaskets and it seems possible to me that the replicas only contain three?

do people change the tube and crown only for aesthetics or is it also to improve water resistance? I plan on building a waterproof tester in. DIY fashion I found on watchuseek.

also 1) is the JF case tapped to accept the 7030 case tube or do I have to drill and retap? And 2) if I just want aesthetics because the case tube and gaskets on a JF are good enough can I just get a 704 crown and install directly on their threaded case tube?

another question do crystal gaskets and case figment generally present another area of water intrusion on JF submariner replicas?

 

[tripdog]

Jeeze, that sure is a lot of questions.

Most people change the crown on their JF16610 for a gen because they think this turns it into a Superfranken.

The JF crown isn't not very accurate to gen, and the tube will not take a gen crown.

If you want to fit a gen crown then you need to fit a compatible tube, which means countersinking the tube hole - it's a good idea to clear out the threads after with a tap.

Greasing gaskets with silicone won't make a watch waterproof - waterproof watches don't exist, only water resistant ones, and some have better WR than others. Silicone grease helps to form a watertight seal, it also helps to protect the rubber gaskets.

The most likely area for water infiltration on a watch, ( assuming all gaskets are in place and everything that should be screwed down is screwed down) is the crystal/gasket. Early JFs had very loose fitting crystal/gasket/retaining ring assemblies, they are probably on V8 of the case by now, so things have probably changed.

 

[Rawbe]

Wow a new member who isn’t asking the usual question, what a beautiful sight to behold!

 

[chubbychaser911]

Thanks for the replies. I spend a lot of time in the water surfing and snorkeling and very occasionally scuba diving. So having a submarine and taking it off before getting wet is just not an option. I would love to get it to 30 atmospheres resistant. I am building a tester that should be good to 20 atmospheres. I assume that would totally be acceptable for what I want. Because I’m looking for maybe more than most are I am more interested in the water resistance to a higher level. Thus I really want to under stand the weak points of a watch and whether the triplock system is really a huge reason that submariners have high water resistance and I should replace the case tube and crown. As far as looks I’ll take a look when it arrives and see if it is something I can live with.

I am okay with experimenting to find the weak points but if someone here has already done the hard work I’d love to learn from them.

 

[bc1221]

Unless you plan on diving pretty deep, I wouldnt worry too much about it. Just get all of your gaskets greased and the case back locked tight and you should be fine. The JF has a gen like build on the dial/bezel side too so I wouldnt worry too much about it. Just be sure to grease all of the gaskets and use a rolex caseback tool to screw it shut. A red ball isnt gonna close it tight enough imo.

One thing you may want to do is get the movement serviced. The clone movements have gotten a LOT better over the years but they are still assembled in a dirty factory and the movement could have dirt, grime, and even pubic hair in it for all we know. I know I've def seen some hairs in my watches over the years. Plus, most are oiled entirely too much or not enough. Plus, the JF date font is garbage so you may want a different date wheel. I have a ARF (i think) datewheel in mine and love it. Hand winding is smooth as butter and rotor is pretty much silent. It is currently running at -1sec/day. I've only had it for a few days after servicing but it was worth every penny.

 

[chubbychaser911]

Unless you plan on diving pretty deep, I wouldnt worry too much about it. Just get all of your gaskets greased and the case back locked tight and you should be fine. The JF has a gen like build on the dial/bezel side too so I wouldnt worry too much about it. Just be sure to grease all of the gaskets and use a rolex caseback tool to screw it shut. A red ball isnt gonna close it tight enough imo.

Good to hear that the build is pretty solid. I will be buying case back tool etc. I'm kind of excited to get into this hobby and actually enjoy the watch by checking out the movement.

One thing you may want to do is get the movement serviced. The clone movements have gotten a LOT better over the years but they are still assembled in a dirty factory and the movement could have dirt, grime, and even pubic hair in it for all we know. I know I've def seen some hairs in my watches over the years. Plus, most are oiled entirely too much or not enough. Plus, the JF date font is garbage so you may want a different date wheel. I have a ARF (i think) datewheel in mine and love it. Hand winding is smooth as butter and rotor is pretty much silent. It is currently running at -1sec/day. I've only had it for a few days after servicing but it was worth every penny.

BWAHAHA on the hair thing. I am definitely going to have it serviced. Definitely changing the date wheel. And maybe the crystal too.