So the marker swap is really a simple mod as mods go. However, I ran into an issue unrelated to the mod that became a bit of a challenge.
I had an extremely difficult time getting caseback off, and when I took it off there was what appeared to be ANOTHER caseback underneath it. I was like WTF!?
This “second caseback” was actually screwed down into the case far enough to contact the movement holder, and is what was holding it in place.
The movement was then anchored only to the movement holder and not to the case.
Whaddaya know, I’ve opened up quite a few reps and had not seen this arrangement before. It’s pretty ingenious except for one thing. The threads in the case had TWO places where there were significant bumps of un-cut metal in between the threads. This explained my extreme difficulty getting the caseback off, and getting the “second caseback” off was even worse. I didn’t think it was ever going to come off. I actually ended up putting the case in a case holder, put the case holder in a vice, and used a pair of plumber’s channel lock pliers on it. OMG! Amazingly, I was able to completely unscrew it , each half turn having to overcome thread bumps in the case threads. I cannot overstate how much of a PITA this was.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Channellock-12-in-Tongue-and-Groove-Pliers-440/100002119
After I got it off I used a diamond file to chew the case thread bumps down to nothing and sanded the space with some sandpaper backed by a thin screwdriver. Geez.
Now down to business. To get a marker off, you just scrape the glue off the back then push the marker pins out with a needle. The marker should just fall off.
It helps a lot if the markers are from the same factory then they should have the same pin and hole arrangement. If not you have to sand one pin down and use glue on the dial front which is much more challenging on markers with thin surface areas or a coronet. It’s not bad at all on big round or rectangular hour markers, you can blob the glue on almost willy nilly and not muck it up.
Just pop the new marker pins in their holes and glue the pins in place from the backside of the dial. I used BSI epoxy, love the stuff.
While waiting for the glue to set I removed the calendar parts from the movement. No need for all this junk on a no date watch!
Next I filed down the middle hump on the Setting Lever Jumper so the stem won’t catch there and there won’t be a crown position 2. Sweet!
Remount the dial and hands, replace the movement in the case, regulate it and Boom!
Double Nine Gonzo, yeah!
