Advice on PAM Navy Seals bezel fix

[alexutzuro]

Hi guys!

A couple of days ago, i received a newly acquired beautiful Navy Seals that has two QC issues and would highly appreciate any help so i could get them sorted.

Problem 1: The 12 o'clock lume pip, sits slightly to the right one locked in position. I can place it perfectly centered to the markers, but it will just come back to the 1 minute marker.

Problem 2: The "30 minute" marker from the bezel is slightly tilted to the right.

I have searched the forum and only found this tutorial:

NEED HELP - 243 bezel markers issue.

Hi guys! I really need your help and advice on this freaky issue. I bought this great 243 2-3 months ago. Yesterday I noticed for the first time that the bezel 15, 30 and 45 markers were not lined as they supposed to be. More specifically, I realized that all 3 of them had the direction as I...

forum.replica-watch.info

The pic of the issues in question:



My concerns/questions are:
1. Could the bezel chip when trying to remove it from the case? I will follow the instructions precisely and use the edge of a blade for this, while putting some tape on the case.

2. If the "30 minute" marker is well glued, could the carbon break when trying to push it out of its place?

3. Would it be possible to recenter the 12 o'clock lume pip to the markers or at least tighten it so it will stay there? It is half of click off center. And how should i do that?

I just finished scrooling through the TUTORIALS section and didn't find anything regarding this.

Any help and maybe even a step by step (applicable to the carbon bezel/cabon case) would mean the world to me and wpuld be in your debt.

Cheers guys and thanks for reading!

 

[alexutzuro]

Sorry. Double post

 

[TESLA760]

Fairly common on Panerai watches with rotating bezels. It's going to be hard to notice in real life. I just learned to ignore it.

 

[alexutzuro]

Fairly common on Panerai watches with rotating bezels. It's going to be hard to notice in real life. I just learned to ignore it.

Fair point, but if there's a way, i'd like to get it done. Plus, the satisfaction of doing a thing

 

[ward1991]

Fair point, but if there's a way, i'd like to get it done. Plus, the satisfaction of doing a thing

The only thing holding the carbotech bezel to the rotating bezel ring assembly (directly underneath) is some half ass glue that COULD** potentially fail anyway. It might have since been improved but I had one fail a few years back and I glued back better, It popped right off cleanly, so no breakage or cracks which is good.

Your problem is, how to get the carbotech material unglued without cracking it, so no prying, the first option that comes to mind is heat and a solvent. However, you can't really do that, the heat may** warp your carbotech bezel portion and the solvent will certainly strip out all the paint in the bezel markings and perhaps compromised the lume pip too. Now repainting those not a terribly hard procedure and making a new pip can be done too, but is it worth it? It's functioning right? And if that picture above is displaying the "problem" it's 100% not worth it to risk breaking the irreplaceable bezel (unless a TD can get you just the bezel or you want to buy a whole new watch and transfer it over, but you may break that one too).

Reps are so much more fun when you learn to not be a stickler for silly lil' things.

 

[alexutzuro]

Thanks for all the input guys!

You are perfectly right, these watches exist so we can enjoy them, carefree.

Buuuut i woke up this morning determined to fix it, and i did! As a great man once said: "I did a thing!"

Here is a pic after fixing it:



What i did:

1. Isolated the case and the bezel where they meet at the 7 o'clock marker with some transparent adhesive tape

2. Becaude the gap between the bezel and case is pretty much none, i used a blade that i also isolated with adhesive tape.

3. The bezel came off, along with the 2 inner rings (the one holding it in place and the one that clicks.

4. I gently separated them from the bezel and continued to remove the 30 minute pip.

5. On the inner side it has a screw, so i just turned it and came off very easily.

6. Glued it back into place, at the correct position.

7. I placed the ring with teeth first, the one that clicks

8. I then secured it with the second ring

9. I clicked it until it was locked, by trying to turn it to the right and it locked.

10. I simply clicked the bezel right in at the coreect position, guided by the 12 o'clock marker, applying a bit of pressure with my fingers along the entire bezel.

Voila!

Thanks again for everything and i hope this will help someone else in the future.

Cheers guys!

 

[ward1991]

Great work and success!

Told ya that glue was shit!

I am surprised at how easily the whole assembly came off. From my one experience working with this bezel assembly it had seemed like the assembly itself was really quite on there.

Kudos mate!

 

[alexutzuro]

Great work and success!

Told ya that glue was shit!

I am surprised at how easily the whole assembly came off. From my one experience working with this bezel assembly it had seemed like the assembly itself was really quite on there.

Kudos mate!

Absolutely right!

I didn't even glue the bezel to the assembly, i just popped it in, while applying some pressure. But by amount of pressure that was needed, i'm sure it will stay there.

The day before yesterday i took it to my watchsmith for a rotor silencing and changing + oiling gaskets, plus a water test. While he did everything correctly, it did pass the 3atm test but not the 5atm. So i'll keep it on dry land