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Bezel 101 (repair,realign,clean)

robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
TUDOR BEZEL 101 Cleaning/Removing Play/Repair

Hello everybody. I have seen some people in the Tudor section ask about how to fix a broken Bezel with a lost pearl/ remove play from their Bezel or just make it turn smoother/lign up better. Since i needed to switch out my Bezel Insert i thought this would be a good time to take pictures to help out other members.


How to fix a Tudor bezel. There might be several reasons for you to repair your bezel.
Some for example are:
- misaligned bezel
- tight bezel/dirty bezel
- lost pearl/switching to a new insert
My reason is that my insert iss scratched and since I already have the HR dial and hands installed I figured I might aswell install the HR bezel to match the rest.
Things you need:
- thin knife
- scotch tape
- new bezel insert and 1mm double sided 3m tape (only if you want to install a new insert)
Alright, lets get to it.
Here you can see my new HR bezel. It cost me 30$ including shipping to europe.
5sJuVIA.jpg

My stock insert is scratched badly at the right side of the 30 mark and around the 55 minute mark:
Qi585TM.jpg

To remove the bezel you will need a think knife coated with a layer of scotch tape in order to avoid scratches on the watch. You want to insert the knife under the bezel like so:
4ZfHtU9.jpg

Now you just pry the bezel off. You dont need a lot of force to remove it, it should come off quite easily. Once done you should have something looking like this:
XRSB2Yz.jpg

Some of the newer Tudor reps will have a plastic ring instead of the metal ring. There are some springs hiding under the circular metal plate that is still on the watch so be careful when you remove it. It is not fixed so simply lifting it off will work. Now you should have all these parts:
- 2 or 4 small springs and one with a clicking mechanism on top of it
- a round metal ring
- the metal plate
- and the bezel ring with the insert
3nmUqBt.jpg

Now you can start cleaning. For the watch head I use a microfibre cloth and just wipe some off the dirt off.
Qj0Dpdv.jpg

The bezel insert is attached to the bezel ring by double sided tape. So you can simply heat it up and pull the insert off the ring.
hSaGAOB.jpg

hxWcHbW.jpg

To clean the rest of the insert I just put the bezel assembly inside my ultrasonic cleaner for 5 minutes.
ENPqcJr.jpg

zqwjC7F.jpg

Now you want to take your double sided tape and retape the inside of the ring.
aKkTCY3.jpg

When you stick the insert back onto the ring, make sure the small circle of the pearl on the back side lines up to the teeth as shown. This is important because it will ensure that the bezel will be aligned perfectly when it clicks
bp7SAPW.jpg

It should look like this:
QHIzzvD.jpg

Now you need to put the round metal ring inside of the small ridge inside of the bezel. If you have a plastic ring then just put that one around the crystal and follow the next step.
VPc9nFp.jpg

Once you put all the springs back into place and the metal plate above them you are ready to press the bezel back onto the watch. In order to do that you need to push down on the bezel and twist counter clockwise at the same time. Its best to use your two thumbs for this.
The final result:
1lcMOqE.jpg

h8FaScS.jpg

Next to my JF V2S
PsiVNil.jpg
 
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robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
In case you loose one of the small springs from the bezel like I did while taking these pictures, theres a simple trick to make new ones. Just take a spare spring bar and clip it with a nail clipper. There will be a small springbar inside that you can cut to the desired length. The longer the springbar the stronger the click. You can also stretch the springbar to create a stronger click / less play.
Jy1Z42g.jpg

XA6EYBS.jpg

pX4q5qR.jpg

Here some pics comparing the HR insert to the ZF insert aswell. (ZF on bottom)
Zw5IniL.jpg

zgmQGVc.jpg

Z9SNE6l.jpg

BoKYlll.jpg

5Vs5jE7.jpg

The HR insert seems to be more matte than the ZF one, but this might be due to wear on the ZF insert. The pearl on the HR insert looks better and has a nicer white color. The lume is the same color on both but the ZF shines just a tad brighter after about 2 minutes but both last throughout the whole night once charged.

Thanks for taking the time to read and I hope I could help you :)
 

robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
Great post.

Does anyone know if the pelagos bezel is similar?
Its the same, but it should have the plastic ring i was talking about. At least i know this to be true for the 2 line pelagos so i assume they didnt change it for the 5 liner. I only have more pics for it off my old black bay bronze though. I can post them in here later just need to go through some old pics
 

thyco72

Banned member, the goat does not approve
Banned
21/12/15
165
0
0
Great... i have to change my black 5liner pelagos bezel but no clue where to buy one... who could help??


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk
 

klockjohan

El Patron
5/12/15
361
121
43
EU
Nice guide. Easy to follow and read.

I assume this applies to the majority of brands out there?
 

klockjohan

El Patron
5/12/15
361
121
43
EU
Nice guide. Easy to follow and read.

I assume this applies to the majority of brands out there?
 

robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
Nice guide. Easy to follow and read.

I assume this applies to the majority of brands out there?
i think they are quite similar. but they use different click mechanisms. if unsure you should just google: "your watches name + bezel assembly" many times you will find something.

Sent from the RWI App
 
D

d4m.test

Guest
I did the same thing but while removing my submariner bezel it popped out really fast and I lost the springs ! So what will be the solution in this case ? Will any watches shop be able to fix this issue ? Thanks in advance !
 

robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
I did the same thing but while removing my submariner bezel it popped out really fast and I lost the springs ! So what will be the solution in this case ? Will any watches shop be able to fix this issue ? Thanks in advance !
Im not really sure, i think the submariner uses different kind of springs with a ball shaped head. You would have to look in the rolex section.
 

robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
Currently trying to find a solution to completely eliminate play in the Bezel. The Pelagos has absolutely 0 play and the BB has some play. Im trying to find out what part is responsible for creating the play and so far I can say its definately not in the Bezel as when i switch them the BB bezel turns out to have 0 play on the Pelagos assembly and the Pelagos bezel on the BB has got play then.
TMuHkW9.jpg
 

robinstyler

Renowned Member
4/7/16
658
31
28
Okay, so I have figured out what the problem was! Sadly the play in the Bezel cant be fixed, as its not actually the Bezel that creates the Play but the hole drilled into the case where the click spring goes inside that creates the play.
See here:
62nXysr.jpg

9zRCd2o.jpg

Another thing I did was to make the Bezel turn easier. Sadly the two replacement plastic retainers i bought didnt fit even though they were sold to me by a Dealer as replacement for Tudor. So I had to work on the already broken one. What I did was cut it into 3 pieces and put it inside the Bezel again. Dont have a pic but its basically like this:
ZkCnMHw.png

Before it was like the top but now Its like the bottom. Surprisingly the Bezel turns a lot smoother and easier now. Feels exactly like my JF Sub C. If you have a high end Sub C rep you will know what I mean. Very easy to turn but still enough resistance to not turn by itself.
 
D

d4m.test

Guest
isnt there any way to fix the play on bezel ?
 

Smpfan

Renowned Member
18/9/11
996
303
63
It works. The guide has been written by me and I did this with my Pelagos V6F and BB ZF. But I have to agree bezel play on Pelagos is absolutely zero. BB bezel play is noticeable. I guess the drilled hole for the clicker spring is a bit too big so the clicker spring can move fore and backwards a tiny little bit. This makes the bezel play. Maybe it works filling up the hole with epoxy and drill it again with an exactly matching drill bit.


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk Pro
 
D

d4m.test

Guest
It works. The guide has been written by me and I did this with my Pelagos V6F and BB ZF. But I have to agree bezel play on Pelagos is absolutely zero. BB bezel play is noticeable. I guess the drilled hole for the clicker spring is a bit too big so the clicker spring can move fore and backwards a tiny little bit. This makes the bezel play. Maybe it works filling up the hole with epoxy and drill it again with an exactly matching drill bit.


Gesendet von iPhone mit Tapatalk Pro


Tutorial with pictures will be appreciated on this