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Bezel removal on seiko

Lutaito

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Hello everyone,
So i grabbed this seiko from ebay to try to practice restore/repair. Also I bought the bezel removal tool (the chinese copy of Horotec, from Ali-E.

Im trying to get this bezel of since almost 2 hours now. Tried different angles and also tried using the case knife but it doesn’t seem to just come off. Is there a trick to use this tool or to take of this kind of bezel? Do I need to buy the expensive tool to get this kind of work done on watches?

Any tips and guidance is much appreciated

Thank you in advance :)
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Lutaito

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Forgot to mention it’s the Orient Watch case
 

Hor-Fan

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I would remove the insert from the bezel and see if there is a wire circlip holding the bezel in place.
 
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WatchSmith.US

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Try it with the bezel facing down.
 

Lutaito

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I would remove the insert from the bezel and see if there is a wire circlip holding the bezel in place.

Can I remove the insert on this without removing the bezel first? I thought bezel comes off then i push out the insert


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Hor-Fan

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Can I remove the insert on this without removing the bezel first? I thought bezel comes off then i push out the insert


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You should be able to gently pry it out
 

Lutaito

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I’ll try it out today. Thank you


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Lutaito

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Managed to pry out the insert and remove the crystal. Still no lick with the bezel coming off. I can see theres some play( space) between the bezel and case but it just dsnt pop off. Tried the knife, bezel removal tool, some sharp blades but no luck

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Dohdoh

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Is the bezel moving, mean does ist turn? If so, there is probably a wire clip underneath that you need to pry out of its position with a needle

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Lutaito

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Yes the bezel moves as it should. Where can I find that wire?


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Lutaito

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I also have a new GMT style case from eBay that I tried to get the bezel off from. Again im disappointed at myself and this bezel also not coming off. This one is flush with the case i cant insert a knife in this one. Now the bezel is tight/stuck but still moves. Have a look please and guide. Would really appreciate the help
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Lutaito

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Any experienced members and modders want to help a noob please


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Raddave

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No idea onn the GMT but my seiko black monster had a neoprene ( it think it was ring) on it , you got a clot of crap buitt up there , you might try washing ans saoking in hot saopy water before your next try at it
 

Lutaito

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Thanks for the reply Raddave, the first picture is the one without any clean. Next are the ones with hot water wash. I’ll put it through an ultrasonic wash and se but where exactly can I find that ring to remove? Also could it be that my bezel tool is not good enough? Like both bezel not coming off from that tool. I never was able to open with case knives


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Perpetual

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Thanks for the reply Raddave, the first picture is the one without any clean. Next are the ones with hot water wash. I’ll put it through an ultrasonic wash and se but where exactly can I find that ring to remove? Also could it be that my bezel tool is not good enough? Like both bezel not coming off from that tool. I never was able to open with case knives


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Yes, I believe the bezel tool is lacking..there are other ones you can buy that have 4 points of contact rather then the 2..

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Lutaito

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Yes, I believe the bezel tool is lacking..there are other ones you can buy that have 4 points of contact rather then the 2..

4bd9faa94620c0728ed0b4aee62dc1e9.jpg


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This one by Horotec is bit too pricey. Theres a chinese one too the replica of this. Any experience with it?


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Perpetual

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This one by Horotec is bit too pricey. Theres a chinese one too the replica of this. Any experience with it?


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No, none, I'll be purchasing one though soon. I believe KJ2020 using one of these maybe he can chime in seems to work for him

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Lutaito

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Ya i was reading somewhere KJ is using. I would love to hear his input and he can probably also guide with the bezel issues

Thank you :)


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KJ2020

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Bro for the GMT bezel take a look at my bezel removal guide.

6-digit Sub crystal and bezel swap

You should get the 4 blade tool. And get a gap started with a razor blade. Sometimes the bezel gasket (hytrel ring) is so tight that even with the 4 blade tool it won't pop over the retaining ring lip and when you remove the blades the bezel slides back down into place. So what you can do is while the bezel is lifted up with the blades inserted, place a wedge in the space (cardboard, plastic, etc). Then take the watch head out of the tool and work on it with a case knife.

I've never tried to remove a Seiko bezel but rotating bezels almost always use either a gasket or an octagonal wire circlip in a groove. The circlips can be a royal PITA to deal with, depending on the gap between the bezel and the retaining ring. On many lower end Sub reps the wire is visible in that gap. On some it is not. If you can get to the wire end, it can be pulled out one segment at a time. I've had to hammer a small screwdriver into that space to get access to the wire.

Another time I had to just force bend the bezel up over the wire to get it off using the 4 blade tool, some wedges, and then a case knife. Bezels are fairly easy to bend back into shape as long as you they dont get out of round. You place them on a perfectly flat surface and mark a high spot. Then put it on a board with the high spot hanging over the edge and beat the high spot down with a rubber mallet. Repeat til it's perfectly flat again. Most bezels can take some real pounding, especially if the bend is slight and only in a small arc. This method has always worked for me, including on gen 5 digit bezels, which are easily bent.

If the Seiko has a gasket, a different method you can try first before bending the bezel off if it comes to that is melting the gasket away. Different plastics have different melting points, some nylons melt in the lower 400° F range, others around 500. I often use fishline as a gasket replacement and even with it's relatively high melting point I've been able to get it out this way. About 20 - 30 minutes in a 500 - 550° oven will do it. Remove all the O rings and get the crystal gasket out if you want to save it. Melting plastic doesn't usually leave a mess, it just shrinks, cracks and turns brittle.

So try the 4 blade tool on both first, use a wedge if needed then a case knife. If none of that works you can move on to the more aggressive tactics.

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