Bracelet screw stuck

[GerRepFan]

Hello everyone,

as you can probably tell by the thread title, I'm having trouble with a screw on the bracelet of my Day Date. No matter how hard I try, I cannot unscrew it as it sits way too tight. In the meantime, the screw even got some kind of screwed up (hehe, nice little pun) by all the times I tried to loosen it.
Today I tried out WD 40 as my last hope but it didn't help either and now I'm a bit desperate. I just can't get it out... Even my watchsmith couldn't get the screw out.
Do you maybe have any other idea? Right now, the watch sits too loose on my wrist so I cannot really enjoy wearing it but I don't really want to sell the watch as I've realized that I definitely need some yellow gold in my collection so I hope you can maybe help me with my problem. I'll attach a photo of the screw as well so you can see how I actually messed it up already.
Thanks in advance!

P.S.: I hope the photo upload worked out. If not, I'm gonna try it again in the following post

 

[GerRepFan]

Ok, so the photo upload obviously did not work, so here we go again...

 

[p0pperini]

This is the worst bloody thing that can happen with a watch bracelet. I now have a small drawer of bracelets with utterly stuck screws that I've ditched due to this problem, having tried and failed using every technique I've read about on the forum and the internets. So, I'm sure you've made sure your screwdriver is precisely the right size, tried heat, blah blah... And if a watchsmith has also failed, then I expect it's game over.

I'd suggest looking for a replacement, or...

Tried it on a nice leather strap?

 

[Tony Clifton]

Sometimes heating up the screw with a hair dryer helped me to loose some screws. This might work if our friends in China glued in the screws and the heat will help to loose the adhesive power of the glue. But as p0pperini already stated, if a watch maker can not get the screw out, the chances to save the braclet are pretty low.

Ps. While heating up the bracelet, look out that the watch head does not get heated up also. The movements and especially the oil in it do not like heat

 

[Spitfire63]

You could try, get a tall glass or cup, using a knife as a bridge across the top, fill the glass with boiling water deep enough to dangle the bracelet in and balance the watch on the knife with the bracelet in the water, leave for a while and try them, if the screw has been glued doing this several times might break the bond with the expansion.

if that screw was sitting proud it was probably cross threaded when put in, another option would be to drill it out.

 

[Kalev007]

Having same issues sometimes and just ordered this https://puretimewatch.io/accessories...let-screw.html

It has the T-shaped head so you should be able to use quite a lot force as it wont mangle the screw head if the screw driver itself won't break.

A month ago I received a perfect QC ZZF no date everything aligned, perfect recess SELs, perfect bracelet, perfect claps and etc and mangled and scratched everything trying to get the screws out they are completely stuck on all links. And bought another bracelet already which I'm waiting to arrive along with the screw driver.

 

[KJ2020]

I had a jubilee with the same issue. Fortunately the screws either side of the stuck one came out so I had a 3 link piece to work on. I took a dremel with a cutting disc to each of the 5 CORRECT link sections, cutting through the link screw in the process. It is tricky not cutting something you shouldn't - using a marker helps. I only lost one link and 1 screw.
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[Hazing]

I've used a dremel as well. Just use a vice or a clamp to hold it steady and take your time. And you should be able to cut it off. Or you. Can use a dremel to bore it out.

Also is it one with the hole on the opposite side? Sometimes applying pressure on the other side can help too.

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[srhoque]

Having same issues sometimes and just ordered this https://puretimewatch.io/accessories...let-screw.html

It has the T-shaped head so you should be able to use quite a lot force as it wont mangle the screw head if the screw driver itself won't break.

A month ago I received a perfect QC ZZF no date everything aligned, perfect recess SELs, perfect bracelet, perfect claps and etc and mangled and scratched everything trying to get the screws out they are completely stuck on all links. And bought another bracelet already which I'm waiting to arrive along with the screw driver.

Jubilee is 1.4mm screw, oyster is 1.6mm.

I have had the same issue with many rep bracelet, some screws come out right away and some are the stubborn ones. Dipping overnight in WD40 helped me once (may not be the solution always). A someone said, just keep extras, doesn’t hurt.

 

[Frutali]

The cause of this misery is an improperly fitting screwdriver, read, no T-model and keep trying with a wrong screwdriver which destroys the screw, the solution has already been given in the topic, heat the link and use a T-model screwdriver with a good grip so you can put power, this way I have so far loosened all screws without problems

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[rek00001]

Frutali, that's a nice screwdriver set. Where did you get this please?

 

[rek00001]

OK so I found one at Esslinger for $59.95 (too expensive) and at Long Island Watch for $18.95 but it's out of stock.

 

[Waspy]

OK so I found one at Esslinger for $59.95 (too expensive) and at Long Island Watch for $18.95 but it's out of stock.

CousinsUK have something very similar for £18.95

 

[JK2087]

PB blaster is better then wd40 soak in thst overnight as last resort, heat with a hair dryer

Make sure you use a real quality screwedriver not the cheap amazon ones the quality in the tool makes a huge difference I learned that the hard way

 

[rek00001]

Waspy, does that have the T blade tip? I don't see it, it's pretty distinctive.

 

[KJ2020]

I've had link screws that were glued in by the factory. No amount of treatment with anything would budge them. Overnight soaking in WD-40, acetone, boiling, freezing, blowtorch, nothing. Acetone will dissolve even the toughest epoxies but on a joint as closed as a link screw pin the liquid has no way to get to the glue. No 1.6mm blade tip is going to do anything but bugger up the screw head on a link pin stuck this way. Sometimes cutting the pin out is the only solution.

 

[Frutali]

Frutali, that's a nice screwdriver set. Where did you get this please?

Look here:

https://www.watch-tools.de/tools/screwdriver/screwdriver-with-4-curvature-blades-official-geneva.php


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[Frutali]

If the screw really does not loosen I do the following: take a metal container and fill it with a layer of baby oil or equivalent, heat it to about 70/80 degrees Celsius and put the part with the relevant link or if necessary the complete bracelet in the oil and leave it for about 15 minutes, take it all out and unscrew the screw with a suitable screwdriver, watch out because the bracelet is hot use a cloth .....

Advantage, with this method your bracelet is also well lubricated, better than with cold oil....


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[rek00001]

Thanks Frutali!

 

[rek00001]

I'm going to buy 2 of those screwdrivers from Puretime, very good price.

I have a 6.5" wrist, and I've had to size each and every bracelet - I have some horror stories, I have experienced it all.

I soak the links in PB Blaster overnight, then clean up the bracelet. Then I blast it with a hair dryer, and immediately use the correct width blade on the screw, while cursing the manufacturer of the bracelet. I also douse it in alcohol, as sometimes that dissolves surface lacquer.

I've never attempted to drill out or cut off a link, but I'll probably have to add that to my arsenal.