Fifty Fathoms ZF ,how to improve bezel play

[freediver]

I am in love with my FF, now that i am using a nato i think it gave a sportier look and tends to be my daily beater but i am annoyed at the bezel play
Is there a way to improve it ? maybe install new bezel aftermarket springs?
Yes i know about dental floss but would prefer something more solid ( Imagine talking to someone and he mentions you have a dental floss hanging from your watch )

 

[freediver]

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[Romeo oscar]

I am in love with my FF, now that i am using a nato i think it gave a sportier look and tends to be my daily beater but i am annoyed at the bezel play
Is there a way to improve it ? maybe install new bezel aftermarket springs?
Yes i know about dental floss but would prefer something more solid ( Imagine talking to someone and he mentions you have a dental floss hanging from your watch )

What do you mean by bezel play ?

 

[freediver]

When you hold the bezel, there are 2-3 mm loose <<play>> , u can move it up,down,laterally for that
It is not firm

 

[Romeo oscar]

When you hold the bezel, there are 2-3 mm loose <<play>> , u can move it up,down,laterally for that
It is not firm

Ahh ic... thanks for the explanation. Luckily my blue noob bpff bezel is firm

 

[michelesanctis]

I had 1mm play in my FF and used dental floss method. Had to use two circles to make it work and after tucking the floss in with a thin blade it's been perfect. No play at all and I've turned the bezel many times to see if it goes loose after some time or it sticks out - as it turns out nothing of those happened. As it's the cheapest and the easiest method you are risking pretty much nothing so I'd suggest to start with that. It might as well turn out to be efficient enough for you not to bother with any other way.

 

[freediver]

Thank you, was reluctant to try ,but will do so ...

 

[Mr_SD]

Thank you, was reluctant to try ,but will do so ...

Did this work?

 

[freediver]

Yes and no ...
It stiffened the bezel play - which i like - but stiffened also the bezel turn - which i dont like -
I am still looking for someone who removed the bezel and saw the bezel spring or whatever is down there

 

[androme]

Subscribed.

 

[freediver]

Just keeping people informed, i got the blue titanium version after the black and this one was even worse, at a point you could even turn it anticlockwise if u insisted
It's now sent to my friend interaktiv to improve it

 

[michelesanctis]

Looking to get the titanium as I'm not at the point where I could get the flinque dial gen SS on bracelet, but worried about the bezel movement.
Could anyone else chip in whether their titanium is also rubbish?
My RG after simple dental floss mod is pretty much on par with my gen Breitling and Tag and wouldn't want to have to send it away.

 

[asiparks1]

the bezel isn't great...mine had sponginess where i could feel it move when I pushed down between 4&5 o'clock... I popped it off very easily with just my fingers.

that said, I cleaned a fair bit of debris out from the teeth, bent up, (slightly !!), the spring finger and carefully bent the retainig spring so it stuck out more from the inside of the bezel...

it's not perfect, but the sponginess has pretty much vanished, the click is far crisper and I can't pop it off without a spuger.


It was very quick and simple, but proceed carefully and incrementally....

 

[Kirby6365]

I've done what asiparks1 did on my Noob FF. One tweak to that though: take that spring wire and bend it so it is 'taller.' If you look at the side profile it should zig zag up and down at each bend. If you increase the height profile of the spring wire, it allows for less play in the bezel.

Careful though, as asiparks1 noted, work on it in steps until it fits like you want. A little bit goes a long way and you don't want it too tight or it becomes difficult to assemble. The spring fingers mentioned are especially sensitive... I had to adjust the whole thing probably 5 times til I got it to my liking.

 

[johnlogan]

Is this an issue on all FF ZFs? I can’t stand faulty and loose bezels. Gives a great REP a cheapie feel..

 

[freediver]

Is this an issue on all FF ZFs? I can’t stand faulty and loose bezels. Gives a great REP a cheapie feel..

maybe it's my luck, but i got 2 and they both needed modding, wasn't satisfied OTB

 

[johnlogan]

maybe it's my luck, but i got 2 and they both needed modding, wasn't satisfied OTB

Thank you!! I love the FF but it’s a damn shame they are not able to build a GEN sounding, fitting bezel.

 

[DavidsCoaching]

I also have an issue with a ZF bezel. It's not loose or suffering with excess play, but the click changes and tone and volume as I rotate the bezel through 360 degrees, being nice and positive in one area and becoming softer and more muted as the bezel turns.
Could someone give me some indication as to what might be the cause of this and how to correct it?
Thanks

PS. I agree with others here that the Noob bezel is considerably better with both a consistent action and and less lateral play.

 

[Repworld]

Waiting new Batch or maybe V2 that’s why not order any v1


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[johnlogan]

Just keeping people informed, i got the blue titanium version after the black and this one was even worse, at a point you could even turn it anticlockwise if u insisted
It's now sent to my friend interaktiv to improve it

I see! The FF has not GEN assembly. The REPs are using older constructions. No wonder the bezel have play.