Got a ZF black bay and the bezel was TIGHT (wanted to share)

[71bucks]

I got a ZF Black Bay (the green one) and the bezel was super tight...I pretty much couldn't turn it by hand without having it off my wrist and with something to help with my grip.

Popped the bezel off, worked a drop of oil into the clicker hole, and it now feels wonderful. You might try this if you feel like your bezel is too tight or you feel like the turning isn't consistent.

(I did struggle to get the bezel off and I scratched the case in the process of that, so be careful if you do try to take that bezel off)

 

[macarone]

Have had the same with a few of the ladies!


I've gotten burned over Cheryl Tiegs,
Blown up for Raquel Welch.
But when I wind up in the hay it's only hay, Hey Hey

 

[dangerdan3]

Thought I would revive a dead thread in case someone else was searching. Got a ZF BB Heritage rose dial where the bezel was crazy tight. Like it would turn with force and it was clicking but really didn't feel good. I got a case knife under the edge of the bezel and gently levered it up changing the position of the knife working it around the bezel to keep the pressure even. It came off easy enough. There was a plastic ring which handles the pressure fit of the bezel to the case, then under the bezel on the case there was a steel flat ring which keeps all the springs in their holes, then under that there are 4 springs, 3 of which I'm led to believe are supposed to have ball bearings on top (mine didn't) and one around the 2 o'clock position that has a small notched cap not unlike a door lock tongue that is ramped on one side and flat on the other. This is the part that allows the bezel to rotate in only one direction.
From here I applied a very thin layer of silicon grease to the plastic ring and refitted it to the corresponding groove in the bezel, then I lightly greased the tops of the springs and the click notch. Then re-assembled the whole lot in the reverse order. Now she turns and clicks beautifully and feels smooth but defined in each click. Only the slightest smear of grease is needed here, like imagine on a hot day when you wipe your finger on glass and it leaves a finger smudge. That is enough grease here. Too much and you'll get gritty really fast.

 

[KJ2020]

That small notched cap is the click. It's possible some of these samples are coming with the bezel gasket (hytrel ring) installed upside down. Most hytrel rings have a stairstep edge profile on them and if installed wrong will present this exact issue.

If you want to replace the balls onto the springs, a 1.5mm size ball is needed. They can either be just placed onto the spring and sandwiched down, or they can be glued onto the spring.

https://www.ebay.com/i/264444186600?...nd%3DUnbranded

My Molotow Cocktail
(Scroll about halfway through)

 

[Spoons]

That small notched cap is the click. It's possible some of these samples are coming with the bezel gasket (hytrel ring) installed upside down. Most hytrel rings have a stairstep edge profile on them and if installed wrong will present this exact issue.

If you want to replace the balls onto the springs, a 1.5mm size ball is needed. They can either be just placed onto the spring and sandwiched down, or they can be glued onto the spring.

https://www.ebay.com/i/264444186600?...nd%3DUnbranded

My Molotow Cocktail
(Scroll about halfway through)

It looks like Tudor and Rolex use different styles of bezel assembly. Unlike Rolex, Tudor does not seem to use ball bearings on the other three compression springs. This gen BB58 owner posted some disassembly photos when he realigned his bezel insert: https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/b...tures.5014165/

 

[KJ2020]

That makes sense given there is a bezel tension ring covering the springs. Looks like a simpler design with fewer moving parts to lose! Thanks for the pics.