My 3 day old 45mm UPO.....

[Rovin]

Oh dear, what has happened to me? Never pulled a watch apart in my life, but the other tutorials on here and RG are enough to get me moving and I have slowly been collecting tools as well.

So from CousinsUK I have ordered the replacement crown tube, crown, He valve, date wheel (thanks for the tip, Inushuk). A new bezel from the ebay guy, wholesale something or another. The rep bezel was baaaaad.

I already had an ETA 2824-2 (NOS) although there's nothing really the matter with the Chinese ETA fitted. In fact, it appears to be an ETA, just the finish below the one I bought a while ago.

 

[bama1965]

You my friend ---- are my new hero!

Keep us posted PLEASE!

 

[cptkirk]

WOW.... Keep us posted please.

 

[Rovin]

Punched out the crown tube and the He valve. Easy, just use a long pin punch and tape around the case so as to avoid damage. Tap onto a piece of wood with a hole drilled in it to catch the old bits. Parts arrived from Cousins too.

He valve hole can be tapped to take the gen valve. So off shopping for a tap or I might press it in? Still pondering this one.

However the crown tube hole is way bigger than the threads of the gen crown tube. Probably use the old crown tube insert as a sleeve for the gen crown tube? Welding is probably out as it would end up harder than the surrounding surface and lead to drilling issues.


Anyone got any other ideas?

 

[Rovin]

Removed the hands and damaged one. So will now buy a gen set.

Looking at the dial and comparing it to gen:
* It's missing the right finish on the black background
* The lume is crap
* Date window doesn't have the step in it and it's very obvious
* There is some glue spillage and a couple of marks on the dial visible under loupe

So I started removing the hour markers.
Then I tried to remove the glue residue but made the finish worse. Tried a dab of auto polish and it removed the glue and refinished the dial a little more gen-like but then dulled the white lettering. So I binned the rep dial. There's no way to make it gen quality and you'd be the luckiest guy on earth to get one that isn't marked with glue from our Chinese friends anyways.

So I've ordered a new gen dial and hands from Otto Frei. :facepalm:

Back to the crown tube and He valve dilemmas.

Ah, projects!

 

[bama1965]

Thanks for the update bittrader.

 

[Q5?]

So I've ordered a new gen dial and hands from Otto Frei. :facepalm:

Back to the crown tube and He valve dilemmas.

Ah, projects!

:woot:
Welcome to the Franken Club! :lol:

Anyone got any other ideas?

I alerted R2 to help out with this request.

 

[Rovin]

Thanks mate!

Couple of updates and spanners in the works....
ETA 2824-2 ready to go. It says Jacques LeMans on the rotor, but we have a solid case back so who gives a ...........
Exploded view of the crown and He gear below too.

I think I have resigned myself to welding the CT hole. The CT tube hole is 2.5mm and the thread on the CT tube is 2.2mm. I don't want it breaking or falling off, so I have to fill it somehow.

The threads for the CT and valve one would assume to be metric, given Switzerland is in Europe and all.... However it's impossible to get a threading tap in the metric size for the He valve. Similarly the CT thread is a little off metric, but a direct hit for a fractional size. Surprise, surprise!:lolcina:

The CT hole is 2.5mm, but the thread on the CT tube is around 2.2mm. I don't want a weak CT so hence the weld and fill. If I can pull this off (I'm a good welder, but this is ridiculous) then it'll be a surprising result. Luckily I still have 200m of 316L wire.....

The CT tube hole drill is a #50 and the tap is a 2-64 NF.
The He valve hole is slightly too small for the new valve. So that's just a drill and tap job. Drill is a #42 and the tap is a 4-48 NF.

Forgive me for dropping in and out of metric, as 4 and a 1/2 fortieths of an inch just sounds dumb and I'm a metric kid........


Welding the case will be such a PITA. Such a little tiny hole......:facepalm:

 

[believer123]

LOL... If I took my watch apart to pieces, then "pieces" I would have! There is no way I could do that stuff. What an art!!!

Keep it up...

 

[R2D4]

However the crown tube hole is way bigger than the threads of the gen crown tube. Probably use the old crown tube insert as a sleeve for the gen crown tube? Welding is probably out as it would end up harder than the surrounding surface and lead to drilling issues.


Anyone got any other ideas?

I used marine epoxy on the mods I have done with great success. I know a couple of people who have welded but a word of warning from me and those who have had to replace stripped crowns, there is more work involved getting another new tube in there after it is welded.

Cheers.

 

[Mr. Pap]

Bravo bittrader!!! Nice work there and the result i am sure will look so good too. I blame some people in the forum for my franken addiction...! You know who you are, shame on you guys!!!! hehehe

Enjoy your project bittrader!

 

[Rovin]

I used marine epoxy on the mods I have done with great success. I know a couple of people who have welded but a word of warning from me and those who have had to replace stripped crowns, there is more work involved getting another new tube in there after it is welded.

Cheers.

No probs, thanks for the heads up. What brand of epoxy are you using, was it Devcon?

In this case I had planned to weld the hole up and then drill and tap a new thread to accept the gen crown tube. That way it can be screwed in like gen and replaced if ever damaged.

Still waiting on some more feedback/ideas before I start welding though.....

 

[Rovin]

Bad idea.

 

[Rovin]

Bad idea 2.

 

[Rovin]

So now I have enlargened the CT hole in the case to 4mm and pressed fitted a stainless slug in the hole for drilling and tapping. The slug will be bonded in, no welding. Yes, I know the punch is off centre. I will straighten it up with a Dremel before drilling.

Do not drill over 4mm as you will lose the landing ring surface for the gasket.

On a positive note, check this stuff out! Talk about overkill, I love it!

http://www.dymax.com/products/structural/index.php

I've ordered a sample.....

 

[Rovin]

Just waiting on parts now. Have ordered drills and taps.

Bezel is on its way.
Gen dial and hands are en route.
Ordered a pile of lume for a SubC project.
My new goal is to keep this project under $800 and end up with a good looking, reliable, waterproof Swinese timepiece.

On that basis, I have ended up at $705 and now am wondering about the crystal. Double AR on my gen Breitlings looks awesome and I get why it's a good thing. But I'm being a tight ass, so.....
$217 for a new one from Otto Frei, delivered down under. Nah.
$100 (approx) for an inmate modder to re-coat the rep, allowing for postage. Closer, but it's still going to break me as I need glue.:lolcina:

 

[Q5?]

It's too bad they raised the price on the gen crystal. I would do it. It really, really completes this watch. You won't regret it. I promise.

 

[Rovin]

I here ya, it's only an extra $100 for gen.

Hmmmm, thinking...... But then it's a $900 rep! Oh well, it's the fun of it and the learning experience, isn't it? :facepalm:

 

[Rovin]

You evil man.

I've asked my watchmaker to get a price and OF is $189USD delivered to my US address. From there I can send it with another shipment I have to send to Australia without additional cost to me.

I've got those SEL's tight now too. Drilled them out to 1.98mm and shoved bigger fat bars in. This with some emery cloth on the high side has me a happy camper now. Will pop up some pics once I have finished fine tuning.

 

[Omega88]

It's too bad they raised the price on the gen crystal. I would do it. It really, really completes this watch. You won't regret it. I promise.

Hi Q5, why do you think getting the gen crystal is better? Wouldn't just send it to somebody to do the double AR enough or cheaper? The rep looks ok to me except no double AR.