Rotate a Dial?

[ZHampton1]

Hey everyone, I was hoping someone with a bit of watch smithing experience can help me out here. I recently got an Aqua Terra 150m Master SS/SS Black VSF Asia 8900. The watch is stunning. It arrived exactly as depicted in QC. However, after having worn it for a few days now, I noticed that the date is slightly crooked. Not enough that it would have been worth a RL, and frankly it appears this is extremely common in this model for some reason. I also have a VSF sub with a cyclops and that date is PERFECTLY centered even under magnification. For that matter, I have several Seikos with perfectly centered date windows. Shocking that this is an issue with VSF, especially on a rather "high end" model. But anybody who looks at the watch can see that the date is not perfectly centered and frankly, its a glaring dead giveaway on an otherwise perfect watch.

Anyway, I believe this would be completely resolved if I could rotate the dial itself a blonde one clockwise. Is this even possible? Is it simple? I am pretty handy and I'm not afraid to take stuff apart, but I freely admit my experience with watch smithing is essentially nil. Beyond removing case backs and installing new batteries in quartz watches, I have no hands on experience fiddling with the internals of an automatic watch. I am not afraid to give it a try to learn something, but I would rather not ruin this otherwise pristine watch if this would be a high-risk repair...if it is even possible in the first place.

So please, if anyone has experience with rotating dials, particularly on an Aqua Terra, any advice would be appreciated. Or if someone happens to know of a good resource for me to review about this, I would very much appreciate it.

 

[Karbon74]

If you are handy, it should be rather easy IF it’s just a dial issue

Open the caseback, release the stem
Take out the movement with dial and hands on

Gently grip the dial edge and try to move it a slight bit.

Reverse

 

[p0pperini]

@Karbon74 makes it sound sooooooooo easy with that brief description.

So I'd just add that when it comes to DIY watch modding, the entire process is inclined to be fraught with potential disaster, even when it's doing something basic that sounds soooooooooo easy.

I know this, having been the architect of countless watch modding disasters while trying to get mildly proficient at one of the fiddliest, most frustrating hobbies ever. Watches are small. The parts are very, very small. Most of them are reasonably robust until the moment they're not - and either break or fly off into the carpet never to be seen again.

So, I would strongly suggest that if you plan to start modding your watches, then do the following:
1. Read EXTENSIVELY, and watch lots of YT vids on the subject, before you start.
2. Buy VERY GOOD QUALITY TOOLS. Again, there's a ton to read about here and elsewhere on the subject.
3. Buy a couple of cheap reps to practice on first, before launching into taking apart your pride and joy.

Or, feel free to ignore all the above, and do what I did at the start... Skip read a few posts, buy the cheapest "watchmakers" kit of tools off Amazon, start wreaking havoc, and learn by many, many (often expensive) mistakes.

 

[Karbon74]

You are so right
But when you start, you are the limiting factor not the tools

 

[Karbon74]

@Karbon74 makes it sound sooooooooo easy with that brief description.

I should have added
DISCLAIMER : be prepared to fuck it up totally

 

[Mkempes]

And then do what I did: ask a watch smith to fix your mess, because you can't find the pieces that flew off.

 

[Karbon74]

And then do what I did: ask a watch smith to fix your mess, because you can't find the pieces that flew off.

I am farming him for my future repair business

 

[316lad]

It will be difficult as the dial is fixed in two points to the movement. The best you will do is snap the dial feet.

No, the date wheel disk is not centring correctly - I suspect due to a misplaced calendar advance spring or lever or, more likely in my experience - due to a burr on something involved in the calendar. It needs the dial off and a close inspection of the calendar works to ascertain the exact nature of the mis-alignment. An intermediate job even for a watchsmith.

Go for it and take your time but don't start blubbing if you break it.

 

[Karbon74]

the dial is fixed in two points to the movement

It can happen that the dial is slightly off like for a hair or two, hence my «IF »

But indeed, it’s so easy to overdo the very small amount of force needed doing these things

 

[McDuck888]

I know this, having been the architect of countless watch modding disasters while trying to get mildly proficient at one of the fiddliest, most frustrating hobbies ever. Watches are small. The parts are very, very small. Most of them are reasonably robust until the moment they're not - and either break or fly off into the carpet never to be seen again.

LOOOL. Yep, prepare for potentially killing off your watch entirely unless you've tons of interest and experience in how it all goes together.

P0PPERINI IS MY HERO.
I.D.S.T.

 

[ward1991]

I'd have to agree, if this is your first stroll into watch tinkering, you will actually be walking straight into F#ckedville.

If it really is the dial feet needing slightly bent, then damn, it's easy fix for anyone with a little experience in watchsmithing. Don't let that tempt you, however I'm glad I got into it all those years back, grateful for all the movements I completely trashed.

 

[Storm.]

I am farming him for my future repair business

"Habibiiii, send watch to Dubai!!!"

 

[ZHampton1]

Thanks for all of the excellent information everyone. I am tempted to just pop it open, see if its possible to eeeeeever so slightly bend the dial feet, and then put it back together. Though now I suspect that the problem is probably much more complicated than that. Gonna just let that idea simmer and see if i either just forget about it or if it drives me crazy enough to actually try.

I am still struggling to wrap my head around how a factory that's capable of making some of the very best stock super clones still somehow struggles with this. My Seiko cocktail time has a perfectly aligned date and it was a fraction of the price. Obviously VSF is capable of producing properly aligned date windows, so it is perplexing how this can be a consistent problem with this model. I mean, I get it, conditions at these factories are not good, and workers are likely being.....well..... I'll say improperly compensated. But this consistent issue on this particular model speaks to more of a process level error, rather than sporadic imperfections. All else fails, why don't they just ditch the Asia 8900, switch to a closed case back model, and slap an off the shelf Seiko/ETA/Sellita movement in there? My guess is that its because the current configuration is "good enough," the watches sell, and their reputation isn't exactly defined by their Aqua Terra.

As I dive more deeply into the rep world, it is starting to seem like if you want anything other than a hyper popular, hyper expensive model like a PAM/Nautilus/Daytona/RM/RO, then options even from reputable factories become extremely limited, and QC goes out the window for any factory. Am I on the right track here?


Anyway, thanks again for the help everyone, and thanks for coming to my TED Talk.