Seamaster 300 Project

[manodeoro]

Thanks for the infos.

I should pull the trigger...
Morover manodeoro is a good friend and neighbor...after he will have done my 6538 dial I will negotiate for the holes case

The ebay saler hold one for me until tomorrow...

Hi my friend ... wish you a nice 2021 year

 

[k4jun]

The other thing I’d like to change would be the bezel insert - you can’t tell that well in the pictures, but it’s not filled with Lume, just painted on the back of the Perspex. I’d expect that this would need to be done in some sort of CAD/3D printing though.

If you are on the budget - Raffle insert + relume is not bad at all. If you are willing to spend a little bit more $$$ - dm stph_dxtr, he does not post them in public but he has developed nice vintagized inserts.

It’s the same type of assembly, but just not in the same way. I think it only has 2 springs instead of 3.

2 springs sound like VN.
Not the same you mean the diameters are not the same?

 

[J!m1]

I have disassembled the bezel to install the gen and there is no reasonable way to install it.

I don’t remember the specific issues, but I put the bezel back into the bubble pack and put the original back on.

 

[muggs]

So I did a bit of measuring - the drilled holes are 1mm higher than they should be according to the blueprints; this tallies with where the end links want to sit.

This means that drilling new holes may be problematic as the new hole will touch the old hole. Ideally I would want to get someone to weld up the old holes, but I don’t know anyone local who could do that.

My other thought was to use something like this:

Simply 8267 J-B Weld SteelStik Epoxy Putty https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RN7CT2U/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_73aaGbKRA8RP4

It seems to be fairly hard and temperature resistant so should be good enough. I plan to use the 1mm CNC bit on the dremel to make a guide hole in the right place and then deepen it with the drill press.

I’ve also contacted stph_dxtr on IG and am seeing if he can knock up a new insert for me. He needs to know the depth of the insert, but I can’t see any way of removing it without damaging the current insert. Does anyone know the insert depth for this bezel?


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[J!m1]

The original bezel pocket it 1mm deep off the top of my head. It is shown on the Seamaster 300 page in the drawings.

 

[muggs]

Right - how do I get the bezel off? I’ve tried using a case knife and a bigger knife, but it’s not budging and I don’t want to mess up the case or stab myself.

I’ve looked at the instructions for the gen bezel, but they mention some sort of depression at the triangle. This doesn’t seem to have anything similar.

Do I need to get something like this?

Ecarke Red Silver Watch Repair Bezel Baffle Removal Tool Workbench Back Opening Tools https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R79MZLG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_CRXaGb9VVTKRK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


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[Alhig72]

Right - how do I get the bezel off? I’ve tried using a case knife and a bigger knife, but it’s not budging and I don’t want to mess up the case or stab myself.

I’ve looked at the instructions for the gen bezel, but they mention some sort of depression at the triangle. This doesn’t seem to have anything similar.

Do I need to get something like this?

Ecarke Red Silver Watch Repair Bezel Baffle Removal Tool Workbench Back Opening Tools https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08R79MZLG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_CRXaGb9VVTKRK?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1


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Not one of those, the blades dont all line up in the right place on the case,
Better one with 2 blades or one like these

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[Alhig72]

Popped mine off,
Between the blue lines is a gap with no bezel wire, you need to try to find where that part is and push it towards the plexi, then lever up from the opposite side,
You might need to pop the crystal out too.

I did have one case that had no gap, the bezel wire went all the way round, thats alot harder to get off

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[J!m1]

The crystal was quite loose in mine. I ended up using G-S for it’s intended purpose for a change.

im reasonably certain the gen crystal would fit if it is compressed with the claw tool. I bought a vintage one for this purpose but decided to save my gen crystal.

And I used the Rolex style four blade bezel tool to pop it off with no issues.

 

[Alhig72]

The crystal was quite loose in mine. I ended up using G-S for it’s intended purpose for a change.

im reasonably certain the gen crystal would fit if it is compressed with the claw tool. I bought a vintage one for this purpose but decided to save my gen crystal.

And I used the Rolex style four blade bezel tool to pop it off with no issues.

On these cases the crystal is 30 or 30.1 mm, (30.1 is very tight)
Gen crystal is 30. 6mm so you have a good chance of breaking it with the claw tool,
Inner diameter of the bezel is also smaller than the gen crystal


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[muggs]

I tried to take the crystal off as the omega was crooked and I thought it might help with the bezel removal. Wouldn’t come off with the claw, not even spinning slightly, so I thought I would try and pop it out unfortunately it cracked where it was glued in. I think it had been superglued it’s certainly not GS. It’s an absolute bugger to get off the case.

Anyway hasn’t helped with trying to get the bezel off and I can’t find any wire free bit.

I’ve ordered one of the rubber grip jobbies, but it’s not arriving for a few weeks.

Annoying to hear that the gen Crystal might not fit. I’ll measure it up once I’ve chipped off the remaining glue and Crystal.


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[J!m1]

You may have a glue problem, yes, but you shouldn’t try to remove the crystal until you can get the tool right against the top of the rehaut.

And I think the gen crystal will fit, but you need to properly compress it with the claw tool (crystal lift) and the plate to set depth. Once it’s in the rehaut you then need to press it all the way to the bottom, and check with a loupe that it is fully seared.

It seemed that it would go on mine but I may find a gen case later and if I do I want the crystal for that.

 

[muggs]

[mention]J!m1 [/mention] I’ve got a claw, so should be good. I think I’ll get a generic Crystal first and see if I can get that to fit. No point buggering up a gen one.

So I had a go at the lug holes.

First I filled the existing holes with the steel epoxy, this is after I’ve sanded it down:

Next I put some black marker on the lugs which allowed me to scribe some lines. I initially tried to use the measurements from the blueprints; unfortunately this didn’t work, so I had to use the end links. I got them in the best looking place and marked them. This allowed me to then find the best place to drill.

I forgot to take a picture of how I measured it, but I’ve drawn it in on this one:

The blueprints say that the holes should be 3mm from the bottom and 2.2mm from the end of the lugs. I found that the existing holes were about 2.2 and 4mm, but they don’t seem to line up exactly. I found that 2.2mm and 2.7mm from the bottom was a better fit on the end links. Comparing it to my Speedmaster, the lugs don’t drop down as much.

I used this 1mm CNC bit on the dremel

I won an auction today for a nice 565 too.


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[d4v3]

The ring removal tool requires some patience, the secret of the tool its to apply the same amount of pressure all over the bezel and only this releases th whole thing, it takes time, so grip and keep playing it until detaches, this build its geeting better and better,

I have a budget silix pending ref 165.024 only need a 2836 and the hands but want to modify the bezel insert to a flat 4 one printed, but not sure how to it using photoshop to create the minute markers centered, I am gonna try now.

 

[J!m1]

I think there are four or six variations of the insert.

 

[muggs]

[mention]d4v3 [/mention] - your probably better off trying to use a vector graphics program rather than a photoshop type one do do things like the minute markers.

All you need to do is make one marker and then have it repeat 60 times in the right place.

I used Inkscape - there are loads of tutorials online how to make watch/clock faces.

I usually do the stuff that needs accurate placement in Inkscape and then do the writing/numbers with GIMP.

On another note - has anyone got a flat 565 dial they want to part with? Preferably without applied indices - I put a note up in the wanted section, but not had much joy.


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[Toofsy]

The ring removal tool requires some patience, the secret of the tool its to apply the same amount of pressure all over the bezel and only this releases th whole thing, it takes time, so grip and keep playing it until detaches, this build its geeting better and better,

I have a budget silix pending ref 165.024 only need a 2836 and the hands but want to modify the bezel insert to a flat 4 one printed, but not sure how to it using photoshop to create the minute markers centered, I am gonna try now.

Post your design and the both diameters, I create the file on illustrator. I should use it for my cartel too.

 

[Toofsy]

Work in progress, I should do the dial file too for the decal lovers...

 

[muggs]

[mention]Toofsy [/mention] that looks great. Is that a 3D or 2d file?

I had contacted stph_dxtr on IG about making a bezel insert. He quoted me $180 including shipping back to the UK, but that was only for one. He makes them by hand carving from blocks of plexi.

I’m contemplating it, but it is a bit steep. I had been thinking about trying to make my own 3D insert, has anyone got any recommendations for a good beginners 3D rendering program for Mac?

My daughter has decided to join me in modding watches; unfortunately she’s only 3 and she thought she could improve the seamaster dial with a sharpie. I got most of it off, but it has removed some of the “Seamaster” writing. Hopefully I can hide it with some judicious vintagising.

I scanned the dial when I first got it, so if anyone wants a copy of that I can DM it. I’m going to make a decal dial - I’ve done one for my 6538 using the water slide method, but will try the film free for this one. I just have to hope the printers at work are up to the job.

I finally received my bezel removal tool

£90 down and 10 minutes later.

I think I may have flicked out one of the ball bearings - they seem to be 1.5mm - so I imagine not too difficult to replace.

I should have all the parts I need by next week (apart from the insert).

Time allowing I can now start work on the case shaping.


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[Toofsy]

almost done,
let me know if you see something wrong