Reinventing the wheel?

I've not seen this mentioned before - The Crown-Tightenix.

The "must have" device use to tighten your watch's crown, it can also be used to wind it and perform date changes, all for a mere £30. While it may be of use to elderly WISes with arthritic fingers, I'm failing to see any use for the rest of us.

For a demonstration please see this YouTube clip. You are however strongly advised to turn the sound down so as to avoid having to listen to the fantastically irritating music. Fret not, the clip is fully captioned with detailed instructions.

I particularly enjoyed how @1:30 he hand tightens the Sub's crown but feels this is not enough so employs the "Crown-Tightenix" ™® for an excellent seal squishing, vice like grip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoHw2...=fvwp&NR=1

I can just hear Duncan Bannantyne ripping the inventor a new orifice should he have had the chutzpah to appear in the Dragons' Den seeking funds. "You've sold how many? Do you think it will replace fingers?"

:icon_biggrin:

When you think you've seen pretty much every accessory in this hobby obsession of ours :black_eyed:

Wow - that IS an innovative attachment!

Crown-Tightenix - where have you been all our lives?

What a crock of shite... as they would say on Dragon's Den - I'm Out!

Unless there are a lot of large-fingered WIS with small-crowned watches, IMHO this isn't going anywhere at £5 much less £30 :apple:

Seems to have evolved or been designed to boldly go where the sun does not shine. Crown tightener my "a---".

If you have ever tried to set a Ruhla Military diver with the crown cap, you will appreciate something like that. I just use a pin vise.http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/x...0313Ruhla2.jpg

Yeah I can see it being useful for my Hamilton Frogman with a tiny crown under the canteen cap like above, but not so much that it's worth that price.

Am I alone in thinking that if these were produced in, say, a dark green colour with the name of a famous watch manufacturer embossed in gold that they would instantly become a "must have" accessory and the price would rocket?

What a croc of s**t! Now where's my cheque book?

oh noes! he winds watch in both directions! :hopelessness:

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Originally Posted by lysanderxiii

If you have ever tried to set a Ruhla Military diver with the crown cap, you will appreciate something like that. I just use a pin vise.http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/x...0313Ruhla2.jpg

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Lol love it

£32

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Originally Posted by Normunds

oh noes! he winds watch in both directions! :hopelessness:

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is that a bad thing? - i ask because my wife was shown to wind her Rolex back and forth by the dealer when she bought it. told to do this every few weeks to top up the auto winding.

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Originally Posted by Backward point

Am I alone in thinking that if these were produced in, say, a dark green colour with the name of a famous watch manufacturer embossed in gold that they would instantly become a "must have" accessory and the price would rocket?

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Ooh cynical!

You're right though.

Cheers,
Gary

It's bad timing for them to bring this out - I can only think of one potential customer and he is about to go on a very long holiday to the USA.

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Originally Posted by dkpw

I can just hear Duncan Bannantyne ripping the inventor a new orifice should he have had the chutzpah to appear in the Dragons' Den seeking funds. "You've sold how many? Do you think it will replace fingers?"

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He might also have something to say about the fact that:

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...he spent 7 years to produce this "The Crown-Tightenix".

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If anyone at Yuubido Japan Corporation happens to read this, I have an idea for a device for 'doing up watch strap buckles'; I envisage the development taking around five years, during which time I will require a generous salary.

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Originally Posted by lysanderxiii

If you have ever tried to set a Ruhla Military diver with the crown cap, you will appreciate something like that. I just use a pin vise.

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Pin vise? How snobbish. What's wrong with using plumber's grips like everyone else?

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Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

is that a bad thing? - i ask because my wife was shown to wind her Rolex back and forth by the dealer when she bought it. told to do this every few weeks to top up the auto winding.

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So it runs under its own power for weeks at a time, but needs hand winding to make sure it doesn't run down? Who was the dealer - Dixons or Currys?

Wouldn't Bergeon have an issue with this?

http://www.watchpartssupply.com/images/products/379.jpg

I guess the method of engagement may be sufficiently different to avoid any infringement.

Oh, great! The closed captioning is in Engrish. I love that!

http://www.engrish.com/

ps Who the f*ck is Delilah and why am I supposed to give a damn about her, and what does she have to do with this "product"?

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Originally Posted by seffrican

So it runs under its own power for weeks at a time, but needs hand winding to make sure it doesn't run down? Who was the dealer - Dixons or Currys?

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thats what they told us - that ladys Rolex are known to sometimes not get enough arm movement to keep the automatic movement properley wound so they suggested that it would benefit from a manual wind every six weks or so.

if fingers are a problem, wouldn't a pencil with a rubber on the end do?

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Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

thats what they told us - that ladys Rolex are known to sometimes not get enough arm movement to keep the automatic movement properley wound so they suggested that it would benefit from a manual wind every six weks or so.

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There is an answer to this, but it's a public forum, so.........

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Originally Posted by Backward point

There is an answer to this, but it's a public forum, so.........

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so?, i don't quite understand.

^Presumably, short periods of vigorous arm movement are quite common in Dixons.

some of you may find all this hysterically funny, but to set the record straight :
it is a genuine ladys Rolex, which I bought for my wife from Watches of Switzerland in Manchester and that was the advise we were given - to give it a manual wind every six weeks or so and, yes, they did suggest and demonstrate winding it in both directions.

I think you're missing the point Michael, there's one particular other way of vigorously shaking her wrist that's being eluded to!
No one is making fun of your wife's rolex.

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Originally Posted by Dave+63

I think you're missing the point Michael, there's one particular other way of vigorously shaking her wrist that's being eluded to!
No one is making fun of your wife's rolex.

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Just to clarify, the humour is in winding ladies' rolex in general. There is no personal element. :tickled_pink:

ok - i was a bit p*ssed off with Seffricans numpty crack about it coming from Dixons or Currys.

my origonal post was in reply to someone saying "omg - the video shows it being wound both ways" so i was genuinely asking if that is a bad thing for a watch.

Watches of Switzerland did say that the tiny Rolex watches do run better with a manual wind every six weeks - i am not making it up.

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Originally Posted by Backward point

Am I alone in thinking that if these were produced in, say, a dark green colour with the name of a famous watch manufacturer embossed in gold that they would instantly become a "must have" accessory and the price would rocket?

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Ain't this the truth :highly_amused:


(You're not alone :soap:)

It will not replace the mole grips used by me:disturbed:and yes suitably coloured and logoed this would be a must have, "anchors away"

Great! Now if only someone invented something to turn a dive watch bezel and the world of watch tools would be complete.

I have a kickstarter project open for an iPhone app which will take a picture of your watch and display in numbers and also speak the time to you.

It automatically corrects the time using suffistikated inturnet algorillas and photocols.

It's called i,cock.

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Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

ok - i was a bit p*ssed off with Seffricans numpty crack about it coming from Dixons or Currys.

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My crack was to the effect that it sounds like the level of technical product knowledge that I associate with Dixons or Currys. That is to say, completely made up.

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Watches of Switzerland did say that the tiny Rolex watches do run better with a manual wind every six weeks - i am not making it up.

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It was my fear that you were telling the truth. In the name of Thor, even a semi-respectable AD will say stuff like this.

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Originally Posted by seffrican

My crack was to the effect that it sounds like the level of technical product knowledge that I associate with Dixons or Currys. That is to say, completely made up.

It was my fear that you were telling the truth. In the name of Thor, even a semi-respectable AD will say stuff like this.

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Ok.
let me ask you this - and i am not trying to be clever, just trying to better understand watch internals - how /why is it bad practice to make use of what "appears" to feel like a ratchet uni-directional winding mechanism?

i am assuming here that, as this practice does quickly and fully wind the spring, then it must be a ratchet based system that only winds the mainspring one way however you wind it.

Winding the crown back and forth is fine.

The need to top up the winding every six wells is the bit that sounds like the sort of BS some lowly types would tell you. If the watch is well designed (and despite my opinion of Rolex) they are well made and well designed, they shouldn't need any of that unless the wearer is particularly odd and never moves.

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Originally Posted by simes

Winding the crown back and forth is fine.

The need to top up the winding every six wells is the bit that sounds like the sort of BS some lowly types would tell you. If the watch is well designed (and despite my opinion of Rolex) they are well made and well designed, they shouldn't need any of that unless the wearer is particularly odd and never moves.

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Ok - thank you for that.

The only justification i could think of is that the mainspring may in some way benefit from being fully and tightly wound occasionally - a form of work hardening, if you will - but i couldnt think of any other mechanical reason.

But i now accept it is BS.

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Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

Ok.
let me ask you this - and i am not trying to be clever, just trying to better understand watch internals - how /why is it bad practice to make use of what "appears" to feel like a ratchet uni-directional winding mechanism?

i am assuming here that, as this practice does quickly and fully wind the spring, then it must be a ratchet based system that only winds the mainspring one way however you wind it.

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The theory is....

The crown clutch (see below) has nice sharp teeth on it (left side), the other part has a matching set. Turning the crown the backwards direction causes the teeth to ride up to the sharp edge and fall off, eventually rounding off the edge to the point that they can no longer engage in the correct direction.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Zenith-Watch-...VP9w~~0_35.JPG

I have wound cheap Chinese movements backwards and forwards, and never seen, even under 20X, any appreciable wear that would lead to failure to engage any time within the next 50 or sixty years. So, I am confident that a Rolex, or any other well made movement, is good for a long, long time.

^^^^ what he said.

I think about it like the difference between those people who pull a car park-brake on every time without depressing the button first. CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK. A small amount of wear is taking place with that method, so why not just avoid the possibility of wear by depressing the button first? Same with an auto watch, why not just rotate it in the direction of engagement?

thank you Lysanderxiii

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Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

Ok.
let me ask you this - and i am not trying to be clever, just trying to better understand watch internals - how /why is it bad practice to make use of what "appears" to feel like a ratchet uni-directional winding mechanism?

i am assuming here that, as this practice does quickly and fully wind the spring, then it must be a ratchet based system that only winds the mainspring one way however you wind it.

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It's not bad practice at all. Some WIS are afraid of wearing out their watches by using them as the designers intended, that's all.

There is a ratcheting mechanism. It's simple and effective. See Lysander's post.

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Originally Posted by lysanderxiii

The theory is....

The crown clutch (see below) has nice sharp teeth on it (left side), the other part has a matching set. Turning the crown the backwards direction causes the teeth to ride up to the sharp edge and fall off, eventually rounding off the edge to the point that they can no longer engage in the correct direction.

I have wound cheap Chinese movements backwards and forwards, and never seen, even under 20X, any appreciable wear that would lead to failure to engage any time within the next 50 or sixty years. So, I am confident that a Rolex, or any other well made movement, is good for a long, long time.

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We are talking very low pressure steel to steel (or bronze) engagement, at slowly increasing loads, since the slip angle on the teeth is only about 30 degrees. The only easy way to wear one out would be to use a tightenix (sounds like a mechanic from Asterix) and attach it to a cordless dril and run the winding mechanism backwards for several thousand revolutions.

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Originally Posted by Michael_Mcr

Ok - thank you for that.

The only justification i could think of is that the mainspring may in some way benefit from being fully and tightly wound occasionally - a form of work hardening, if you will - but i couldnt think of any other mechanical reason.

But i now accept it is BS.

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Remember, you won't fully and tightly wind an automatic main spring - as once it reaches a certain tension (ideally close to fully wound) it will just slip around the inside of the barrel - that's why they don't over wind until they snap when you are waving your arms about to actuate the automatic winding mechanism.

Now if it had a torque setting to prevent over-tightening...........