Breitling Colt crown

[ScottA]

Unsure if the threads on my crown are damaged but there is definitely not as many turns on my crown to lock it down. It still locks in and operates fine but curious if I'm heading for an expensive repair on my wee watch.
Anyone had similar or care to scare me on how much I'm gonna look at during it's next service to repair.
ScottA

[rockinrobin]

Strange coincidence, I was going to ask something very similar.

Mine now doesn't lock down, but I can't see any damage to the threads. I wonder if the tube has moved into the case slightly so there isn't enough thread for it to get a starting grip - or in your case (pun intended) there is not as much thread available as before.

I was going to ask how to remove the stem tube so I can drop a replacement in there myself. There isn't any internal surface that's designed for it to be screwed in and out, and it's not obvious which way to push/pull it, so do I need to heat and tap it out or is it a grind and drill job?




[Sorry for the thread hijack, it just seemed easier to keep two questions about the same problem on the same watch in one place]

[walkerwek1958]

The tube can`t move into the case. The threads are probably internal to the tube and that's why you can`t see them.

Case tubes can be difficult to remove; they corrode solid into the case. I`ve ended up drilling/reaming them out before, and it really is a tricky job to do. If the tube's screwed in it should be easier, but I`ve come across some difficult ones. There's usually a very strong adhesive used on the threads, requiring a fair amount of heat to soften. I`ve usually ended up stripping the whole watch down (glass out, don`t want to damage the gasket with heat) to safely apply heat.

This isn`t a job to tackle on an expensive watch if you're not confident. Stripped threads on crowns and tubes are a pain. Best way to avoid this is to turn the crown anticlockwise until the starter thread can be felt, then carefully turn clockwise with enough pressure to avoid the crown springing back whilst just engaged on the starter thread. I reckon that's what does the damage. Once the threads are slightly burred the wear increases.

Paul

[rockinrobin]

Cheers Paul.

I think I'm going to have a go at sorting this one out, despite the watch's value. I've got a crystal remover on it's way and once that arrives I'll pop the bezel and crystal, then apply some heat to see if that works. Worst case scenario, my wife takes it to work and drills it out under a dental microscope!

BTW, I'm assuming that it fits into the case from the outside in, is that correct?

[ScottA]

Cheers for the reply Paul

Good luck with your repair RockinRobin, braver man than I

[rockinrobin]

No matter what, the crystal wouldn't come out. So, rather than risk damage to something else I've drilled the old tube out and I'm waiting for a new one 0.25mm wider to replace it. I've also polished the crystal with diamond lapping paste while I wait and it's made one hell of a difference to the number of visible scratches.