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Thread: Goofs...

  1. #1

    Goofs...

    Not sure if there is an official "goofs" thread but as I want to vent...

    Received a rather nice ceramic 1-12 bezel insert for one of my Seiko mods. First ceramic insert I've fitted, and, well you can guess. I immediately smashed it when trying to firmly attach it to the bezel.

    Darn. Have reverted to the trusty and hardy aluminium insert.

    Pics to follow once I've calmed down at my idiocy.



    edit, pics incoming...
    Last edited by Tokyo Tokei; 15th August 2017 at 13:11.

  2. #2
    What I was going for...



    What happened...



    The insert slopes upwards from outer to inner (it needs a domed or other fat crystal in order to work well) but this also means it does not sit flat on the bezel. The pressure I applied to seat the insert was enough to shatter it. Oh well.

    Something to be said for the old aluminium ones really...



    Not flashy, but dependable.

  3. #3
    Shows the brittleness of ceramic (and potential cost!) plus if truth be told i prefer the aluminium look. There is a reason i've not purchased a watch with a ceramic insert and it's unlikely that i will.

  4. #4
    It's not possible to see from the pictures but the way the insert rises towards the inner circumference means this particular design is fragile. The insert only contacts the flat bezel on the very outer edge. The crystal then "protects" the raised inner edge, assuming they all line up at similar heights.

    Unfortunately, due to the low contact area between insert and bezel, I pushed it quite firmly hoping to ensure a good take with the adhesive. That's when it broke - the big gap between most of the insert and bezel means it flexes there in the absence of a crystal. Or rather, it would flex, were it not ceramic!

    So user error but also some design decisions helped. I suspect a flat ceramic insert would have survived.

  5. #5
    Right yea I see the slight curving can make it more fragile, oh well lesson learnt! How much are 'generic' inserts? Am sure the big boys are fleecing the ones who accidentally damage their bezels....

  6. #6
    I've filed the remnants in my ever-expanding drawer labelled "experience"

    The insert cost $38 including international shipping. I don't think ceramic itself is an expensive material.

  7. #7
    Master IAmATeaf's Avatar
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    What bracelet is that?

  8. #8
    Generic 22mm one from Amazon (Japan http://amzn.asia/fsC1lbR)

  9. #9
    Master IAmATeaf's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei View Post
    Generic 22mm one from Amazon (Japan http://amzn.asia/fsC1lbR)
    Ta.

  10. #10
    Craftsman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei View Post
    That'll buff out 😉

    Ouch

    Dave

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave S View Post
    That'll buff out 

    Ouch

    Dave
    The thing is, if it sat flat on the bezel, it would still be usable. The original picture of it on the watch above is actually the broken bezel. It fits together like, well, a broken ceramic saucer. Unfortunately, as mentioned the design is such that only the very outer edge contacts the bezel, so it just collapses. Oh well.

  12. #12
    Craftsman
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    I managed to break one into two pieces .it was to be used on a Seiko flat surface .A bit of Superglue ensured a virtually invisible repair to the naked eye .However on removal the glued joints did not hold up - my fault for using excessive force. I think I'll be able to use it again though .

  13. #13
    Grand Master Mr Curta's Avatar
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    It sounds as though you ideally need something to support the inner circumference of the insert. Would it be possible to put a thin bead of silicon or something similar just onto the inner edge of the bezel before affixing the insert?

  14. #14
    That would probably work. Though it would feel a bit like grouting the bathroom. A part of me thinks that an insert sold specifically for an SKX ought to really either fit the bezel as-is, or come with its own adhesive ring with a rising cross-section if its design deems it necessary.

    I think I'll stick with the original insert for now. While the ceramic certainly pushes the look upmarket (and is a pretty cheap way of doing that, as many manufacturers have clearly discovered) I am not sure that the 12-hour bezel is really as good as I had hoped. My idea for a cheapo second time zone rather confuses the brain. Well, mine, where the bar is perhaps low. As my insert-fitting skills duly attest

  15. #15
    Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei View Post
    I've filed the remnants in my ever-expanding drawer labelled "experience"

    The insert cost $38 including international shipping. I don't think ceramic itself is an expensive material.
    Mentally, I file 'mishaps' under a heading called 'training budget'

    Paul

  16. #16
    A few years ago I got an original domed crystal to replace a scratched one for a Seiko 6105 I owned.

    I have a a correct bezel press, picked the correct sized nylon fitment. Must have been distracted as I put the fitment on upside down, so instead of the outer edge of the fitment pressing on the bezel to resit it, it was the the flat side.

    So I press down and crack broke the crystal. Talk about feeling a numpty......but it only happened the once.

  17. #17
    Master seffrican's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    Mentally, I file 'mishaps' under a heading called 'training budget'
    I tend to allocate 90% of funding for my watch projects to the training budget.

  18. #18
    Journeyman Kieron's Avatar
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    I think those of us that admit it have a drawer full of howlers...

    Kie

  19. #19
    Grand Master markrlondon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tokyo Tokei View Post
    That would probably work. Though it would feel a bit like grouting the bathroom. A part of me thinks that an insert sold specifically for an SKX ought to really either fit the bezel as-is, or come with its own adhesive ring with a rising cross-section if its design deems it necessary.
    This. I'd put it down to faulty design or manufacture rather than user error, personally.

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