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GenTLe

Fixing misaligned DWO

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GenTLe

I recently received a very nice ZF Pelagos LHD, but unfortunately the DW was not properly placed (I'm a precise guy):

 

35091784661_10f6d5659b.jpg35091784761_801090075a.jpg

 

 

I started wondering if these 5 liners models have a DWO, and I guessed they must have.

If you look how a 2824 is done (and the 2 liners model had this movement inside with no DWO), and if you look how the date window has been shifted on the new 5 liners (which, as reps, maintain the same 2824 movement), there was no way for the 2824 DW to fit the new date window position:

zoom_57242708_eta_2824-Movement-.jpg

image.png

 

 

And, in fact here you can clearly see it (this is my Pelagos):

35091562091_ecd4e9a755_h.jpg

 

Here too, after the complete disassemble for the service I do to many of my watches, especially those that have some defect to fix (like the date alignment in this exemplar):

34834600330_cdeb26981e_h.jpg

 

Now, the problem is that the DWO is actually well centered on the DW, here you can see it:

34377448794_e48dca1a49_h.jpg

 

So I started to check the watch better, to understand where the problem is. And TA-DA! Problem individuated!

The DWO is NOT uncentered. It is the dial the one that is not centered respect to the movement!

Look at the second hand tube, it should be in the exact center of the dial hole, but it is not. And that means the whole dial is shifted on the right, making the numbers of the date like if they were shifted to the left!

34834584420_6a32436882_h.jpg

 

On this watch, in order to leave the needed space for the DWO, the dial is not fixed to the movement, but instead to an external ring, which is fixed to the movement with 2 screws.

Here you can see the dial feet and the relative holes in the movement holder:

35055955762_2592d8fb5d_h.jpg

 

And here you can see how the movement holder is assured to the movement main plate:

35091542401_f9a9b8d4b3_b.jpg

 

Obviously in this circumstances the DWO reposition will not solve the issue: on the contrary if I'll align the 1 digit numbers, then the numbers at the opposite side of the DWO will become misaligned (badly).

 

There is practically no backlash between the movement holder and the main plate, so shifting it to center the dial is a not viable solution.

Also not viable is the hypothesis to enlarge the dial feet holes: they are too small and the amount of material to remove is too small again (I can't do another hole, as the drill will end up in the actual hole).

 

Therefore, the only 2 possibilities that I see are:

1) cut the dial feet and block it on the movement ring with some dial dots

or eventually (but not sure it can work):

2) file a bit the dial feet to reduce their diameter so that the dial can shift a bit on the left, and again I'll need to use some dial dots on it.

 

Also, another thing I noticed, is that the dial is tilted respect to the case:

35222152115_70d937c4e8_b.jpg

 

Therefore also the dial must be repositioned, as like as the insert and the DWO to fit centered vertically in the date window once the dial will be ok...

 

There's some work to do here :D

 

Actually... Does anyone knows which is the insert material of this watch? Aluminium? Ceramic?

 

(to be continued)

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LightGeek

Wow... brings back memories. I wish I could get myself to do stuff like this again. Good luck!

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PanAm

How da heck do you put this back together? :)

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GenTLe

Ok, it's ceramic :)

 

DWO and Insert detached. Here with the tools I used (the scalpel for the insert, the razor blade for the DWO):

 

34378526694_f6bbc5201e_h.jpg

 

I wish I could get myself to do stuff like this again. Good luck!

 

What is preventing you to do this? :)

 

 

 

How da heck do you put this back together? :)

 

Oh, with possibly some evenings and some headaches (and fun). For example: http://www.rwg.bz/bo...howtopic=113018

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NCRich

Very interesting. Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention so we can fixate on it and hate our watches.

 

:lol:

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Diver Dave

Very interesting. Thanks for bringing this to everyone's attention so we can fixate on it and hate our watches.

 

:lol:

 

 

True....

 

Nothing that Dial-Dots won't cure though.....

 

 

Dave

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GenTLe

Some advancement :)

 

1) I'd like this watch to be well water resistant, so one of the first thing to do is to seal up the fake He valve. I used a 15min-dry 2 components epoxy glue, after a good degrease of the case (pics taken with glue still fresh):

35073637002_10ddb0edf5_h.jpg

]35239094905_57c45854e2_h.jpg

 

2) refiling the dial feet has been enough to center the dial. Of course it will need a couple of dial dots to make it really stable, but I managed to maintain its feet:

34852051530_451c8241b7_h.jpg

 

3) as from the last image of the 1st post, the dial was also tilted respect to case and crown. Due to the fact that I maintained the dial feets, and due to the fact that the dial feet fit in the movement holder ring, in order to have the dial aligned with crown at 9 (it's a lefty watch, so the crown is at 9), the movement holder had to be rotated.

But this would have interfered with the stem slot. In blue the part to remove from the dial ring:

34852052470_976869fd68_b.jpg

 

Some dremel work later (of course on movement holder removed from the rest):

34852346970_da3dcf3b25_b.jpg

 

And finally:

34395215314_e9bc4445d3_b.jpg

 

(to be continued...)

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dirkhunt

Lets hope dial dont shift when you put it back in the case.

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GenTLe

Lets hope dial dont shift when you put it back in the case.

 

It will not because I'll use dial dots to keep it blocked in position (after I'll have reglued properly the DWO) :)

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TRANSPORTER

Nice work mate, good to see another member actually finding solutions to these little niggling problems

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BM284

This has been absolutely fascinating - great skills! :)

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Nikosaldente

Once again, amazing work GenTLe!

 

One of the things I recognized and use every other day is that scalpel you used to remove the insert...

No15 right? ;)

 

Looking forward to the next steps of your mod...

 

Cheers!

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GenTLe

One of the things I recognized and use every other day is that scalpel you used to remove the insert...

No15 right? ;)

 

Thanks mate. I don't know about the scalpel, it comes straight from the surgery room of an hospital nearby where my aunt works :D

 

PS: tomorrow I'll send back your BP :) It's ok!

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Nikosaldente

One of the things I recognized and use every other day is that scalpel you used to remove the insert...

No15 right? ;)

 

Thanks mate. I don't know about the scalpel, it comes straight from the surgery room of an hospital nearby where my aunt works :D

 

PS: tomorrow I'll send back your BP :) It's ok!

 

If you turn the scalpel upside down in your photo,you'll see on the base of the blade connecting to the plastic handle the no15 carved....

SWASS15.jpg?1401015203

I look forward to receiving my BP back after your GenTLe modding!

 

Thanks again for your kind gesture and excellent work....

 

A proper "Thank you" thread in the Feedback Section will be posted on arrival!

 

Cheers!

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dirkhunt

PS: tomorrow I'll send back your BP :) It's ok!

 

Und heres me thinking you don't repair others watches lol

 

Im still learning meself

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GenTLe

PS: tomorrow I'll send back your BP :) It's ok!

 

Und heres me thinking you don't repair others watches lol

 

Im still learning meself

 

Just a favour exchange :)

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ryaku

Very interesting write up.

 

I have one question though, how did you thin the dial feet? They are super fragile and easy to break. :(

"refiling the dial feet has been enough to center the dial"

 

Thanks!

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GenTLe
Very interesting write up.

 

I have one question though, how did you thin the dial feet? They are super fragile and easy to break. :(

"refiling the dial feet has been enough to center the dial"

 

Thanks!

 

They are in brass or copper, so a soft metal. I used a square rat-tail file, kept parallel to the dial back surface, and some care.

The file comes from a set like this:

037103187956.jpg

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Slink73

just awesome stuff... i need myself a shed and a bench... would love to have the skills to take stuff like this on.

 

I doff my hat to you sir and as previously mentioned by another poster - I will never look at my Pelagos in the same light...

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ryaku
Very interesting write up.

 

I have one question though, how did you thin the dial feet? They are super fragile and easy to break. :(

"refiling the dial feet has been enough to center the dial"

 

Thanks!

 

They are in brass or copper, so a soft metal. I used a square rat-tail file, kept parallel to the dial back surface, and some care.

The file comes from a set like this:

037103187956.jpg

 

 

Thanks, extreme care is definitely needed :D

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ShovelnTC

Fantastic thread and I love to see these sorts of engineering solutions.

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Haltec

Under the epoxy I can see the Castle nut. It looks semi serious. Is it Absolutely NO purpose. ( Just appearance mimic ) Or "functional" one - just not precise enough to preform?

 

(reffering to HEV)

Edited by Haltec

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GenTLe

Under the epoxy I can see the Castle nut. It looks semi serious. Is it Absolutely NO purpose. ( Just appearance mimic ) Or "functional" one - just not precise enough to preform?

 

(reffering to HEV)

 

I tried to push the valve from the inside to see if the central part would move under pressure, and it didn't so I suppose it's just useless.

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Haltec

Under the epoxy I can see the Castle nut. It looks semi serious. Is it Absolutely NO purpose. ( Just appearance mimic ) Or "functional" one - just not precise enough to preform?

 

(reffering to HEV)

 

I tried to push the valve from the inside to see if the central part would move under pressure, and it didn't so I suppose it's just useless.

 

Thnx for the info. It doesn't look so difficult to produce. It's just a simple onedirection valve..

And your photo made me think - why bother to screw in something, when they just could bore one mm in depth from outside, and glue the valvealike outher part. It would be fully waterproof & simpliest to manufacture..

 

Really weird.

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GenTLe

Serviced and ready for DWO re-glueing:

34462099553_672d26dcab_h.jpg

 

The scratches on the outside part are on the movement ring and were already there.

34462115323_cb06c8c9a7_h.jpg

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