TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 Hi Mates, As some of you know, last week I received my 42mm PO LM from WI, here is the thread: http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=42999&hl Well because of the pearl issue I ordered a new oem pearl from an Omega OEM parts store out of eBay, here is the link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/160687770956?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649 Which I received on the mail yesterday so, today I decided to replace the annoying pearl. Believe me, the more days passed by, the more the pearl got darker until today it looked completely brown. I decided to document the process and share it here with you in case someone has the same problem with the pearl and wants to replace it, so let´s start. Tools required. bezel/case opener or a stiff knife Pointed tool Tweezers Glue Loupe (not mandatory but nice to have) Process. 1. Place the bezel/case opener between the bezel and the watch case and apply some pressure to make the bezel to pop-up. The case should pop up after some attempts: By the way, at the end I think to pop-up the bezel maybe is not the best method to remove the bezel because in this particular model the ceramic bezel insert is just glued to the rest of the bezel assembly and this has a type of wire to hold it to the watch case, which is a pain in the ass when try to put the bezel assembly back. 2. With the bezel assembly out of the case now we must proceed to separate the bezel insert from the rest of the assembly, in order to do this just push from the back of the bezel insert, it will pop up without much effort because it´s glued: The bezel insert: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
10:10 Watch Repair 1 Posted February 1, 2013 Pulling a bezel off like that works maybe 25% of the time. 75% of the time there is irreparable damage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 The back of the bezel insert. We can see the glue that holds the pearl: 3. Then proceed to remove the old pearl by pushing it from behind (uhmmm, sounds good right? ). I faced some resistance because of the glue, so I simply put some acetone to dilute that glue and then pushed with the pointed tool. Here is the bezel without pearl and the new pearl waiting to be placed: A comparison of the pearls, obviously the one on the left is the replaced one: 4. Proceed to place the new pearl and apply a little bit of glue to the back to hold it: The new pearl on the bezel: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luthier 1 Posted February 1, 2013 You disassembled a whole bezel just to take off the pearl??????? Why didn't you just heat the old pearl with soldering iron and remove it??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 5. Place the bezel back into the case. I found that it is easier to put the bezel assembly with the spring-wire first and then to glue the insert into the assembly: Finally this is how the job completed looks like: I used a crystal press to firmly put the bezel insert into the assembly and avoid any possible misalignment of the insert. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tanweekiat 0 Posted February 1, 2013 You disassembled a whole bezel just to take off the pearl??????? Why didn't you just heat the old pearl with soldering iron and remove it??? Oh.... You mean we can do that too? I would like to attempt this, but my question is how do I secure the new pearl after I solder iron off the old pearl. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 The wrist shot: Cleaned watch: And finally a macro of the pearl: Thanks for viewing, hope it was useful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 Pulling a bezel off like that works maybe 25% of the time. 75% of the time there is irreparable damage. I did not find any other method. I searched here and in other boards but never found a clear instructions on how to remove the bezel from the case. Fortunately my case was on the 25%. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LightGeek 25 Posted February 1, 2013 You disassembled a whole bezel just to take off the pearl??????? Why didn't you just heat the old pearl with soldering iron and remove it??? +1 that works. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 (edited) You disassembled a whole bezel just to take off the pearl??????? Why didn't you just heat the old pearl with soldering iron and remove it??? Yes, so what is the problem? It worked for me and I learned something new. But it is good you to mention the soldering iron method, now there is another option to do it, thanks mate!! In any case, if I screwed up the watch I buy another one, easy as that. Edited February 1, 2013 by TAGster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 Great job! Thanks mate!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LightGeek 25 Posted February 1, 2013 You disassembled a whole bezel just to take off the pearl??????? Why didn't you just heat the old pearl with soldering iron and remove it??? Yes, so what is the problem? It worked for me and I learned something new. But it is good you to mention the soldering iron method, now there is another option to do it, thanks mate!! In any case, if I screwed the watch I buy another one, easy as that. Don't worry it's all good. It's just Luthier talking out loud in his sleep. When I did my TT sub I disassembled the whole damn thing... Even though I read in one of Luths posts to just heat it. I tried to wedge it off and ended up scratching the underside of the bezel pretty bad. Polished it back up. Granted, I realigned the crystal too when I had it apart but that's not the point. http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=42081 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 1, 2013 You disassembled a whole bezel just to take off the pearl??????? Why didn't you just heat the old pearl with soldering iron and remove it??? Yes, so what is the problem? It worked for me and I learned something new. But it is good you to mention the soldering iron method, now there is another option to do it, thanks mate!! In any case, if I screwed the watch I buy another one, easy as that. Don't worry it's all good. It's just Luthier talking out loud in his sleep. When I did my TT sub I disassembled the whole damn thing... Even though I read in one of Luths posts to just heat it. I tried to wedge it off and ended up scratching the underside of the bezel pretty bad. Polished it back up. Granted, I realigned the crystal too when I had it apart but that's not the point. http://www.rwg.bz/bo...showtopic=42081 That is the point mate, as you stated on your thread we make this not only to correct a problem but also to have some fun and learn. I considered to wedge the pearl off but I did not want to take the risk of scratching the bezel, just as happened to you my friend, so I decided to go for the complete bezel removal, which maybe was not necessary at all because I realized the bezel insert is just glued and it could came off by removing it directly, but anyways the job is done, my watch is complete and working. By the way, I´m expecting my new crystal to arrive (PO crystal from Sunnydale) and I will replace it too because the current one is not properly aligned. Thanks Mate!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
10:10 Watch Repair 1 Posted February 1, 2013 Pulling a bezel off like that works maybe 25% of the time. 75% of the time there is irreparable damage. I did not find any other method. I searched here and in other boards but never found a clear instructions on how to remove the bezel from the case. Fortunately my case was on the 25%. There's no other method, they're not made to be removed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dejavu157 0 Posted February 1, 2013 Thanks for the heads up 10:10 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dejavu157 0 Posted February 1, 2013 Tag i love this watch so much. I am searching the world for one under 6k, but it is impossible now. I might as well get a rep until i find one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 2, 2013 (edited) Yes, it is almost impossible to find a LM limited edition. I´ve seen a couple on eBay but first of all I will not use eBay to buy this kind of items and secondly the only two listings there are for the Ceramic PO and for the blue LM PO, not the limited edition liquid metal. A word of advice, if you allow me: get the rep, it is a nice looking watch. If you are concerned about the current rep flaws wait a little bit to see if new improved version come to the market. In the meantime you can still hunting for the gen one. I´m made up my mind and I´ll go for the gen Ceramic. I was looking at the Skyfall limited edition, but the price for that skyrocketed. Cheers mate! Edited February 2, 2013 by TAGster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAGster 5 Posted February 2, 2013 Pulling a bezel off like that works maybe 25% of the time. 75% of the time there is irreparable damage. I did not find any other method. I searched here and in other boards but never found a clear instructions on how to remove the bezel from the case. Fortunately my case was on the 25%. There's no other method, they're not made to be removed. Thanks for the input here. Now I know this bezels are not meant to be removed. I never found any information on the boards about that, so I assumed the bezel could be removed. Cheers! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
10:10 Watch Repair 1 Posted February 2, 2013 Thanks for the input here. Now I know this bezels are not meant to be removed. I never found any information on the boards about that, so I assumed the bezel could be removed. Cheers! The 25 percenters are prolific posters. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
