HELP! Watch face needs repair

[Theduke.williams 1,039]

Hi Everyone,

I was recently asked by a friend if I could replace a battery in his wifes watch, and also re-stick an index on the outside of the face.

No Problem said I. 

Mistake 1 was when I started to do this watch after doing a 12 hr night shift, I was eager to find the size of the battery and order a spare.

I removed the movement and decided to re-attach the index at the same time.

Mistake 2 was deciding to use a drop of clear varnish to stick the index to the watch face. The varnish re-acted with the face, and fine blisters appeared

Mistake 3 was deciding to try to wipe off the varnish, rather than letting it dry

I'll let the result speak for itself!

 

 

 

As you can see I've made a real pigs ear of this.

What I need to know is if there's anyone on this site who can repair watch faces? I need to try to get it repaired as the watch has sentimental value.

I am, of course, replacing the watch also, but I probably will not be able to find the same model / colour combination.

Any help or suggestions (keep them polite please) will be gratefully received.

 

 

 

 

[Logixa 8]

basically, your fucked. And I mean really really fucked..

This needs a dial restoration and that is a very hard thing to do and costs a lot of time and money. I think it may cost more than the actual watch.

Dial restoration is a professionals job and only a few people in the world can do it good and are willing to do so. I don't think that there is anybody here on the forum that can restore that dial to its original condition. If you are lucky it can get somewhat close but it will never be the same.

[Foxindebox 465]

Proper fucked...

You might be able to find one on eBay you can use as a donor?

[Theduke.williams 1,039]

Pretty much what I thought. 

Luckily I've just been able to source an exact 1:1 copy - same model number.

Expensive lesson to learn though.

[Thommo82 1,397]

That’s unfortunate mate

At least you found a replacement watch

 

Btw, local jewellers wouldn’t replace the crystal on my rep B&R123. Any chance I could send it to you for a repair job?

[Glaude 1,615]

4 hours ago, Thommo82 said:

That’s unfortunate mate

At least you found a replacement watch

 

Btw, local jewellers wouldn’t replace the crystal on my rep B&R123. Any chance I could send it to you for a repair job?

 Glad to see you back !

[Theduke.williams 1,039]

6 hours ago, Thommo82 said:

That’s unfortunate mate

At least you found a replacement watch

 

Btw, local jewellers wouldn’t replace the crystal on my rep B&R123. Any chance I could send it to you for a repair job?

 I guess my days of amateur tinkering are over. What seemed like a very simple fix, quickly degenerated into a disaster.        

[Foxindebox 465]

5 minutes ago, Theduke.williams said:

 I guess my days of amateur tinkering are over. What seemed like a very simple fix, quickly degenerated into a disaster.        

That’s why I only tinker with... sorry , for myself

 

[FunnyStarSystem 7,538]

This is basically how every watch job I've attempted to undertake has unfolded - thankfully they usually make a generous number of each watch so that replacements can be had. I've learned to stay far, far away from one-of-a-kind watches though.

Looks like these are about $100 or so, a sting for sure, but not too nasty a sting. At least you had the courage to try! That counts for something in my book. 

[GingerApple 7,304]

On my god, this is brilliant.

Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm going to bookmark this thread so I can come back to it whenever I'm having a bad day.

[Logixa 8]

14 minutes ago, Gingerbubba said:

On my god, this is brilliant.

Thank you so much for sharing.

I'm going to bookmark this thread so I can come back to it whenever I'm having a bad day.

You sir, are a sadist devil.. 

I like you

[semperfi55 4,707]

Gosh, this really made my day 

Good effort for trying though! Never know when a straightforward job would go awry...

Hope it all goes well eventually!

[Thommo82 1,397]

4 hours ago, Theduke.williams said:

 I guess my days of amateur tinkering are over. What seemed like a very simple fix, quickly degenerated into a disaster.        

I restored a vintage Bulova Snorkel, everything was perfect, but then I decided it wasn’t good enough and I wanted to change the crown. 

Managed to snap the stem off inside the watch and for the life of me I can’t get the little bastard to come out again!

Poor thing has been a box queen since that day

[Luxuracer 14]

14 minutes ago, Thommo82 said:

5 hours ago, Theduke.williams said:

 I guess my days of amateur tinkering are over. What seemed like a very simple fix, quickly degenerated into a disaster.        

I restored a vintage Bulova Snorkel, everything was perfect, but then I decided it wasn’t good enough and I wanted to change the crown. 

Managed to snap the stem off inside the watch and for the life of me I can’t get the little bastard to come out again!

Poor thing has been a box queen since that day

That's why ... I only mess with my A2813's ... 

[Nikosaldente 630]

I guess Anthony you hadn't seen GenTLe's thread:

 

[GenTLe 1,509]

On 28/05/2018 at 10:16, Theduke.williams said:

As you can see I've made a real pigs ear of this.

What I need to know is if there's anyone on this site who can repair watch faces? I need to try to get it repaired as the watch has sentimental value.

I am, of course, replacing the watch also, but I probably will not be able to find the same model / colour combination.

Any help or suggestions (keep them polite please) will be gratefully received.

No point to do anything to this watch, really. Unless you manage to find a spare (new) dial.

Keep ANYTHING vaguely aggressive away from any dial. Also alcool  sometimes can do that (thanks Toro for selling me a spare dial for my Linde Werdeling The One...), it depends from the dial paint used.

Next time use a microscopic amount of UHU Endfest 300 to glue back the number. Did it many times by now. Some isopropyl alcool can remove the excess (providing it doesn't remove also the paint...).

 

[GenTLe 1,509]

On 28/05/2018 at 22:51, Thommo82 said:

Poor thing has been a box queen since that day

Sell it to me

[GingerApple 7,304]

Dude, you're replying  to a 5 year old thread (and  to a member who last logged in 18 months ago).

Have you been on the Aperol again?

[Theduke.williams 1,039]

1 hour ago, TheOtherSpareGinger said:

Dude, you're replying  to a 5 year old thread (and  to a member who last logged in 18 months ago).

Have you been on the Aperol again?

Agree this thread is 5 years old, but I posted it as a link in a thread that I started today;-

 

I guess it's taken 5 years for my confidence to return after that disater.

Asd for the fact that I last logged in 18 months ago!   Really???  

Just what is Aperol and how effective is it?  

[GingerApple 7,304]

35 minutes ago, Theduke.williams said:

Agree this thread is 5 years old, but I posted it as a link in a thread that I started today;-

Ahhhhh, that makes sense.

 

36 minutes ago, Theduke.williams said:

Asd for the fact that I last logged in 18 months ago!   Really???  

Not you, Thommo, that massive Aussie twat.

[tribefan 6,768]

I'm thinking this should be pinned.

 

[GenTLe 1,509]

11 hours ago, TheOtherSpareGinger said:

Dude, you're replying  to a 5 year old thread (and  to a member who last logged in 18 months ago).

Have you been on the Aperol again?

LOL! Didn't notice  I was brought here by a link in another OP's thread which was recent

Well... Maybe that Bulova is still in a drawer

[GenTLe 1,509]

9 hours ago, Theduke.williams said:

Just what is Aperol and how effective is it?  

Look out for "Aperol spritz", once a beverage known only around Venezia and drank only from local fishermen, then Aperol was bought by Campari corporation and now it's known practically all over the world.

But I prefer "Campari spritz" or "Negroni" as aperitif (a very common habit around here)