Quick crystal fix - CHOPARD Mille Miglia GT XL

[WebWind 1]

 

After accidental fall of my watch crystal (magnification part) was blocking second hand, so I must do something with it.

 

Dissection was very easy. Movement was holding by plastic ring. After some manipulation with crystal I pulled it out only with my fingers.

No sign of glue. Crystal held in place by another plastic ring.

Stem removing was easy cake. I just pushed “the button†with toothpick. What a watchsmith I am!

 

 

Plastic rings

 

 

Printing on inner bezel is very delicate. I don know when, but I scratched number 60. I fixed it with very thin black marker.

 

 

Inner bezel in place and in proper position.

 

 

Plastic ring

 

 

Plastic ring in place. After installation plastic ring prevents inner bezel to turn.

 

 

 

 

After that I cleaned inner side of crystal, I have positioned it on top. I tried to put middle of magnification area in the middle of number 15.

 

 

 

I do not have a crystal press, so I must improvised a bit. I covered the crystal and press it by hands. I have found first aid training very useful here.

 

 

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_YImXeUnXF08/TN5a...eart+attack.jpg

 

 

It worked well. Not ideal but crystal is in place and looks great. After 24 test, I will glue crystal with GS Hypo Cement, to be sure that it will stay in position

 

 

 

 

 

Second hand is a little bit longer, so I installed movement very carefully.

 

Done.

 

 

Installing stem back is very easy. Just push it back (carefully). That small button next to the place the stem enters the movement is that magic button that can release the stem.

Press it very carefully. Crown must be unscrewed when pushing release button!

 

 

This plastic ring is holging whole movement in case.

 

 

 

 

I greased all o-rings (tube and caseback). I put some grease also on worm of those little screws, that are holding case back.

These screws are made from very, very soft steel. After two opening and closing they looks damaged.

 

 

 

 

There is no doubt how to position caseback

 

 

 

 

All in back one piece

 

 

 

Lume (relumed by Kenny)

 

 

 

 

*************** UPDATE *****************

 

 

After successful overnight testing I filled gap between crystal and case with GS hypo cement.

 

 

 

 

 

I also filled gap on the back side of the watch ….

 

 

 

…. and gap on the case.

 

 

Excess glue can be easily cleaned with tissue soaked in alcohol or toluene.

 

 

All done.

 

 

Thanks for watching.

[KeNnY 29]

nice ! This was my third watch relumed if I remember correctly

[onionbag 1]

Well done, I'd have gone for the quick fix, and thrown it in the back of a drawer.

[MikeMcNair 0]

I too have just rebuilt 2 of these, and superlumed mine (well, one coat) and my GF is wearing it constantly lol.

 

Well done, here's mine....

 

 

 

[WebWind 1]

Thanks Mike

 

I asked Kenny to do relume job, because rep lume on indexes was near to no lume. I highlighted "lume like mad torch" option and he did exactly what I want. All indexes are lumed with at minimum two layers. Numbers 6 and 12 lost their shiny edges, but I don´t care about that very much. Lume is very strong.

[Crusader 0]

I was just opening caseback on my watch the other day and I didn't had a feel of soft-steel screws, they were pretty good in quality.

 

I wonder if gen Chopard has also plastic ring holding the movement and dial?

[WebWind 1]

Screws on mine watch are from very poor steel. I was afraid when screwing them back, that I will break the screw head.

[MikeMcNair 0]

Thanks Mike

 

I asked Kenny to do relume job, because rep lume on indexes was near to no lume. I highlighted "lume like mad torch" option and he did exactly what I want. All indexes are lumed with at minimum two layers. Numbers 6 and 12 lost their shiny edges, but I don´t care about that very much. Lume is very strong.

 

 

If you hadnt mentioned the silver sides of 12 and 6, I would not have noticed.!!!

 

Looks great.

 

What I do is Lume everything with 3 layers, then after they dry, I go back and lightly scrape the "overlap" off the indices and numbers, this way the edges look SHARP.

 

But again, had you not mentioned, I would not have noticed on yers!!!

 

 

Keep in mind, this was a test run with one layer only, and simply using the left over after luming another watch, but you'll see the silver of the numbers themselves

 

 

 

[WebWind 1]

Thanks Mike again. Maybe in some long winter evening I will relume it again.

 

Did you mod your second hand? It´s all red.

[MikeMcNair 0]

absolutely, it was a long standing "joke" on here that i made all my second hands red. its an old racing thing, i do it to pretty much every watch i wear.

[SeanusMaximus 0]

I miss my Chopard:( haha!

[WebWind 1]

absolutely, it was a long standing "joke" on here that i made all my second hands red. its an old racing thing, i do it to pretty much every watch i wear.

That red second hand is looking great on your Chopard

[MikeMcNair 0]

Thanks! It's on my DSSD also :P (special thanks to SKA for this one)

 

 

[SeanusMaximus 0]

Thanks! It's on my DSSD also (special thanks to SKA for this one)

 

 

 

oooh looks nice, gotta get myself one of marys DSSD's soon...i liked my cheaper one but i want ULT

[MikeMcNair 0]

Having held every one of the DSSD 's sold, I can honestly say Mary's is the best value there is. Period.

 

Now, add superlume, Trevor bezel, new pearl, and BK datewheel, and THEN you have and ULT!!!

 

I have a guy who said (a month ago :/ ) that he could get me many gen bezel inserts and pearls, but as soon as we started talking money he kinda disappeared.

 

I DID get a gen bezel insert off him for STUPID money (cause trevors is virtually the same, looks closer to the 2010 model, just needs pearl re done) and like it, but meh, it's just blah to me.

 

Frankly, a waste of money.

[Luthier 1]

WW, you did great job, but, why didn't you polish scratched crystal???

[MikeMcNair 0]

WW, you did great job, but, why didn't you polish scratched crystal???

 

 

I may have a crystal I could give ya if ya want

[WebWind 1]

WW, you did great job, but, why didn't you polish scratched crystal???

 

I have diamond polishing kit and I tried to do that, but is impossible remove scratch by hands. I have no "dremel like tool", so I can´t do that.

[WebWind 1]

WW, you did great job, but, why didn't you polish scratched crystal???

 

 

I may have a crystal I could give ya if ya want

 

That would be awesome! If you have one spare I want it