Broken spring bar end stuck in lug hole...

I got my order from CNS today and excitedly sat down for some strap changes. My excitement quickly turned to mild woe when I noticed this:



I assume that is a piece of a broken spring bar. I’ve tried cleaning the hole with a toothbrush, soap, and hot water. It didn’t seem to loosen whatever is stuck in there, so I’m trying to decide what to try next. The other suggestions I’ve seen for how to remove are:


1. Add a bit of solvent (rubbing alcohol?) to dissolve any gunk in there and try to remove it by manipulating it with tweezers or screwdriver after letting the solvent soak in there for a bit.

2. Same as above but with WD40 instead of a solvent.

3. Drill it out... (not too keen to try this one)

Any tips or advice OF has to share would be much appreciated. If I try some of the above fixes, should I start with the solvent? Is rubbing alcohol a good solvent to use for this?

Thanks in advance.

This happened to me once with an old Bulova. I got the thinnest needle pin I could find and carefully leveraged it out. It takes a bit of time and patience. I would never ever use a drill!

I’m sure a watchmaker will chime in with something about alum? But as a do it yourselfer, I would be tempted to crazy glue something to the broken tip, then when dry, squirt oil in, and try to yank it out.

Thank you @apsm100 ...to clarify, I wouldn’t use a drill either. I would try to find a thin enough drill bit and do it manually.

Hopefully it doesn’t get to that point. Worst case scenario, this is not a very sought after reference, and I could pick up a case without breaking the bank.

How about a strong magnet and some WD-40?

Drills???

I've had this happen a few times; either I could shake/knock it out or use a pin to prod it a bit until it came loose. Once or twice I've used a tiny amount of glue on the tip of a small screwdriver to stick it to and then pull out.

WD-40 should break down any rust that is causing it to stick, but you may have to leave it soaking for a while before that works. If it is sticking for a reason other than rust - the deformation of the lug in the picture indicates that this may be the case - you will just have to be patient and try to pry it out. A push pin is probably a good idea for this.

Before using glue, perhaps try some sticky tape or putty.

It’s really stuck in there. I’ve tried prodding it with a small cheap screwdriver, variety of pins, and pair of pointed tweezers, and it does not seem to be budging. For now, I have the lugs soaking in rubbing alcohol. I’ll give it a try again later tonight and see if it inclined to move before soaking in some WD-40.

I don’t have any push pins handy, so may run out and pick some up. I found a sewing kit in my travel bag that had a few sewing needles and safety pin, but I think a push pin would be a better option for this.

Will update on my next attempt, thanks for the responses!

Dip the lug in an ultrasonic cleaner.

Where we’re going, we don’t need drills.

Do you think acetone is a better solvent for this than the rubbing alcohol? I can add that to my list when I go to pick up the push pins. I just checked my wife’s bathroom, and she doesn’t seem to have any.

Not sure what the push pin is going to do for you - if it were a through hole lug (which it doesn't appear to be based on the photo) I could see it, but tapping a pin into the broken part in a blind hole is more than likely just going to expand the broken piece it and jam it in there even more.

Soaking it in a solvent is the first thing to try, but give it time before you do anything else.

Alum isn't going to work - most spring bars are either brass or stainless steel...

...and it’s out!!! Pulled it out of the alcohol and noticed it was moving a bit when I poked it. A bit more prodding and tapping, and it came out. The watch is reassembled, new strap installed, and ticking away on my wrist.