Hi all, does any member have a contact number for Cousins UK customer service, other than their order phone line.
They have sent me a faulty part and their website is basically saying "Tough shit, our suppliers will not refund us so we won't refund you."

 

The only contact information I could find is here https://www.cousinsuk.com/page/contactus

Your best hope may be if a watchmaker sees this and has some sort of alternative number.

 

In their terms and conditions they specify they will not always accept returns because their supplier will not refund them. It's unfortunate and some people have said not legal but, you'll be lucky to get anywhere with them. They do say that they only sell to the trade (you have to tick a notification on every order) and if it happens to me, I have to bite the bullet and order another.

You can try calling the order helpline as I have before and ask to speak to someone in charge. I did speak to one of the Cousins family and he was very helpful but, that was with a delayed order.

What's the part? Is it fixable?

Cheers, Chris

 

Hi Chris, it's a speedmaster pusher, the pin broke off in the cap as soon as I touched it with a screwdriver.
It's weird, there is no actual spring in the assembly, just a bit of bent metal in the bottom of the cap.
Part number is 086ST0079.
Cousins' response,
More Information
Unfortunately if we tried to send your item back to the manufacturer they would refuse to accept it stating these items are not supplied faulty and any damage must have been caused after sale.
As much as this puts us in a difficult position with our customers, this has to be our position as a trade wholesale supplier.
We are very sorry we could not be more helpful.
Kind regards
Cousins Management Team

 

I've had that note from them before when a part was definitely faulty. So, just ordered another.

I'm not sure that it is faulty in this case. I'm in UK at the moment so don't have access to any information but, I think this is an interference fit pusher assembly and the pusher part is probably loctited to the pin at the factory. So, disassembly would need heat or you'll shear the thread. Let's see if Al has a comment but (if it's the one I'm thinking of) you fit these as an assembly so no need to disassemble them.

Sad to say, I think you'll need to buy another.

Cheers, Chris

 

You're probably right Chris, I'll need to buy another one, but it definitely won't be from Cousins.
BTW, how do you fit an interference fit pusher without disassembling it?

 

You just press the whole pusher in with a tool. I use a Horotec which also works on case tubes. Loctite is used to reinforce the joint but, the interference should hold it all in. You do have to get the pusher aligned and just entered in the hole first.

Like I say, I'm not at home to confirm your particular pusher but that should be it. To be fair to Cousins, there is nothing wrong with the pusher if it is that type. You should not have tried to disassemble it but, if you're used to the screw in type, it just seems logical to do what you did. We live and learn

Cheers, Chris

 

You may be right Chris in that I shouldn't have needed to disassemble it, but I'm slightly more than disappointed that Omega would supply pushers that break when using only finger pressure on a threaded pin. Like you say, we live and learn.

 

Yes - the 086ST0079 are press fitted so they simply push straight into the case assembled. They are not designed to be disassembled for installation - there's no advantage in doing so.

You simply apply some retaining compound to the OD of the pusher body, line it up...



And press it in...





Cheers, Al

 

Retaining compound?

 

Unscrupulous watch tinkerers use glue --- serious watchmakers retaining compound .
(Red bottle in the background belonging to Loctite 6xx family, probably 609)

Benjamin
(No offence to Archer, just feeling funny)

 

Omega Work Instruction #4 defines the various adhesives that are used for different applications on Omega watches. There are 7 listed and they include things like UV curing cements, 2-part epoxy's, and thread locking compounds. For items like press fitted pushers, case tubes, correctors, etc. Omega requires that Loctite 638 retaining compound is applied to the OD of the item to be pressed in.

Note that these are used on case parts, not on the movement.

Cheers, Al

 

Thank to Benjamin and Archer for the explanation.
I looked up loctite web site for 6xx and I got this
"...Recommended for parts that will need subsequent dismantling.."

 

With that final line are you thinking that Dennis should not have had a problem?

There are various types of loctite and some need heat to be broken.

The "dismantling" here is removal of the whole pusher from the case as the loctite is between case and pusher.

The separation of the pin from the pusher is a different joint and was the problem Dennis had. It is not the joint we are referring to and may have a permanent loctite. I don't know what they assemble with in the factory.

I've just found a Watchmaker's site complaining that Omega parts are poor because he's doing the same as Dennis and shearing the pins. If you want to break that joint, then heat it and all should be fine. But, you don't really need to separate the parts and for me, the parts are not faulty.

Chris

 

Thanks for the clarification Chris.
I must explain that the reason I tried to unscrew the pin was that I only wanted to replace the pusher cap and the pin that had broken, I didn't want to remove the stem if I didn't have to. As it so happens, that would not have worked as the splines on the original pusher are much finer than the new replacements. What surprised me was how very little pressure was needed for the pin to shear. My first thought before I realised the pin had broken was that it hadn't been properly tightened at the factory.

 

That's a real shame that they changed the splines as well. Probably some engineering or cost improvement. I thought you were separating for installation. Some of these threads are very weak. I know one guy who broke a click screw in an exam in the final tightening check... Really unfortunate but, we've all done it - at least it's not in the mainplate and you're having to dissolve the remainder out!

Good luck, Chris