Genève dial pins (?)

If the foot is bent, it has to be straightened. It doesn't sound like you have a lot of watch repair experience, so you might want to take this to a watchmaker, because if you snap the foot off, it becomes a much bigger repair.

Cheers, Al

You bend them back straight...

Well, if the next question is "How do I bend them back straight?" that's a clear sign you need to take it to a watchmaker...

Straightening a dial foot is almost as delicate an operation as brain surgery, thus the advice offered.

As for actually replacing one, give me a call when your "soldering iron, some flux (perhaps alcohol based for a cleaner result) and some leaded solder for better heat spread" fixes your problem.

I've been holding on to repairing a 60 year old Seamaster 600 dial with a broken foot and I'd be overjoyed if your method yields results without destroying the dial side.

What you received in this thread was answers to the question you asked. Might not have been the question you wanted the answer to, but don't blame me/us for your poorly worded question.


No "perhaps" about it.


This "I deserve answers to poorly worded questions" is so old...

Even though you are acting like an entitled prick, I'll still answer the question you really wanted an answer to, but only asked late in this thread. The proper way to repair a broken dial foot (not a crooked one as you initially asked) is to take it to a watchmaker that has the proper equipment to do the repair. This is not a DIY job unless you want to ruin the dial. Controlling heat is critical, and the method most commonly used is a dial foot soldering machine, which is specifically designed to do this job.

The machine uses a jig to hold the dial and new dial foot wire in place securely, then a carbon rod to complete the circuit and heat the wire. The dial surfaces and wire must be cleaned thoroughly, and the proper type and amount of flux applied, and using the right type of solder is critical as the wrong kind will require too much heat and burn the dial. Even with this equipment I find it a tricky process to get just right and get a strong bond...









I have also heard of people doing this with a laser welding machine, but it's not a method I have tried personally, and it requires a machine that costs about $30k - at least that's what my friend paid for his.

Next time please think about the question you are asking, and if it's clear to people who are reading it. This may help you get better answers to your questions without looking like a whiny dick in the process. I know you didn't ask me for that advice, but I'm guessing you meant to...

Cheers, Al

New member post #6:

"This elitist attitude is so old."

Surely this deserves some kind of award...

Use bismuth solder which melts at a lower temperature than lead. Oh, and asking questions on a MB such as this is not going to yield answers that will miraculously give you what you need to suddenly become an expert watchmaker. Many of us who do this for living frequently encounter a watch that could have had a chance had we got at it first, before some handyman took a crack at it. Lose the chip on your shoulder!