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··Omega Qualified WatchmakerAl out of curiosity can a watch maker use a more universal tool for this job or must it be the 107. Dynamics are similar in nature needing a mentioned tool for the crystal I believe, just wondering if the job must be done with these specific tools or can another be used and still be done properly?
Some may use a crystal lift for this purpose. The difference between a standard crystal lift device and this is how it grips the crystal. Here is a typical crystal lift:
I have two of these, and these are really only designed to be used with watch crystals that do not have a metal tension ring inside them. As you can see the teeth that grip the crystal are many and have small contact areas where they meet the crystal. If you try to remove a tension ring crystal with one of these, the amount of force required to compress the tension ring enough to release the crystal, will cause damage the crystal.
In contrast the Tool 107 has very large segments that grip the crystal - there are only 7 individual segments, instead of many smaller ones. This allows the Tool 107 to grip the circumference of the crystal better and not cause damage. It also has a notch on one side for the crown, and as you turn the handle it retracts the segments up into the housing, and the housing presses down on the case - it sort of automatically lifts the crystal out. This is one reason why there are multiples of these tools for Omegas, because they are not really universal like the generic crystal lift is. I also have a Tool 105 here which is for smaller crystal - thankfully the 107 is the most common one I need personally.
Now if the crystal is very old there's still a chance of damage, but it's much less with this than with a regular crystal lift. So if your local guy doesn't have this specific Omega tool, you would probably be better of removing the crystal with air. I would not suggest using canned air, as that has too much pressure/volume, so a syringe would be the best bet.
Using canned air at higher pressures and greater volume can cause damage with a tight fitting crystal. When it finally lets go, there is a rush of air coming out that can cause issues with the balance spring - I've seen this personally.
Cheers, Al
