Community Stories

How hard is it to remove dials and hands from a vintage seamaster?

A
Posts
31
Likes
13
I have a vintage seamaster that was delumed before. I would like to reapply non-glowing lume to the hands and the dial.

I'm fairely confident that I'll be able to apply the lume no problem because there's not much to apply. But I am worried about the process of removing the dial and hands.

Is this something an amateur can do?
 
SkunkPrince
Posts
5,636
Likes
5,792
I wouldn't, if my experience with alarm clocks is any indication. One false move and your dial is toast.

I keep any of my messing around to the outside of the watch and leave the inside to the experts.
 
NDLaw2009
Posts
81
Likes
65
SkunkPrince SkunkPrince
I wouldn't, if my experience with alarm clocks is any indication. One false move and your dial is toast.

I keep any of my messing around to the outside of the watch and leave the inside to the experts.

This reminds me of one of the *stupidest* things I have ever done. When I was 12 or 13, my dad gave me an 1876 Elgin pocket watch that one of his clients had given to him as partial payment for legal fees. It wasn't working. I figured "Hey, I'm smart. I'll fix it." So I started unscrewing and taking apart the movement. One second it was all there, the next second the entire movement just kind of "popped" apart going in multiple directions. Luckily, I was able to get every single part in a plastic bag and a watch maker was able to reassemble and service it. I still have that watch and I learned my lesson.
 
airansun
Posts
2,520
Likes
17,820
I’m an amateur, and I’ve played with to trying to do a lot of stuff on my own, but I’ve learned to stay away from trying to mess with dials and hands.

In my pocket watch days, I did take to bits a cheap Waltham movement and then reassemble it. As my first time, the hands were a pain in the ass, but at least I was working with a porcelain dial. I actually bought a pair of hand pullers for the job.

Hands are delicate little bits, particularly wristwatch hands. I’ve learned my limits through painful experience. I wouldn’t try to relume a dial and hands myself.

Of course, bear in mind that, the dial and hands are the majority of the value of your watch. A first-timer’s mistake could be very expensive.

But, that’s just me. I’m certain there’s people here who have done just this themselves.

🍿
 
MRC
Posts
3,402
Likes
8,566
NDLaw2009 NDLaw2009
This reminds me of one of the *stupidest* things I have ever done. When I was 12 or 13, my dad gave me an 1876 Elgin pocket watch that one of his clients had given to him as partial payment for legal fees. It wasn't working. I figured "Hey, I'm smart. I'll fix it." So I started unscrewing and taking apart the movement. .

At that age I thought I knew a lot about internal combustion engines and took my dad's lawn-mower's engine apart to "service" it. Snapped the cast-iron piston ring (it only had one....) and left it.

50 years later, clearing out his garage, it was still there waiting for me to get a replacement ring and reassemble it.
 
DSotW
Posts
184
Likes
238
You can watch some videos on Youtube (watchrepairchannel among others) that show how to do it. However, I am sure it requires lots of practice before you get it right.. I have done it on dead watches / movements.. Not something I would try first time on a "keeper" watch.
 
Canuck
Posts
14,481
Likes
41,785
How hard? Easy. For some. Have a go at it, and when you need help sorting out the mess, get back to us.
 
perks713
Posts
1,144
Likes
3,111
I swapped the dial on a vostok amphibia last week ($50 watch) and was very proud of myself for not breaking anything.

Then I realized:
- the new dial had higher raised hour markers
- the minute hand was getting stuck on the 5 hr marker
- the second hand had a slight bend to it that I don't think was there before
- the hour hand looked like it might have been touching the dial but was very very hard to tell

So, I started over, took the hands back off and tried to make sure everything was nice and tightly screwed in. I think the face was slightly lifted so I reset it and re tightened the dial screws. This time the minute hand cleared the hour marker and the hour hand looked properly spaced.

Everything looks like it lined up well. So I reassembled the watch and went on with my day.

Of course... I managed to set the hour hand just slightly off where it needs to be, so it's about 15 minutes behind where it needs to be. I'm living with it for now but I'll take it apart again and try and get it lined up properly some day soon.

All in all I had to remove and re-set the hands 3 times before I "finished" and still have to do it again to hopefully do it right. Every time you're lifting those hands up you run the risk of scratching the dial or bending a hand. Putting the hands back on is no cake walk either, not really knowing how much force to apply is pretty terrifying.

If you're really that confident in applying the loom yourself and you don't want to take it to a watch maker, maybe cover the dial and relume the hands while still attached.
 
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

R

Radium dials and hands - remove, restore and relume? Advice welcomed

Radiumjapes Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
Dms5150
Dms5150
Posts
55
Views
10K
oddboy

how hard is it to remove movement from case?

oddboy Open Discussion
pascs
pascs
Posts
9
Views
2K
sumerian

How Hard Is It To Find A Connie?

sumerian Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
sumerian
sumerian
Posts
16
Views
2K