I have done this before with success but it is not without the risk of the lugs breaking off, you should get away with it as gold is quite bendy compared to other metals. I use a jaxa type case opener with two of the flat attachments in place between the lugs then just slowly push the lugs apart by parting the flat attachments. I am sure someone else who is better qualified will chime in. Thanks Mick
Well, actually my watchmaker did it I asked the watchmaker to try to fix them and he said ok, but also warned me of the risk, which caused me to ask for advice here. According to him, the lugs are in place now….. Sorry, no pics of the operation, but it’s the same watch as is in this thread, so when back from the watchmaker, pics will be posted http://omegaforums.net/threads/homemade-conquest-crown-–-will-it-work.14878/ Thanks.
I guess it depends on the alloy of gold. If it's heated a little, it might work well. This bent lug thing seems to be a not-uncommon annoyance. They're almost always bent inwards too. Had the same problem on my JLC 2285.
Bending lugs can be tricky. Even if you manage to do it without breaking a lug off, often the bend that happens when you bend it back is not the exact reverse of what happened when the bend happened (likely from a drop) initially. Bending lugs back can actually bend/distort the case, and if the watch has a snap on back, or is a front loader that relies on the bezel to help hold the crystal in place, they can be quite risky. Just have to go into the operation with your eyes open to what might happen. Cheers, Al