Hey folks,

as usual, Christmas day comes completely unexpected this year. I do need a present for a good friend and fellow watch guy. I was thinking of giving him a knife for caseback opening, as I know he doesn't own one and is frequently driven crazy by a blunt tool he's using.

I figured this would be a good place to ask for recommendations. If it's not just practical but also kinda nice to look at - possibly with a handle made from wood or metal rather than plastic - that'd be a welcome plus. I'm flexible in terms of budget, as long as it's kind of reasonable. Doesn't need to be a 500EUR-knife, as I am sure one could buy, judging by the amount of posts in the "knife collector"-thread.

Thanks a lot and have a merry Christmas everybody!

 

My watchmaker has been using a freebie caseback opener he got from Borel 20 years ago. It's not particularly sharp, but it's thin, strong, and has the right shape.

 

There was this one, but it was a bit pricey...

WITHDRAWN - Patek Philippe vintage case opener | Omega Forums

Honestly, if your friend is opening case backs they will likely need a number of different tools.

I use one of these:

Seiko S-284 Watch Case Knife Back Opener & Remover for Friction Pry Type Watch Case Backs (esslinger.com)

One of these, which is thicker than the Seiko model above:

Push Type Case Opener, -- AF167.768: Star Time Supply

Plus a folding case knife version like this (mine is Energizer branded, but is similar in design):

Renata Swiss Pocket Knife - Case Back Knife | Watch Back Opener (esslinger.com)

And on the odd occasion, I start out using a single edged razor blade...



So for purely practical purposes, a fancy handle isn't needed. I would rather just have a good tool that doesn't hack up the case. Oh, and as always, my advice is to use all these as a wedge, not a pry bar...

Cheers, Al

 

Wondering why it was withdrawn. Oh wait---

"Price: 900 € net to me. Shipping not included.
Payment by wire transfer or Pay pal only (Pay Pal fees for the buyer)"

 

It was a very special piece though...

 

Thanks everyone so far! I saw the Bergeon one and so far I'm extremely happy with their other tools.

If caseback and case seem to be glued together due to grime and rust? Thanks for the input regarding multiple tools. He usually just borrows mine, but I think a combination of maybe the Bergeon and your Seiko "pry type" recommendation - even though it's not supposed to be used as a pry bar - might be a good mix.

 

Thel are pricey.
But from what I’ve gathered through my limited experience they’re also actually worth it, most of the time.

 

The razor blade doesn't come out often, but I use it when there is no obvious gap. Getting that inserted and working it around the case is usually enough to open the gap up so that I can move up to a thicker blade. Then I just keep using thicker blades and work them around the case, and eventually the case back pops off - no prying required if done properly.

 

I don't know the seller at all, but I've been tempted to pick up this Omega blade I've seen in the past. Until I hear my wife's voice saying: "Don't you already have a generic caseback opener that works fine?!"...

https://omegaforums.net/threads/omega-penknife.42968/

 

I bought one of those from him and I am very pleased with it.

 

2X what Omega charges for these - if you want one, call Omega and see if they will sell you one.

 

I suggest this is perfectly adequate.

https://www.swissarmy.com/us/en/Products/Swiss-Army-Knives/Medium-Pocket-Knives/Excelsior/p/0.6901

 

Isn’t that a bit like giving a car enthusiast a regular Golf?

 

Everyone knows you use a cheese knife to open a Patek, why pay more?

 

My jaw dropped when I saw him ( Goldberger) open his split seconds 4113 with a knife he’d just cut some cheese up with

I must get myself a specific knife/opener for snap backs, I’ve always used my 30+ year old Swiss Army knife but I’ve never sharpened it and I wouldn’t want to mess up a case now that it’s blunt

 

Only paying double for the name:

 

Discontinued, but there must be some out there...

 

Well seems like I paid too much but still happy with it since it is all metal and not the cheap plastic outside they have on these now.

 

I was looking through my collection of pocket knives recently and found one otherwise very nice one with a broken main blade. It struck me at the time that I could grind the broken blade to the shape of a case back opener. Since there's no possibility of finding a replacement blade it would be a good way to keep the old knife as a useful tool.