Hey guys, Can any of you PLEASE forward Omega Planet Ocean casebacks dims as shown>>>> Big thanks. Bry
Hi there, The Omega POs have a very decorative caseback, its 2017 WHY are folks still scratching casebscks, HENCE if I could make non marking Planet Ocean casetools that would be a good thing. Bry
Not sure who you are referring to, or what equipment they are using, but using good quality tools in the proper way will prevent scratches. I personally use the Bergeon 5700 case opener (it's sort of the standard in the industry), and I have many sets of dies - some for specific brands like Rolex, Panerai, and of course Omega. But 99.99% of all watches I open that have a screw on case back, I use the urethane dies for. These non-marking case back opening tools have existed for decades...here showing one used to open a PO: In the rare instance where I can't get the case back loose using the urethane friction die, using the Bergeon 5700 properly will avoid marks. I made this mock up to show what I mean: It's a Speedmaster but has the same type of notches in the case back that PO's have. I use a plastic baggie (always tons of those around) to provide some protection to the case when using the specific tool that I'm using here. But the real thing that prevents damage is at the red arrow - you will note that the spindle of the case opener is threaded, and I have moved this collar up far enough that it keeps the tool at the case back engaged with the watch. It's the tool slipping that causes the real damage, so this ensures that the tool stays seated in those notches in the case back as you break it loose - it physically can't come out. If professional watchmakers are scratching things, there's really no excuse for that. If you are hobbyist and are using a hand held Jaxa style tool, making sure everything is solid helps, so clamping your case holder in a vice for example (most are made to be clamped in a vice). Then keeping pressure down on the Jaxa tool while turning is key, similar to how the 5700 does here. Cheers, Al
Hi Al, Im referring to using brass pins as opposed to steel pins, 5 or 6 brass pin dies work very well.
There is a member here (Pahawi) who has made brass openers and sold them on the forum - no idea if they would fit a PO though. They are bit more sophisticated than what you have sold previously, as they are machined from a solid brass rod as an entire unit: Picture by Spacefuit As you can see, this style does not use small pins inserted into another material like the style you have produced before. With those and a very tight case back, I'm not sure how well the pins would hold up over time.