I have a 42mm black ceramic bezel Planet Ocean. I was thinking of buying an orange bezel to change up the look. Are there any reasons why I couldn't swap the bezels? My only concern is that the orange bezel is stainless steel instead of ceramic. According to ofri.com both bezels fit the same case.

 

As long as the case number matches it should fit. The orange were not made out of ceramic but it is the same model. The only ceramic part is the insert while the outside ring is stainless steel in both items.

 

Thanks. Is there a trick to taking bezel off?
The bezel just pops of the SMP 300 Great White. Not sure if it's the same on the PO.

 

No trick. See this thread. You need an Omega Bezel Removal tool. Note that putting it back on requires a caseback press.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f20/om...lly-works-559543-post4103098.html#post4103098

 

Thanks. Great thread. It seems that the bezel just pops off once it's clamped with the tool. According to the thread, one can put the bezel back on using their hands.

 

Ofri sells this rudimentary version of the clamp tool. Looks like it may work.

 

Don't bother with this tool. I bought this one and it does not work. I ended up buying the Omega tool. Just get that one or the bergeon ones.

 

Thanks for that. Where did you buy the omega tool?
Did you do a bezel swap?

 

i purchased mine from ofrei. Was expensive but if i had done this in the beginning, would have saved myself money and time from trying all other types of tools. The omega one removes the bezel easily and with no damage to the bezel or click spring.

 

Was it a Planet Ocean? And did you need a press to get the bezel back on?

 

It was a planet ocean 2500 but I believe the design is similar so the tool should work the same. Al is probably the best person to confirm. Not sure I am ready to use it on my titanium po as I have no plans tomswap the bezel on that one.

Also no need for press to put it back on. Just press back on with your fingers.

 

The Omega bezel remover shown here will remove the ceramic bezels:



However unlike the aluminum insert bezels, the ceramic style should be put on with a press. The bezel will flex when installed by hand, and while the aluminum insert has no problems flexing a bit, the ceramic may crack if it flexes, so a press is recommended.

Cheers, Al

 

Thanks Al. The AD may be my best bet then. I can't see spending close $900 for a tool I sparingly use.

 

Not sure the AD would do this for you, but they might.

 

Thanks everyone. I'll check with the AD before I buy the bezel.
I just looked at the watch. The bezel doesn't have any play in it, unlike the older SMPs or even my SubC.
I thought this would be an easy DYI, but looks like that won't be the case.

Lol.. I have many great ideas which sometimes aren't easy to fulfill. My last one was to swap the crystal on my SubC with another OEM one that I had Double AR coated. I got as far as sourcing an original Rolex crystal, having it AR coated, but got stuck because I couldn't find a local AD or Watchmaker either willing to swap it or that has the correct tools for the newer Maxi cases.
My only option at this point is to mail the watch to ABC in CA. I was hoping to keep it local, though.
If anyone knows a NJ/NYC watchmaker that can do either of these projects, please post.

 

No problems being creative or thinking about how a great watch works!! That's part of the fun! Note that in the early days, Rolexes and Omegas were very much DYI tool watches, that you could disassemble and reassemble fairly easily. . .and if you screwed something up, in the worst of worst cases, a new Rolex 5513 ran you $175 bucks! After a dive, recommended practice (at least within the "user" community of divers) was to pop the bezel off and give it all a good rinse and air dry to make sure any sand and grit were out.

Over time, they've evolved to something that, while remaining functional. . .you just can't quite beat up or DYI as much, because of the implications behind breaking or even scuffing a multi-hundred dollar part (bezel) or a multi-thousand dollar part (case) on a several thousand dollar watch, vs. a $20 part on a watch with a replacement cost of $175.

Your best bet for assisting in some tweaks or modifications for you is a qualified watchmaker. While ADs may have some technical capabilities, generally speaking, don't confuse a business whose core business is sales, with a watchmaker, whose core business is watch service. Also - it sounds like you have a nice collection, so you may also want to consider picking up a few tools here and there that let you do some minor work on your watches, like bracelet swaps, bracelet resizes, bezel swaps, etc.

Enjoy!!

 

Here's a great "How to NOT Do It Yourself" video on bezel swaps

Omega Seamaster Bezel Change

 

Don't worry about the small pieces that fall out onto the table, not necessary those...a butter knife and some glue, watchmaking at its best!

 

Lol.. Glue is the secret.

 

I use a modified hockey puck to pull a 2500 bezel off. It good for one pull on either side. 3$