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aleksejeremeev
·That would be too easy
Removing a broken stem from a Speedmaster Crown
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerThat would be too easy
Okay then, here's the alternative...
Go mine some iron ore, some alloying elements (nickel primarily), smelt your own stainless steel, and hand carve a new pusher cap out of the ingot. That should provide a sufficiently difficult challenge for you, if you don't like doing things the easy way. 👍
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aleksejeremeev
·HAHAHA, you have a great sense of humor. I appreciate it. When I said that buying a new one is too easy, I meant is there a technical possibility to drill ?
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerHAHAHA, you have a great sense of humor. I appreciate it. When I said that buying a new one is too easy, I meant is there a technical possibility to drill ?
How good are you with a drill? Is it possible? Yes. It is easy? Not at all...
You would very likely end up drilling out the threads in the cap along with the broken screw, but give it a try and let us know how much the new cap costs you. 😉
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aleksejeremeev
·I won't do it myself. As you correctly noted, you need to have the skill and experience. I'll go to the jeweler . I'll tell you how I'll do it.
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerThere are some different approaches you can take, but they all have risks.
The screw is broken off a little bit below the top of the post. Drilling could be one method, but again it risks drilling out the threads if you are out of center by even a small amount. Two other approaches could be used:
1 - Use a screw head file, and cut down through the top of the post far enough to create a slot in the remainder of the screw, then use a screwdriver to turn the screw fragment out.
2 - Use a watchmaker's lathe to cut away the top of the post, exposing enough of the screw to get ahold of it, so it can be turned out.
Two problems with these methods really, and one is that if this is a modern watch, the screw will be held in place using some Loctite, so unscrewing it is going to need some torque - heat can help break the bond but still the screw fragment may be difficult to remove.
The second is that the post that the screw threads into is a sealing surface inside the pusher. So the O-ring inside the pusher tube seals on this post, so if you remove too much of the post, that seal might be lost.
By the way, you don't want a jeweller for this, you want a watchmaker - very different things.
Cheers, Al
The screw is broken off a little bit below the top of the post. Drilling could be one method, but again it risks drilling out the threads if you are out of center by even a small amount. Two other approaches could be used:
1 - Use a screw head file, and cut down through the top of the post far enough to create a slot in the remainder of the screw, then use a screwdriver to turn the screw fragment out.
2 - Use a watchmaker's lathe to cut away the top of the post, exposing enough of the screw to get ahold of it, so it can be turned out.
Two problems with these methods really, and one is that if this is a modern watch, the screw will be held in place using some Loctite, so unscrewing it is going to need some torque - heat can help break the bond but still the screw fragment may be difficult to remove.
The second is that the post that the screw threads into is a sealing surface inside the pusher. So the O-ring inside the pusher tube seals on this post, so if you remove too much of the post, that seal might be lost.
By the way, you don't want a jeweller for this, you want a watchmaker - very different things.
Cheers, Al
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aleksejeremeev
·Thank you so much. Written competently and intelligibly. I'll take note of everything. Where can I get a small screw file. I liked this idea.
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerThank you so much. Written competently and intelligibly. I'll take note of everything. Where can I get a small screw file. I liked this idea.
No idea where you are located, but here is one example that you can use to search for one locally:
Slotting Screw Head (1850) Vallorbe Swiss (cousinsuk.com)
Photo of mine next to a set of tweezers for scale:
It is very thin...
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aleksejeremeev
·I did not think that this would be a big problem, BUT in the area where I am now, two masters did not take up the work. We are looking for professionals further.
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M'Bob
·I was directed here which I appreciate. A question: what is the right ratio of alum to water, and will this technique damage the gasket in a Speedmaster crown? Thanks.
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kaplan
·Wow, an incredible thread - I want to try the alum solution on a gold plated Omega crown - I guess it's ok?
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kaplan
·Crown goes in yellow gold but it comes out rose gold :/
I think drilling may be a better option - or one could just dip buckles into the solution instead, sell the resulting rose gold buckles and decide what to do with infinite money later on 😁
I think drilling may be a better option - or one could just dip buckles into the solution instead, sell the resulting rose gold buckles and decide what to do with infinite money later on 😁
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerI’ve done plenty and never had such discolouration, so not sure what you did differently...if you give it a gentle polish, the tarnish might come off.
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kaplan
·I digged a bit later on, locally aluminium sulphate is a widely available product with different uses, I bought a soluble lab version, I assume the formula is Al2(SO4)3 - when you google "alum" - this is the product that came up so I assumed they are the same, looking deeper now, I guess your alum is KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O - which isn't available here TL;DR: there might be no potassium in mine
Before attempting it, I asked my watchmaker whether he can get it out in any way, he couldn't, all in all, there's no loss for me, only loss is, while it wasn't functional, it was sitting on the watch as a placeholder, luckily there's a replacement available for $40
I joked about it becoming rose gold, but genuinely it looks better than an actual worn rose gold crown, I don't know whether polishing etc. will bring back the original shade yet, but I like it as it is too
Before attempting it, I asked my watchmaker whether he can get it out in any way, he couldn't, all in all, there's no loss for me, only loss is, while it wasn't functional, it was sitting on the watch as a placeholder, luckily there's a replacement available for $40
I joked about it becoming rose gold, but genuinely it looks better than an actual worn rose gold crown, I don't know whether polishing etc. will bring back the original shade yet, but I like it as it is too
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerYes, potassium alum is what I us, which can be found in any grocery store in the spice or picking aisle...
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