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Stem and crown pulled out of SMP300 2552.80

nguyenducanh.dan
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Greetings. I’ve recently acquired an SMP300 ref. 2552.80, cal. 1120.
After unboxing the watch, I unscrewed the crown and winding seemed fine, but when I pulled it further to set the date and time, the crown and stem came off completely. I re-inserted the whole thing and it could still be wound, the date and time could be adjusted, and the hacking function worked. However, with just a little effort the stem can still be pulled out. It is now inserted and screwed in.
This watch had been serviced before being sent to me. The seller said this should be an easy fix, perhaps due to something coming loose during transportation. I’m going to have it inspected tomorrow, but in the meantime I’d like to hear from anyone who has experienced this before. What else should I look out for?

Thanks in advance.
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GuiltyGear
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The stem can be removed and inserted by pressing on a little slot, which is spring loaded. You can push the stem all in, and while still pushing the stem lightly, press on the slot with a sharp tool. Of course, that assumes that you have the tools to open the case back and at least have a little understanding of what you're doing. Otherwise leave it a to a professional. It may be as simple as that, or the stem too short, or something more complicated.

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Archer
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GuiltyGear GuiltyGear
You can push the stem all in, and while still pushing the stem lightly, press on the slot with a sharp tool.
You do not want to use anything pointed. The reason there is a slot where the stem release is, is so that you can use a screwdriver to press the button in. By using a screwdriver it limits how far in the button can be pressed, because if you press it too far, the winding/setting parts can be disturbed to the point that the stem will just pull right out...like the OP has.

If that happened, the hands, and dial will have to come off, along with the calendar parts to repair it.

Use a .8 screwdriver for this...
 
GuiltyGear
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Archer Archer
You do not want to use anything pointed.
Fair point. I see that me mentioning "sharp" is misleading. I've learnt that the hard way, with a cal. 564 that I pushed the button too far in and had to send it to my watchmaker.
 
ErichKeane
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IF the stem is coming out too easily, that means your watch needs a trip to a watchmaker. The dial/hands have to come off (and much of the date mechanism) if the problem is watch-side (like a setting lever spring too loose or bent, or a gunked-up-setting lever, or broken setting lever tip, etc), or a replacement stem if that is 'all' that is wrong with it.

IF you have the ability to return it, I'd suggest doing that and buying a different one. Else, expect a few hundred to repair it.
 
nguyenducanh.dan
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I really appreciate all the input. I went to a well-known local watchmaker, and they replaced the setting lever (according to what they told me). Since this was arranged through the seller, the replacement was covered under the seller’s warranty. The crown now operates just as it should. I’m still in the honeymoon phase with this piece.
 
nguyenducanh.dan
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Archer Archer
You do not want to use anything pointed. The reason there is a slot where the stem release is, is so that you can use a screwdriver to press the button in. By using a screwdriver it limits how far in the button can be pressed, because if you press it too far, the winding/setting parts can be disturbed to the point that the stem will just pull right out...like the OP has.

If that happened, the hands, and dial will have to come off, along with the calendar parts to repair it.

Use a .8 screwdriver for this...
Thanks for the input.

This is my first time using this movement. When I manually wind it, I can hear subtle, constant “clicks” with each turn (just like on other movements I’ve used). At a certain point, an irregular and louder click appears - more like a slipping sound. Is this normal, and does it mean the watch is fully wound?
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JimInOz
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nguyenducanh.dan nguyenducanh.dan
more like a slipping sound. Is this normal
It's the bridle of the mainspring slipping on the barrel wall, it is normal but if the wrong lubricant has been used it may be slipping much earlier, thus not fully winding the mainspring.

Wind the watch fully and then check the power reserve (how long until it stops).
You should get more than 40 hours with a recently serviced movement.
 
nguyenducanh.dan
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JimInOz JimInOz
It's the bridle of the mainspring slipping on the barrel wall, it is normal but if the wrong lubricant has been used it may be slipping much earlier, thus not fully winding the mainspring.

Wind the watch fully and then check the power reserve (how long until it stops).
You should get more than 40 hours with a recently serviced movement.
Thanks. As of now, I still haven’t had the chance to leave it on the desk for that long, since it spends most of the time on my wrist 😂
 
ErichKeane
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I'm not sure I've ever heard an automatic mainspring slipping at full wind as a "louder click" before... While it might be normal/being described oddly, I would fear that sound was skipping on the arbor, which is not normal.
 
Archer
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ErichKeane ErichKeane
I'm not sure I've ever heard an automatic mainspring slipping at full wind as a "louder click" before... While it might be normal/being described oddly, I would fear that sound was skipping on the arbor, which is not normal.
Very common with the 1120, because the actual sound of the winding is very faint on these. You will hear a louder and intermittent clicking when it is fully wound. How loud is it will depend partly on the case material and thickness, but on a Ti SMP, it's quite loud.
 
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