Forums Latest Members

Zenith EP Pilot Diver with molten gasket back to former glory

  1. Georgieboy58 Dec 18, 2015

    Posts
    576
    Likes
    856
    In the beginning of the year I noticed that the gasket between the crystal and the inner tachymeter bezel of my EP had started to melt and already covered the top of the numbers mostly between the 7 and 10 o'clock positions as seen in the photo below:

    Foto1024.jpg

    I immediately took it to my watchmaker as it was overdue for a service anyway.

    You can imagine that I was unpleasantly surprised when month later I received a call from the watchmaker that the movement had been serviced but he would not dare to touch the bezel as he would not want to be the one being guilty of messing it up (with no replacements being available).
    I told him I would come over to look at it together.
    Over the month that had passed since I had handed it in, the gasket melting process had progressed and meanwhile covered the top half of the numbers all around.
    He pressed out the glass and I started cleaning the bezel.
    I started with plain dry household paper and to our surprise the sticky black stuff could be wiped off completely without any shadow left and no damage to the printed white numbers.

    This is what it looks like now:

    IMG_1478.JPG

    Interesting enough, a few stains I got an my hands during the cleaning process stayed for at least three days after.

    Cheers
    Georg
     
  2. marturx Dec 18, 2015

    Posts
    2,266
    Likes
    4,214
    Buy yourself a lottery ticket! It must be your lucky day
     
  3. Georgieboy58 Dec 19, 2015

    Posts
    576
    Likes
    856
    Done!
     
  4. tcsasser Dec 28, 2015

    Posts
    61
    Likes
    117
    A molten gasket story with a happy ending! Glad to hear it worked out. Beautiful watch - wear her in good health.
     
  5. Horlogerie EU based Professional Watchmaker Dec 29, 2015

    Posts
    306
    Likes
    523
    Great results.

    For future reference, you can normally remove all the traces of rubber gasket with rubbing alchool, it shouldn't be strong enough to damage the paint, but it will easily remove the molten rubber, especially off your fingers.

    I use it when ever I encounter this problem and it is the only solvent that works.

    Rob
     
  6. watchknut New watch + Instagram + wife = dumbass Jan 11, 2016

    Posts
    4,025
    Likes
    13,789
    What did you do for a new gasket?

    I passed on one of these with the same gasket issue because I was afraid of everything you just stated. Good to know for the future, but I am glad I passed on the other one even though yours turned out well.
     
  7. Georgieboy58 Jan 11, 2016

    Posts
    576
    Likes
    856
    My watch maker ordered a few standard ones that he estimated might fit given the measures and installed the best fitting of these.
    Actually there are two: the one that sits in the groove on the outer edge of the inner bezel and one between the glass and the case.
     
    watchknut likes this.
  8. watchknut New watch + Instagram + wife = dumbass Jan 12, 2016

    Posts
    4,025
    Likes
    13,789
    Great to know there was a solution.