Modified F91W - How to make the world's best watch better

[CrunkleFloop]

Okay, maybe not the world's "best" watch however they are certainly held in high esteem.

I've made a few upgrades to mine.

- Nato strap
- Changed the crappy green light for a much brighter (yet smaller) red LED
- Hydromod (filled the watch with medicinal grade white mineral oil) and thus far no air bubbles.

The advantage of the hydromod (aside from now being waterproof) is how easily you can view the display from various angles, especially underwater.

For a £10 watch and a few pennies worth of materials I've got a very reliable waterproof beater.

[blue_haddock]

Surely even a half decent g-shock would be preferable if diving?

I wouldnt trust a ten quid casio to not let in water.

[CrunkleFloop]

blue_haddock said:

Surely even a half decent g-shock would be preferable if diving?

I wouldnt trust a ten quid casio to not let in water.

Yes a G-shock would be better off the shelf but at 5-times the cost.

As this has been oil filled it will stop water ingress to quite some depth, it's a popular modification and there are plenty of cases of people diving with them. My understanding of the way it works is because the fluid is non-compressible the pressure outside the watch cannot enter the watch as there is no air-void to compress.

Plus - It's fun to modify things :-)

[Countdown]

Nice watch OP

I have one of these

I bought it for £17.99 so roughly a 76% increase in value, however I will be leaving it to my son in my will.

[8Ace]

CrunkleFloop said:

As this has been oil filled it will stop water ingress to quite some depth, it's a popular modification and there are plenty of cases of people diving with them. My understanding of the way it works is because the fluid is non-compressible the pressure outside the watch cannot enter the watch as there is no air-void to compress.

I opened the back of my Breguet classique to fill it with oil and it stopped working. I was going to go diving with it. To whom should I send the bill?

Edited by 8Ace on Saturday 9th May 18:38

[CrunkleFloop]

8Ace said:

I opened the back of my Breguet classique to fill it with oil and it stopped working. I was going to go diving with it. To whom should I send the bill?

What a shame, might I suggest you failed to follow the Watch-Oil-Fillers mantra:

Overapplication
of
Lubrication
has
Ramification

[8Ace]

CrunkleFloop said:

8Ace said:

I opened the back of my Breguet classique to fill it with oil and it stopped working. I was going to go diving with it. To whom should I send the bill?

What a shame, might I suggest you failed to follow the Watch-Oil-Fillers mantra:

Overapplication
of
Lubrication
has
Ramification

A sensible mantra for watches, cars and life in general

[GCH]

Love them - I also used to have mine on a nato.
Best mod for these is the negative/inverted display.

[Bussolini]

Countdown said:

Nice watch OP

I have one of these

I bought it for £17.99 so roughly a 76% increase in value, however I will be leaving it to my son in my will.

It's quite depressing that Argos advertises credit plans for thirty quid watches.

[GC8]

Will reading this get me onto a watch list somewhere?

[CrunkleFloop]

GC8 said:

Will reading this get me onto a watch list somewhere?

Almost certainly. Be sure to look for suspiciously parked vans outside.

[GC8]

The part that Im most impressed with (but possibly not the most impressive part, which might be soldering the coloured LED), is the oil-filling, which you have achieved without bubbles.

People always seem to get them.

[CrunkleFloop]

GC8 said:

The part that Im most impressed with (but possibly not the most impressive part, which might be soldering the coloured LED), is the oil-filling, which you have achieved without bubbles.

People always seem to get them.

Thanks buddy.

I found the best way was to fill a glass ramekin with mineral oil (the stuff I used is quite thick compared to the baby oil most people use) then remove the internal part of the watch from the case and reassemble the entire watch underneath the bath of oil. Messy but effective.

Just don't do what I did with the first attempt which was to try to clean the oil off with isopropyl alcohol. As soon as I touched the acrylic screen it reacted and shattered.

Just use soap and water.

Edited by CrunkleFloop on Sunday 19th January 15:30