Stubborn watch back removal
Discussion
Spray some WD40 onto a cotton bud, wipe the cotton bud around the outside of the caseback where it meets the case, leave it for a few mins then try again. Be careful not to drench it, as you don't want WD40 anywhere near the movement/dial! Probably an idea to take the strap off first, too.
Edited by glazbagun on Sunday 4th May 02:56
Some can become very tight, especially if the seal's started to degrade slightly - the rubber effectively turns to glue.
It basically comes down to the tools in that case. You'll need a case holder because you won't keep it firm enough in your hand, and you'll need a back opener that gives decent leverage. The "Jaxa type" openers are usually ok, but can struggle on really tight backs unless you have the double-handed version.
The best overall that I've found is the A*F "scissor" type (A*F part no. 16774). That'll deal with over 99% of what comes over my bench apart from specialist stuff like Rolex or Baume. There are cheap Chinese versions of the tool appearing on EBay but I have no idea what they're like - the A*F is around £70 and it's simply not worth me risking a customer's case back with a £7 copy!
If that and a (securely clamped) case holder won't shift it, then really you'll need to get it in a bench opener that can clamp the tool tips down onto the case-back to prevent slipping while you lean on a wheel to turn it. That's prohibitively expensive for DIY though - the (popular) Bergeon 5700 is about £575, but you can get Chinese made versions now for a (relatively) bargain £350 or so.
It basically comes down to the tools in that case. You'll need a case holder because you won't keep it firm enough in your hand, and you'll need a back opener that gives decent leverage. The "Jaxa type" openers are usually ok, but can struggle on really tight backs unless you have the double-handed version.
The best overall that I've found is the A*F "scissor" type (A*F part no. 16774). That'll deal with over 99% of what comes over my bench apart from specialist stuff like Rolex or Baume. There are cheap Chinese versions of the tool appearing on EBay but I have no idea what they're like - the A*F is around £70 and it's simply not worth me risking a customer's case back with a £7 copy!
If that and a (securely clamped) case holder won't shift it, then really you'll need to get it in a bench opener that can clamp the tool tips down onto the case-back to prevent slipping while you lean on a wheel to turn it. That's prohibitively expensive for DIY though - the (popular) Bergeon 5700 is about £575, but you can get Chinese made versions now for a (relatively) bargain £350 or so.
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