Hamilton 16s question…

[tmac1956]

All:

I’m servicing a 16s 17J “thin” profile pocket watch and I’ve hit a snag right off the bat. The case is a snap-off front and back type, so I removed both and then removed the case screws. When I try to ease out the movement in order to slide it off of the stem and thus out of the case, it gets far enough to come out but won’t come off of the stem. So I thought I would take some tweezers, grab hold of the winding stem, back off the crown, and then slide the movement out with the stem intact. Unfortunately, there isn’t sufficient room available to grab the stem and I don’t want to mar the case or movement trying. Additionally, I don’t want to damage the stem or other winding components in the attempt.

Ok… what am I doing wrong here?

Thanks!
Tom

[randy]

Tom,
“Normally” you should be able to just pull the crown up like you were going to set the hands, and it would allow enough room to let the movement swing and drop out.
If it won’t go, can you remove the crown, and then use a sleeve wrench to back out the sleeve and then the stem from the case ?

Is it configured that way ???

[tmac1956]

Randy:

There’s not enough room between the movement and the case to get hold of the stem in order to screw off the crown. I bent a good pair of tweezers trying to hold it enough do do that.

I might try putting some PB Blaster around the shaft to see if I can get it to release.

Any other ideas? I sure would hate the break something.

Thanks!
Tom

[chris mabbott]

Tom, I’ve had the same problem on some watches and I immediately thought that the stem might be too long 😆 If that’s the case, Randy’ suggestion would be the way to go.

Try and put the movement back into the case so it’s laying flat again, don’t put the screws in. Have a close look around both of the inner circumferences of the case and look for any burrs, or a small locating tab.

Also try to hold the movement over a soft landing area, vertically, stem at the 12 position, and gently manipulate the movement. This has sometimes worked for me and it can suddenly PLOP out, which is why I say, hold it over something soft, just in case..

Can you take a quick photo and post it?

Chris

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Tom,
It sometimes takes a lot of wiggling and fidgeting while turning the crown back and forth to work a movement out a case. They usually end up coming out. In most cases after a final sleeve adjustment is made by a previous watchmaker the movement will be removed so that he or she could grasp the square to fasten the crown down onto the stem and THEN the movement is re-installed. So if it went in it should come out right. Not always the case though. The watchmaker may have had enough room to tilt the movement out a bit and reach in with a stout pair of tweezers and grab the the stem and have enough of a grip to add some type of adhesive to the thread and snug the crown down a little. If no adhesive was used then you should be able to find that same amount of space to reach into and possibly break the crown loose. Break as in release I mean!

Edit: I see that Chris was posting at the same time as I was…his suggestion about using a soft landing area is a GOOD one!

Bob

[tmac1956]

Guys:

I finally got the movement out. With a diabetic syringe, I put a drop of PB Blaster onto the area where the stem enters the movement. I was then able to pull on the movement to get enough space between the movement and the case to get a pair of tweezers onto the stem. With that, I was able to screw off the crown. Interestingly, there is sleve in the case to adjust. Anyway, eventually I twisted the movement and pulled on it until the movement came out with stem intact.

Thanks everyone.
Tom

[david pierce]

Tom,
What is PD BLASTER?
david

[tmac1956]

david:

PB Blaster is a lubricant somewhat like WD 40, only a whole lot better.

Later,
Tom

[Bob Tascione]

Hey glad you got it out of there Tom.
My next suggestion was going to involve sledge hammer and saw so happy that all worked out ok.

Bob

[chris mabbott]

@Bob Tascione wrote:

Hey glad you got it out of there Tom.
My next suggestion was going to involve sledge hammer and saw so happy that all worked out ok.

Bob

Bob, I think I could provide a video tutorial of how to saw the case in half to remove the movement, if someone could then show how to put the case back together 😆

Chris

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