how to open Roskopf case

[gerene]

I have this Roskopf pocket watch on my desk and cannot find how to open it. I would think that the bezel would come of, but I can’t find any place to pry it and I am not able to turn it around. I cannot see any seam on the bezel either. I don’t want to use force!

This would be my first pocket watch, does anyone have any experience with this kind of pocket watch?

Jan

• This topic was modified 3 years ago by Tamas Richard.

[chris mabbott]

Jan,

I used to collect Roskopf watches before selling my soul to American PWs This is a nice example and although they aren’t particularly “high end” watches, I like them for their interest level and history…

Yours looks like a snap off bezel, judging from the little lip running around the circumference, they are usually very tight and don’t have a recess for an opener.
I used to hold it in the palm of my closed hand, using the BLUNT edge of your case opener, use increasing pressure, applied with your thumb, while gently rocking the opener… You’re basically weaseling your way in to a tight spot..

Hope this helps..

[david pierce]

Jan,
It is easy to scratch up a watch case by trying to insert a knife opener by prying it back and forth. A way that works for me is to lay the side of the watch on a pad, insert the knife blade into the seam and then gently tap the blade into the slot with a hammer. Once the case is initially separated the pry knife can be worked around the seam without scratching anything.
david

[gerene]

Thanks Chris and David for your replies.
Chris I cannot find the seam where I am supposed to put my knife 😥 also I think I am not using the right tool. I have attached a more detailed picture of the bezel and a picture of the tool I am using. Can you tell me if this tool is adequate for the job and where I should insert it.

Thanks

Jan

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by Tamas Richard.

[chris mabbott]

Jan here is your photo, the yellow arrows show the seam. The red arrow shows an alternate pry point, although I don’t like to pry here personally, but if you have to…

No, your opener is too thick for this type of bezel. Here is a photo of mine that I made for watches of this style. It’s actually an oyster shucking tool that I ground the edge on. The edge is thin and tapered but NOT sharp enough to cut your hand off so to speak 😆

As David correctly mentions, you can slip and mar the surface, or worse still, cut your hand. But on this type of bezel, which is very very tightly snapped on, and it can and usually does fly through the air once it’s popped, I find it best for me, to maintain control over the force of the tool, while my hand ensures that the bezel wont fly, thus breaking the glass.

So you’re not prying, so much as you’re pushing the blade into the gap, while rocking the blade on the same plane, as in, tip to handle motion and not up and down in a prying motion.

What I’ve also had to do with this type is apply a little heat around and just above the seam, I use a single jet turbo lighter held at a distance to warm up the bezel area as it can be corroded with dirt, humidity, oil etc. Also be aware when do this that the heat will probably loosen the glue for the crystal. You can also hold the watch in a gloved hand..

Unfortunately there is no safe way to remove these as they are *&%#^ tight and simply because of the design, you can expect a slip.
Pressing them back on is equally hard 😆

[gerene]

Thanks for the info Chris, especially about the knife. The whole procedure reminds me on opening oysters (exept for the warming up part) .
I will go and see if I can find a knife that I can sneak away and adapt for my purposes , don’t think that I can take the oyster knife from the kitchen…
Thanks again for being so kind to indicate where the seam should be. The whole thing is so tightly pressed that I can’t see where the seam is, even with magnification.

Jan

[chris mabbott]

You’re welcome Jan.. I’ll mention a tip, but you probably already know it so pardon if I state the obvious…. the seam of the bezel is usually, 9 times out of 10, right above the stem, on pocket watches. I’ve only had one that was an odd ball and didn’t fit in to that scheme 🙄

[gerene]

No I did not know it. Actually I have no experience with pocket watches. I did a series of different wrist watches but no pocket watches so far.
Chris my friend, since you don’t know what I know you don’t have to apologize for saying something I might know… (let me read this one again), even if I would know it, someone else might not and benefit from it We are all here to learn something from each other, isn’t it?

Jan

[david pierce]

Jan,
You can always sharpen a keener edge on your pry knife if you need to. This will take a bit of trial, error and feel. If the blade is too thick you will have trouble inserting it into the seam. If it is too thin the blade will break when you begin to pry the case open.
david

[gerene]

David,

that sounds like a good idea and I will try that. Probably not this week… someone here in the house is filling up my agenda

Jan

[gerene]

Thanks to you guys I finally got it open without damage
I used the hammer on knife tric David mentioned in the seam indicated by Chris. I just used my Swiss knife, maybe not 100% adequate but it did the job.
Now the real work can start

Jan

• This reply was modified 3 years ago by Tamas Richard.

[chris mabbott]

Good deal Jan, see, the Swiss are good for something, other than staying neutral 😆

The main part is that you remained unscathed and no broken parts. Roskopf watches, the history at least, is pretty interesting, but you might notice the lack of refinement on the parts, or not, just my humble opinion as I started on this maker..

It looks like the remains of phosphorescent material on the hands and dial, if it is crumbling and dusty, you might want to wear a mask and rubber gloves as the old material was somewhat radioactive.. With it being sealed inside, there may be fine dust particles that you could inhale.. :ugeek:

Are you going to restore the dial Jan?

[gerene]

Thanks for the advice Chris. I had taken precautions. The hands were completely rusted and disintegrated when I touched them. I will carefully vacuum all the dust as well
I was considering to restore the dial, but I don’t have any experience with it. Do you have advice concerning this, what material can be used and where to get it?
I also need to replace the hands and don’t know where I can find them. Anyone having some advice on this (preferably in Europe)?
The movement seems to be rather ok, but I can already tell that one of the pivots of the balance staff is broken (the balance is wobbling). Can one still find these balance staffs?

Jan

[chris mabbott]

Ohh, impossible to difficult to find staffs for these watches.. You will possibly have to make one, which will be quicker and a lot easier… Unless, you get lucky finding the exact type..

For the hands… You can check cousins UK, they also sell the luminous (none radioactive) paste.
It was many years ago since I worked on a Roskopf, but I seem to remember that I found a pair of military style hands that where similar, and modified them to fit..

The dial numerals…. Three options

1. Leave them alone
2. Find an old watch with a similar style face 🙄
3. Re apply the new glow paste..

# 3 is not as hard as you might think, there were some tutorials on YouTube. What I did, which was possibly not the right way, was to make a cutout template that fit each number, then I taped it to the dial and applied the paste through the cutout.
Then after each number had been pasted, I removed the template and clean around the number with a toothpick..
Took a while but turned out ok..
If you find new hands, you will possibly have to fill them with the paste as they normally come unfinished..

[chris mabbott]

Jan, I’ve just looked at your last dial photo again, it doesn’t look too bad, with a clean it might be ok.. Just don’t get any cleaning solution on the numerals if possible, try a Qtip..

Also, the old crystal, which looks like a yellowed plastic type, once changed will completely alter the distressed look..

An after thought..

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