Replacing a watch crystal

[Strange]

What's involved in replacing the crystal on a watch? I'm guessing it requires removing the movement from the case, somehow removing the existing crystal, and then cementing the new one in. Is there more to it than that?

I'm asking because several of my watches have crystals that either have no AR coating or have a coating that's really ineffective and it drives me crackers trying to position my wrist just so, so that I can actually read the damn watch in certain lighting conditions.

Anyone ever replaced a crystal? Is this something a normal human being can do or is it best left to trained craftspeople?

[is that my watch]

not as simple as it sounds and all depends watch in question and what the crystal is made from you would not normal cement a crystal in place either

and no not always does it need to be strip of movement either as said watch what makes the choices made .

[is that my watch]

for example this one .



I would use



which clamps over the edge of the raised crystal and when tighten squeezes the whole crystal that then lifts out, the new crystal would need tighten face up on to the plate then you would do the same thing with the other tool of putting it over the crystal and tightening it so if came loose then set it on the watch and as you loosen it. it will expanding back in to shape securing it

[Strange]

I would use



which clamps over the edge of the raised crystal and when tighten squeezes the whole crystal that then lifts out, the new crystal would need tighten face up on to the plate then you would do the same thing with the other tool of putting it over the crystal and tightening it so if came loose then set it on the watch and as you loosen it. it will expanding back in to shape securing it

Couple more questions...

Are crystals normally not cemented in? Do they stay in just from a compression fit? As for getting the crystal in it's hard to imagine how that would work with a sapphire crystal, since the material is inelastic. I can imagine it with hesalite or acrylic, but I'd expect that doing that with a sapphire crystal would break it.

[is that my watch]

Couple more questions...

Are crystals normally not cemented in? Do they stay in just from a compression fit? As for getting the crystal in it's hard to imagine how that would work with a sapphire crystal, since the material is inelastic. I can imagine it with hesalite or acrylic, but I'd expect that doing that with a sapphire crystal would break it.

got to be honest hate doing crystal when not acrylic mount I have busted remember trying to decyclops one and did a lovely job but did not letting it cool down and pop it when trying to close up the back

but my experience you use a o-ring type thing to hold in the crystal and then you would use a tool like this to press in the crystal . down and in with seal ring around the crystal causing a very tight fit normal on these you would remove the inside as you tend to have to push them out the case from inside out

[tribe125]

Watch crystals are usually held in place with a compression fitting. You could buy the same tools as a watchmaker - but you couldn’t buy their skill.

You would also need to know the exact size and profile of the crystal, and be able to identify a suitable replacement in the catalogue of a watch parts supplier. These catalogues are designed for watchmakers who know what they’re looking for, and aren’t easily navigated by non-professionals.

I wouldn’t dream of attempting it myself, and it’s the sort of thing that requires practice on some throwaway watches.

[happyscrappyheropup]

I have this tool and have used it to replace crystals on my Vostoks. It was very easy. I'm not sure I'd try it on anything I cared about, but I'm lucky to have a local watchmaker that is a friend.

got to be honest hate doing crystal when not acrylic mount I have busted remember trying to decyclops one and did a lovely job but did not letting it cool down and pop it when trying to close up the back

but my experience you use a o-ring type thing to hold in the crystal and then you would use a tool like this to press in the crystal . down and in with seal ring around the crystal causing a very tight fit normal on these you would remove the inside as you tend to have to push them out the case from inside out

[is that my watch]

I have this tool and have used it to replace crystals on my Vostoks. It was very easy. I'm not sure I'd try it on anything I cared about, but I'm lucky to have a local watchmaker that is a friend.

yeah got something similar I use for putting watch back on as timex and the like do a terrible hard one to refit sometimes .. have the other tool set too but yeah tend to do my own on ones fixing but most just pop in with a retaining ring on the old seiko I do mostly

[is that my watch]

Watch crystals are usually held in place with a compression fitting. You could buy the same tools as a watchmaker - but you couldn’t buy their skill.

You would also need to know the exact size and profile of the crystal, and be able to identify a suitable replacement in the catalogue of a watch parts supplier. These catalogues are designed for watchmakers who know what they’re looking for, and aren’t easily navigated by non-professionals.

I wouldn’t dream of attempting it myself, and it’s the sort of thing that requires practice on some throwaway watches.

bay has loads of crystal now bought a new one for a seiko for like £3 quid (ok the muppet did not check his stock as the one sent had a sleeve saying 38.2 mm when in fact was just 38. mm ) and theirs shed loads of vids on youtube to see how done but yeah as said not my fav part of modding or repairing rather fix then replace crystals when I can

[Strange]

Watch crystals are usually held in place with a compression fitting.

As mentioned above what I still don’t get is how that works with a sapphire crystal. Acrylic and hesalite are soft enough that they can deform under compression and spring back to their original shape on release of compression. But sapphire glass has a Mohs hardness of like 8 squintillion and would likely crack or fail in some other way under compression. Would the installation of such a crystal require removal of the movement and cementing to the bezel? I’m comfuzzled here.