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Last update May 12th. 2016 |
Case Opening-Closing Tools
December 12th. 2014 |
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In watch repair, due to the variety of the watch case construction, there are many
different tools used to open and close watch
case. The most commonly used watch case is type with the snap on case back. To open such a case it is required to use one or the other type of lever, or blade tool. |
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| For closing the snap on case backs one can use either a dedicated press, as shown, or any of the glass fitting presses with a suitable set of Delrin dies that will not mar the case. |
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The screw back cases are usually opened using a special wrench designed
for it. The adjustable hand held wrench is shown to the right.
However, it will unscrew only a limited number of case backs, typically ones with the rectangular and even number of notches. To make the tool reliable and to remove play of the two tips it was necessary to slightly reduce thickness of the housing by lightly filing two halves, plus adding two new brass end pieces did the trick, as shown in the second image. |
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Jaxa wrench tool often used to open screw back watch cases with either
even or odd number of notches.
It comes supplied with several sets of tips to fit many different case backs. When using a hand held case opening tool it is advisable to hold watch in some kind of watch holder in order to make sure that tool will not slip and mar the case. |
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most water resistant cases, with a screw back, one must use a special
press, equipped with various case holders and with tips made to fit
different case backs.
Japanese made Meikosha MKS 220, heavy duty press, is shown on the image. This press can be used with many different heads made for various brands of watch cases. In practice it can open and close any size or make screw back watch case. |
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| The MKS 220 set of five pairs of interchangeable tips intended to use with wide range of case backs. |
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| The MKS 220 case holder set, to fit case lugs' sizes from 11-12 mm, 14-15 mm, 16-17 mm and 18-20 mm. |  |
| Also,
the MKS 220 heavy duty adjustable case holder designed for large watch
cases, e.g. for diver's watches.
Case holder can open up, to hold watch case as large as 60 mm in diameter, shown fully opened on the second photo. |
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| The
set of accessories for the MKS 220 heavy duty adjustable case holder.
To strengthen the hold of a watch case there is a set of between the lugs holders, which fit large range of case lug sizes: 7-8/10-11 mm, 12-13/14-15 mm and 16-17/18-20 mm. |
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| The 32 mm diameter silicon rubber suction die shown fitted onto the press, ready to open watch case without possibility of scratching it. |  |
| The three dies, sizes 28 mm, 32 mm and 36 mm. |
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| The
new MKS product, the watch case holders, made out of hard plastic that
will not mar the watch case, cleverly designed to fit most watch case
sizes.
Designed to safely hold large watch cases of the water resistant watches, particularly suitable for use with suction dies. Meikosha MKS article No. 19600 fitting nicely and securely in the base of the MKS 220 press, as shown in the second image. |
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| Silicon
rubber 'wrenches' 49-60 mm in diameter are very well suited for
opening and closing most of the American made PW, whose cases are not
of the snap-on style, but are made to screw the case parts together,
either the back or bezel only, or both, back and bezel.
Apparently these rubber 'wrenches' are big, and strong enough to be used as is, without having to make metal holding cup or any holder for that matter. Tried and proven by opening few of the tough PW cases. |
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| Certain
water resistant watch case designs use mono block case where movement
can be removed from the case only from the top, after the watch
crystal is removed.
For that purpose each manufacturer provides special tool like the one shown on the image.. |
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| Although a glass
fitting and removing tool set, when the watch case is top loading it
becomes case opening and closing tool.
Rudolf Flume "Ultra Ringe" tool set for fitting and removing of Ultra - D watch crystals. Used for fitting and for removing unbreakable watch crystals in the size range of 200/10 - 325/10 mm with 5/10 mm step. |
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| The base of the
tool case serves as the holder for crystals, which are placed in the
recessed section of the corresponding size.
When the ring is squizzed with pliers it will hold crystal leaving its bottom exposed enough for placing it securely in the bezel. Rings are designed in a way that one cannot squash the crystal by excessively squizzing the pliers. |
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| American
made pocket watches had their case parts, bezel and back cover, typically
screwed- on rather than snap-on as did most of European.
To enable opening a PW case there was need for a special tool, a Vacuum Case Opener. Some were made entirely of rubber, some had a wooden holder to allow the increase of friction. |
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| Similar
tool using the same principle is available for wrist watches.
This type works only with some cases, not with all. It is inexpensive and it is still carried by most of the material houses. |
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Copyright © 2004, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016 by Dushan Grujich. All rights reserved. |
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