Gun bench works nicely as a watch bench!

Racer88

Racer88

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Finally got around to changing batteries on some watches...

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One watch... my Bulova Lunar Pilot... I couldn't get the back off. Too tight. I'll have to take to a watchmaker / jeweler.
 
It's all about the tools. That case back opener is not the best. There is a chinese knock off of a Bergeron opener. They have a decent reputation.
https://a.co/d/bPXZyEf

It holds the lugs down while turning. I have a USA made one made by LG. Not easy to find but worth it if you can get the full kit. Case back opener, vise, bits, and case holder. The case back tool part looks like what you have but the tolerances are 10x tighter. I had to piece my kit together over a year to get all the parts.

Some case backs have notches that make you think they are screw down but are really snap off. Use your loupe to look carefully for a notch near the rim. Usually is is cheap knock off watches but Bulova has done it in the past. Water resistance rating is the clue. 30M or less could be a snap on case back. You need special tools for those too unless you want to royally screw it up.
 
bkbrno said:
I have a USA made one made by LG.
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What is the actual name? What is "LG?"

ETA: Is it this one?

The next issue is something to firmly hold the watch case.

bkbrno said:
Some case backs have notches that make you think they are screw down but are really snap off. Use your loupe to look carefully for a notch near the rim. Usually is is cheap knock off watches but Bulova has done it in the past.
Click to expand...
I'm sure this is a screw-down. Water resistance is 50m. But I've seen videos on changing the battery for this watch... it's a screw-down. Someone on the Watch-U-Seek forum suggested putting it in the refrigerator for a few hours and trying again. So, it's chilling as we speak. :)
 
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Chilling the watch didn't work.

And I can't get enough leverage on the watch case. Plus it slips out of the watch case holder when I twist with some effort.
 
usually find it under L-G. L-G Openall
 
In the Amazon link, Euro Tool repackages other's tools and sells them to watch makers. They don't make anything themselves. Pretty common in the watch world. But, that looks like the real deal. Scan ebay for for an L-G Openall too. $100 is about what I paid for the wrench 6-7 years ago. I found a new set of tips along the way.
 
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Got the case vise today. And after a few tries, I got the back off the Bulova Lunar Pilot! Holy cow... a gorilla must have installed it at the factory! It was TIGHT.

The vise is bigger than I expected. And on top of the foam rubber gun cleaning mat, it stayed put while I used both hands to use the case back wrench to loosen the back. I had to use a LOT of force.
watch-case-removal-tools.jpg


But I saved myself a trip to the jeweler!
 
In you case back remover, use the pin shape that matches the notch shape. The stainless used for case backs is really really soft. Those round pins will deform the metal. Also put a sheet of plastic between the case back and tool. It will save you from small scratches. The case back does not need to go back as tight as they put it on. I screw in until the gasket touches, the about 30 degrees more. On high end watches with high depth ratings, you can usually unscrew the back with a sticky ball. I aim for the same tension. You did replace the gasket didn't you?

For my L-G tool, I can lock it into the notches, give it a shake and it doesn't let go. The cheap Jaxa knock offs would spit it out every time. If you plan on servicing your watches, this is one tool that is worth its weight in gold. Scan used watches on ebay and almost all of them have scratches/gouges in the case back.

My brother sent me a really nice Seiko that he got in Japan. He always had it serviced by a real watch maker in Japan. I know it has had at least 5 battery changes since he got it. When I started on it, it looked like it had never been touched since it left the factory. Whoever worked on it in the past is a true master. Master watch makers aim to leave no trace of their work. The less evidence you see the better they were.
 
bkbrno said:
In you case back remover, use the pin shape that matches the notch shape. The stainless used for case backs is really really soft. Those round pins will deform the metal. Also put a sheet of plastic between the case back and tool. It will save you from small scratches. The case back does not need to go back as tight as they put it on. I screw in until the gasket touches, the about 30 degrees more. On high end watches with high depth ratings, you can usually unscrew the back with a sticky ball. I aim for the same tension. You did replace the gasket didn't you?
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I tried using a sheet of plastic, but that made it hard to get the tool lined up in the slots. So, I went "bareback," but I made sure it was securely placed and used downward pressure to prevent slipping. No slips and no scratches, thankfully.

But I may upgrade to the LG tool.

I did not replace the gasket. I'd probably have to order one directly from Bulova. But this watch only has a 50-M rating. So it's not being worn while swimming or showering.

As for tightening... yeah... I did as you described. I did not force it or man-handle it. I'm confident it's sealed, but it will be a lot easier to get off next time!
 
bkbrno said:
For my L-G tool, I can lock it into the notches, give it a shake and it doesn't let go. The cheap Jaxa knock offs would spit it out every time. If you plan on servicing your watches, this is one tool that is worth its weight in gold. Scan used watches on ebay and almost all of them have scratches/gouges in the case back.
Click to expand...
I just ordered this:
www.esslinger.com

Watch Case Back Opener LG Master Premium Made in USA

Learn about L-G Master Waterproof Case Opener - Jaxa Wrench. This case opener is perfect for opening waterproof watch case backs.
www.esslinger.com www.esslinger.com
 
I wish I could help with a part number for the gasket but Bulova is owned by Citizen who makes it fucking impossible to find parts or part numbers. I'm sure someone on watch-u-seek has this. If you know the part number, it's not difficult to source the parts. I spent an hour looking for the part and hit nothing but dead ends. I don't know the case number of your watch. That is what you use to find parts. Citizen has always stamped all kinds of info on the case back and they difficult to decipher unless you do it daily. I think the case number is C969xxxx. If you know that number for sure, I can drill down in my notes and get closer.

Seiko publishes just about everything related to their watches and makes it easy to get to. It's a shame because I have some vintage Citizens that I would dearly love to restore but I can't break through their cloak of invisibility and get parts or service guides. I did post about a rareish Citizen I got from Yahoo Japan and one page of the service guide related to my problem showed up in my email one day. Somebody out there has the stuff but they keep it under lock and key. I greatly appreciate the one page but the entire guide would have been nice. Maybe the person lives in dial-up land and that is all he could send.
 
My next slide money just went towards a Bulova 262kHz model. It was a hole in my collection that I didn't fill because of my aversion to quartz watches. I'm over that now. Bulova Sea King. It's a chunky monster of a watch. Thanks? I guess?

It seems Bulova uses round notches in the case back. Never had one before, I didn't know. If your watch is only a few years old the back gasket is probably fine if it didn't look chewed up and was flexible.
 
bkbrno said:
Bulova Sea King. It's a chunky monster of a watch. Thanks? I guess?
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Haha! You're welcome! It's one of my favorite watches. Post a photo in the WOTD thread!

bkbrno said:
It seems Bulova uses round notches in the case back.
Click to expand...
The Sea King does. But the Lunar Pilot has square notches.
 
The Sea King finally arrived after an around the world tour. Not kidding.

The thing is huge and thick. Probably my biggest watch. It dwarfs the Seiko Monster I was wearing. My Casio Marlin is "normal" sized compared to this. So far, it is pretty comfortable and wears smaller than expected but I need a full day to decide. I'll post a pic if it survives the probationary period.
 
bkbrno said:
The Sea King finally arrived after an around the world tour. Not kidding.

The thing is huge and thick. Probably my biggest watch. It dwarfs the Seiko Monster I was wearing. My Casio Marlin is "normal" sized compared to this. So far, it is pretty comfortable and wears smaller than expected but I need a full day to decide. I'll post a pic if it survives the probationary period.
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I love my Sea King. It's hunk of a watch. But that's what I like about it. Very easy to read. And it's super-duper accurate.

Sea King.jpg


If I could get my hands on one of the automatic versions, I think I would. It's even chunkier! They only made 500 of them.
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