WD40 and bezel?

[lavaman]

My bezel on my GMT II has suddenly become very stiff. I ran it under gentle tap water (without working the bezel), which seemed to help. No, I wasn't at the beach...

Q: a drop or two of wd-40, good idea, bad idea?

The watch didnt leave my wrist from the time it was working normally and the time it suddenly started acting goofy, so no sand, no drop, shock or anything else to explain.

and it's still running fine

suggestions to get the bezel moving (no, i haven't tried to force it, obviously)

thanks!

[Roller07]

Bad idea.

Put the WD40 down and step away from the watch.

[PTruong]

Just do what he said.^^^

[ltmgeller]

Originally Posted by Roller07

Bad idea.

Put the WD40 down and step away from the watch.

[lavaman]

ok what about a drop of cable oil from my bicycle toolkit?

(I was going to apply the WD with a qtip btw, not a direct hit)

[HogwldFLTR]

Is it a ceramic or aluminum bezel? If it is aluminum it is easily removed and cleared of whatever is impeding the movement. The ceramic would likely need to be brought to a jeweler.

[swils8610]

Warm soapy water and a tooth brush will take care of it. I would also rotate the bezel while running water over it.

[lavaman]

hmm may try the last one. I was concerned that rotating the bezel might force whatever may be causing it to jam into the bezel further ( i assume the bezel rotates in a track)

and no, its aluminum

[Old Expat Beast]

It's easy to pry off the bezel, there are tutorials on youtube. That's your best plan of action.

[lavaman]

yikes!

scared about that...

does it snap back down in place?

[ltmgeller]

If it's not ceramic, try this. http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=363821

[ltmgeller]

It's very easy. Just don't lose the click spring.

[robisan]

WD40 might melt the gasket on the bezel so bad idea. You need some silicon based for lubricant. :p

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by lavaman

yikes!

scared about that...

does it snap back down in place?

Yes it does...people who like to change the bezel inserts (coke/pepsi/black) do it often.

[lavaman]

WD40 was invented during the Atlas missile program to unstick rocket parts, which I assume were rather temperamental.

What is the spring thingy / gasket / warp coil thingy made of??

Just read that thread. FINALLY a use for my old room keys!

[ltmgeller]

Check out this video. This guys sub bracelet locked up, this is how to fix it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s-lLMLgxpw

[hdrazor251]

I changed mine from black to coke. If I can do it so can you.

[T01]

I would not use WD40, try soap and water first.

[bobernet]

Lubricants only go on the inside.

[kilyung]

just disassemble, clean, and reassemble.

[tomallen]

WD40 will turn rock hard when it dries , the only thing that softens WD40 is more WD40. Lubricant in an open environment will attract dust, dirt, grime, and turn into an abrasive paste.

[summerjack]

Originally Posted by ltmgeller

Check out this video. This guys sub bracelet locked up, this is how to fix it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s-lLMLgxpw

BEAZEL scared me away

[bondtoys]

Use a plastic knife to pry off the bezel and clean it.
I've found the ones from Starbucks work well.

Stay away from WD40, your watch will smell for weeks.

[xbox]

Originally Posted by tomallen

WD40 will turn rock hard when it dries , the only thing that softens WD40 is more WD40. Lubricant in an open environment will attract dust, dirt, grime, and turn into an abrasive paste.

Yep

[dysondiver]

ive used white spirit before , without removing the bezel , then rinsed in warm soapy water , then clean water ,,, worked the very best for a while , but theres no substitute to popping off the bezel and a quick scrub with a soft toothbrush and soapy water .,
as mentioned ,,,, watch out for the click spring ,,,, the other tip i thought of , turn the bezel to a random spot before you start ,,,, and do it every time you pop the bezel off ,, then the stretch and strain is put on a different part of the bezel each time ,,, may make some difference , may not , but it costs nothing so why not air on the side of caution.

[ltmgeller]

Originally Posted by summerjack

BEAZEL scared me away

I know, but it does show scratch free removal.

[Glidelock]

Look, I'm concerned these guys are leading you down the wrong path w/ this whole Bezel removal idea. I mean so many things can go wrong. I'm pretty sure I've seen more than one thread here about a guy losing an eye because the Click Spring shot off lock a rocket into his cornea! In another thread, the bezel went spinning off like a flying star and nearly decapitated a mini Pomeranian...the whole thing was bloody mess! I mean, the dog lived but the vets though it would be to dangerous to remove, so this dog's running around w/ permanent Pepsi bezel sticking out of it's neck. It's just weird, but the good news is they can clip the leash right onto the bezel w/ no need for a collar!

In all seriousness, watch the tutorials and remove your bezel! I was nervous the 1st time, but super easy once you've done it!

[dysondiver]

ah ,, and no animals were hurt during the making of that last post ,,,,

[rozyd]

Didn't I see somewhere that WD40 makes a great platinum polisher?

That being said, other than maybe 3 in 1 oil or a silicon based lubricant would be the way to go.....

I would run far away from WD40 in this case.

[Johny]

perhaps some washing up liquid around the inside edge of the the insert. leave to soak for a while and then rinse and repeat.