Crown: how tight to wind?

[mwillems]

Here's something that has always bugged me. How tight do I wind the crown? Not tight enough and it leaks when I immerse it. Too tight and it either breaks or the rubber seal works out quickly.

Any tips? This is of some importance to me since my current Rolex is three seconds slow every day so I do need to adjust often. Plus I travel across time zones quite often...

[SPACE-DWELLER]

You should screw in the winding crown until you feel resistance and then stop. No force should be used. Kind of like screwing on the cap on a tube of toothpaste.

[mwillems]

OK. Then I have been screwing them in a bit too tight with previous watches. Oh well, now I know - thanks!

[JostheBoss]

My crown tempts me to turn it just that extra degree or so every time because its ever so slightly off vertical! But I have to restrain myself, as you can either make the rubbers perish quickly or worse, damage the threads so that the stem will need replacement.

Light finger pressure is all that is needed because as long as there is contact with the O-rings, the seal is made. Any additional pressure may cut the rubbers or warp their shape, which results in a breach in the waterproof-ness.

Turn the crown lightly until it comes to a stop, then give it a small extra squeeze...and that's that.

[ROLEX MAN]

never to tight, you'll feel when it right!

[ROLEX MAN]

Oh and don't use pliers

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Originally Posted by ROLEX MAN

Oh and don't use pliers

At least that would fix a misaligned coronet.

[oneillba]

Originally Posted by mwillems

OK. Then I have been screwing them in a bit too tight with previous watches. Oh well, now I know - thanks!

I used to overly tighten mine too under the same premise. If a little bit is good then more must be better. Almost sounds like a personal problem, doesn't it?

[Tools]

If your watch leaks when you immerse it unless you tighten the crown tight, you have a problem with the inner seal.

The primary safeguard and waterproof seal is an O-ring inside the tube that hugs the stem shaft. The gasket in the crown is the secondary safeguard and your Rolex should be waterproof to immersion even if the crown is unscrewed.

Take it in and get the inner seals replaced...

[MrClean]

especially the AD ones, seem to like to show me how strong they were - the crowns almost need a pair of pliers to unscrew - never understood that

i just snug mine - i'm not diving down to 4000m with it anytime soon, a snug fit is easier on the threads and serves to seal it from air borne moisture

[Terry Newton]

Originally Posted by oneillba

I used to overly tighten mine too under the same premise. If a little bit is good then more must be better. Almost sounds like a personal problem, doesn't it?

Sound's like the way I used to drink and do drugs.

Terry Newton

[DSJ]

Originally Posted by Terry Newton

Sound's like the way I used to drink and do drugs.

Terry Newton

Not to beat a dead horse that has been dead for decades, but adjusted for inflation, how many Submariners do you think you threw away into your body in the form of drugs?

[gha]

Do Not Use needle nose pliers....gha

[Bobareno]

Vise Grips are also a NO NO!

[Mrdi]

I use a Rolex crown socket (Mac Tools), and a torque wrench.
Tighten to .0043 NM
Click.