AD killed my bracelet!!!

[Mikesf340]

This was kinda my fault. I decided to play jeweler and switch around some links on my new SS GMT IIc. The switch went ok, torqued 2 screws a little, but not too bad. About a week later one of the screws started to come out (I did not use locktite). I decided I had enough fun trying to ruin my new $6000 watch so I brought it to an AD (not the one I bought it from) which ended up being a huge mistake. The jeweler said that it was an easy fix and he would just use some locktite and there would be no charge. About 2 days later I realize that one of the links was sticking and not rotating freely. I decided to take it back to where I bought the watch and have it fixed properly. Ends up the jeweler who I brought it to locktited the hell out of the link. The new jeweler had to god only knows what to get the screw out and ended up ruining the link (not his fault). So now I am having him get me a new link and screw and hopefully this nightmare will be over. AAAHHHH!!!! Thanks for listening!

[GerardoG]

Oooooops!

[SPACE-DWELLER]

Sorry to hear about this, Mike!

I hope you get the new link soon so that all will be fine again!

If I were you, I'd get a specified machinewritten, dated and signed receipt as proof of the issue and claim the charges paid by the other watchmaker. After all, he messed it up. Imho, you're not to pay for this!

[Jimbits76]

Lesson learnt today children....

leave the messing with 6k watches to professionals!!!!!

J

[oneillba]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

Lesson learnt today children....

leave the messing with 6k watches to professionals!!!!!

J

My sentiments exactly. A man has to know his limitations. I know mine and know I would have bunged it up in the first place.

[Mikesf340]

thanks for the good wishes, limitations have been noted and will be practiced in the future!

[rescue7]

Originally Posted by Jimbits76

Lesson learnt today children....

leave the messing with 6k watches to professionals!!!!!

J

You'd assume that the AD he took his watch too was a pro,
Remember loctite makes their own superglue, maybe he grabbed the wrong bottle.

[abrasive]

Sorry to hear about your trouble!

Advise your new jeweler to invest in a very specialized watchmaking tool: a hair dryer.

Put a little heat on loctite and it will let loose. Brute forcing a tiny, loctited screw is asking for trouble.

[Bobareno]

Opps.... hope it gets fixed up soon!

[Dan Pierce]

Fixable, yet a pain anyway. Hope they get it back to new soon.
dP

[Incurable]

Sounds like too much of a good thing... Sorry this turned into such a fiasco for you. Hope it wasn't too expensive to resolve. Live and learn.

[GraniteQuarry]

Must admit i butchered a screw pin yesterday... Threadlocked in tight and i don't have a hairdryer in the house (i know that works a treat BTW). Couple new pins ordered now so all will be well in the end!!

[Lol-x]

Does a hairdryer loosen locktite?
How do you loosen locktite, just interested?
Sorry to hear about your link, but it could have been worse and it sounds like you will come out of t without any lasting damage to your watch.
You know even though you go into a jewellers, doesn't mean the guy necessarily knows what he is doing.
I think it is always important to only entrust your watch to someone who is qualified and you have knowledge of their reputation.

[bsodmike]

Originally Posted by Lol-x

Does a hairdryer loosen locktite?
How do you loosen locktite, just interested?
Sorry to hear about your link, but it could have been worse and it sounds like you will come out of t without any lasting damage to your watch.
You know even though you go into a jewellers, doesn't mean the guy necessarily knows what he is doing.
I think it is always important to only entrust your watch to someone who is qualified and you have knowledge of their reputation.

Heat loosens locktite definitely. I use it regularly (as do lots of other nitro RCers) on RCs such as these:


(old..oooooold shot from Uni)

Just use a mini-butane windproof lighter to heat up the screws and they come out easily...

You could probably do something similar with the bracelet but you need to apply heat in a non-direct way, and I do not mean sticking it in the microwave, and you'd want to be able to apply the heat to a link directly.

Leave it to the professionals tbh!

[oneillba]

Originally Posted by bsodmike

Heat loosens locktite definitely. I use it regularly (as do lots of other nitro RCers) on RCs such as these:


(old..oooooold shot from Uni)

Just use a mini-butane windproof lighter to heat up the screws and they come out easily...

You could probably do something similar with the bracelet but you need to apply heat in a non-direct way, and I do not mean sticking it in the microwave, and you'd want to be able to apply the heat to a link directly.

Leave it to the professionals tbh!

Have you got any vids posted on youtube of your racers?

[BLSampson]

I messed up a new watch a while ago switching bezels. Fortunately it was fixable. Why can't we leave our expensive watches alone?

[ROLEX MAN]

oh dear, mine was over tightend and over torqued by bucherer in switzerland by a "lovely lady" who was a watchmaker, the best is not to touch them, or hope for the best.

[jimroe]

Loctite has several different grades depending on what you want. One is for "permanent assembly" (type 271 - red) and requires heat to remove. One is for temporary assembly (blue) and can be removed with normal tools. One is for small screws (green) as even the temporary grade can end up being pretty much permanent on small screws. This last grade (small screw) is what should be used - SPARINGLY - on a watch bracelet.

I think as long as an end user has the right tools and knowledge, they can successfully adjust bracelets as well as any AD - and as this post clearly shows, taking a watch to an AD is no assurance that the work will be done properly.

[Trurolexer]

So sorry to hear that. Hope you can fix it.

[sherwin]

Originally Posted by jimroe

Loctite has several different grades depending on what you want. One is for "permanent assembly" (type 271 - red) and requires heat to remove. One is for temporary assembly (blue) and can be removed with normal tools. One is for small screws (green) as even the temporary grade can end up being pretty much permanent on small screws. This last grade (small screw) is what should be used - SPARINGLY - on a watch bracelet.

I think as long as an end user has the right tools and knowledge, they can successfully adjust bracelets as well as any AD - and as this post clearly shows, taking a watch to an AD is no assurance that the work will be done properly.

usually I use the one that is of least "strength" because to be honest, a nut size of the watch link, will be pretty good fit, imagine if you use the top grade I think you are heading for trouble if you ever want to take it apart to resize

[Rhorne]

Guys, maybe I am doing it wrong, but I removed a link from my bracelet. I did not using any thing when I put the screw back in, I just snugged it down with the screw driver. (did not over tighten). That was three weeks ago and it is still in place. I also checked all of the others by backing back out just about a half turn and re-tightned them. I now just keep an eye on them to make sure none are backing out.

It did not feel as if there was anything on the screws to old them when I took the one link out. It did not feel as if anything had been put on them from Rolex.

[robbyrolex]

I have fortunately learned to not mess with things from past mistakes so by the time I got to my Rolex watches I knew not to toy with things I value.

Recently however I simply needed to have a link added and had a really nice offer from a local Rolex watchmaker who is also a member of this forum who offered to add the link at no charge.

The watchmaker was many miles away and with gas prices as they are I thought I'd try to use my Seadweller tool to try it myself but thought better of it and let the watchmaker add the link last week.

I am certianly glad I took it to her last week because she added the link
and I think made a few nice adjustments to the clasp as well as polished or brushed the screw to match the link perfectly.

She did all of his without leaving any trace that a screwdriver touched the watch. I have learned to leave the tinkering up to the Pro's becausae that is obviosuly how they make a living and become the experts in their field that a WIS would likely never be able to match.

Well okay Jocke is very capable it appears from the neat work he has done.

The odds of her reading this are low but If she does

THANKS Vanessa you are a real nice Pro in every positive sense of the word.

[Mikesf340]

Finally got my watch back with the new link. The total cost was $50 (labor and link). Looks great and can't wait to put this horrible memory behind me . Thanks for all the good advice and responses!

[Mr Sandman]

Originally Posted by Mikesf340

This was kinda my fault. I decided to play jeweler and switch around some links on my new SS GMT IIc. The switch went ok, torqued 2 screws a little, but not too bad. About a week later one of the screws started to come out (I did not use locktite). I decided I had enough fun trying to ruin my new $6000 watch so I brought it to an AD (not the one I bought it from) which ended up being a huge mistake. The jeweler said that it was an easy fix and he would just use some locktite and there would be no charge. About 2 days later I realize that one of the links was sticking and not rotating freely. I decided to take it back to where I bought the watch and have it fixed properly. Ends up the jeweler who I brought it to locktited the hell out of the link. The new jeweler had to god only knows what to get the screw out and ended up ruining the link (not his fault). So now I am having him get me a new link and screw and hopefully this nightmare will be over. AAAHHHH!!!! Thanks for listening!

That'll teach ya for screwing around...

[Incurable]

There's a difference between knowing what you're doing and knowing what to do... If your not sure, then you're the latter and go see a watchmaker.