1/32(?) Wiggle

[USMCsilver]

Odd question --

I don't screw much with the bezel on my GMTII, however, today I did use it to time a lunch break, and I just moved it back to 12.

Well, I noticed some "wiggle room". Granted, it is REALLY, REALLY slight, but didn't know if it was normal or not.

Anyone else with a GMTIIc, is there any SLIGHT wiggle?

[Tools]

I don't have a new one...I've got the old ones with a wire that rubs in the teeth and they all seem very tight..

Looking at the engineering of the GMT IIc, I can see where the triangulated bearings may have a bit of "shock absorber" action as they roll from one detent to another..

This could feel like "wiggle" as you take up the lash prior to the bearings rolling up the side of the detent..

very interesting..

I'll also bet that when you release, the bearings re-center so that without any rotational force on the bezel, it tends to remain centered in the detents...

It is a very cool design......

[Letsgodiving]

My SD is the same and it bugs me a little. I can manipulate it to where it is spot on but not "locked" in and will move slightly. I'm not sure if it can be corrected because it is so minor but I would like it to be exact and it isn't. I have learned to live with it but for the $$ I expect it to be spot on.

[USMCsilver]

Ahh, yes, bearings, not the old spring. Forgot about that; makes more sense now. However, I'd like to hear from others to see if theirs are tighter than mine (*hush*).

[Gil F.]

No wiggle room on my SD. Probably a minor adjustment at the AD.

[Leighton]

Kind of a subjective question without feeling what you mean! My GMT II-c bezel seems tight to me. There is no detectable slop/wiggle when I rotate the bezel and there is a fairly firm and noticeable stop when moving it to the next position. Does that make sense?

[Robb]

Originally Posted by USMCsilver

Ahh, yes, bearings, not the old spring. Forgot about that; makes more sense now. However, I'd like to hear from others to see if theirs are tighter than mine (*hush*).

Sterling, There is no Wiggle room in my bezel!!!!

[SPACE-DWELLER]

No wiggle in the bezel of my SS GMT IIc, either.

But given the complicated construction of it, I guess there can be just a slight wiggle:

[Solar]

I was looking at the TT version of the GMT IIc at an AD this weekend past.

I was showing my buddy the bezel and saying how it uses ball bearings to click into place for 24 rotation pivots; the usual metal spring is designed to click into 120 pivots.

Anyways, I could certainly see what you mean by "wiggle", that slight play that comes as the force you apply puts the ball bearing onto the edge of the ball bearing carrier, causing a perception of "wiggle".

Not to worry, all is well in the kingdom!

Chris

[jimroe]

I feel a very slight "wiggle" in the bezel of my GMT IIc - just enough to know that nothing is binding it and that it is centered in a detent.

Overall my opinion is that this new design is way superior to past designs (although I appreciate that for some users the inability to stop on a 1/2 hour position is awkward). My old GMT has a friction clutch - you had to press on the bezel to release the clutch and it would lock (sort of) when you released pressure. The problem with this is that dirt would get between the bezel and the case and completely bind the bezel so that you couldn't rotate it at all. My SD has the "one way ratchet" design which is better, but really does have a lot of "slop" at the click points. I will accept a small amount of wiggle to know that it is less likely to bind and a bit more immune to dirt collection.