Hey guys - I know there's a few of us attempting Seiko mods with the lockdown so why not start a new thread for anyone looking to get in on the action.
The postman was good to me today, after the best part of a month waiting, my Crystal Times bits and pieces arrived:
- YM style bezel,
- Black ceramic YM sloped bezel insert,
- New gaskets,
- Double dome sapphire with clear AR.
After a few tense moments and a good bit of YouTubing, happy to present my poor mans Yachtmaster, really happy with the results for my first attempt:
Lessons to take from this:
- Make sure your workspace is super clean, no lint cloths, no dust, use a pint glass to cover your parts/movements to keep the atmospheric dust off them.
- Take your time, I got a bit ahead of myself and forgot to double check the 12 o clock notch was seated on the chapter ring leading to an additional removal of the crystal.
- Pay attention to tiny details, I didn't realize the stem needed to be clicked in fully for the release leaver to pop out on a 7S26.
- Masking tape is your best friend when using steel tools requiring higher effort in case of slippage (case back opener), saved my ass.
- Buy good parts, I got everything from Crystal Times to ensure the tolerances were correct, there's literally microns between a crushed gasket and a snug WR fit. I'm really happy with the quality of the parts (miles above OEM). Having researched in advance I had seen CT Sapphires have a slight bevel on the underside to assist with a smooth marriage to the (very fragile) crystal gasket.
- Get the right tools, make sure you have everything you need, in my case one of those €15.00 all in one ebay jobs got me through it although far from ideal. Cheap tools are cheap for a reason:
The case holder I had was completely useless for a 4 o clock stem, no permutation of the mounting posts would have held this steady. Even if it did, I wouldn't have confidence it'd hold with the softer plastic posts and a stubborn case back from years of gunk buildup. I held it with my hand and a chamois cloth and it loosened with a bit of elbow grease.
The nylon dies with the cheap press had rough moulding marks on the edges, this resulted in a nice scratch on my chapter ring markers at 12 o clock when I popped the hardlex out. The most gutting part is I had copped this before using. A lack of sandpaper or a file at home and reluctance to queue for the local hardware was ultimately a false economy. Aside from rough edges the press functioned perfectly fine and I had no issues getting a square fit on my glass and bezel. Next time I'll be smoothing the rough edges before using.
One thing I forgot to purchase was a watchmakers speed greaser but getting creative, a tin of Silicone grease from the local motor factor and a butchered kitchen sponge did the job. Time will tell if the WR has been compromised but my sticky bezel now feels very fluid and I'd bet a fiver on getting through a 20ATM pressure test.
All in all, I'll take the results, I will swap the chapter ring at some stage, if anyone has a spare OEM or similar they are willing to let go of, please let me know!
Looking forward to more testing mods in the future and excited to see anyone else's attempts!
