Bezel click on Seiko 6105-8110

[GPrideaux]

I need some advice on repairing the bezel click on a Seiko Captain Willard watch. The ball is still there but it doesn’t move and the bezel turns with no resistance. I’m thinking I need to remove the ball and spring, put a new spring in and replace the ball but I’d appreciate any input from someone who’s done this before. 

[AndyGSi]

Is the bearing fixed or does it come out freely?

[tIB]

Is the glass retaining bezel ring pressed right into place and what state is the bezel gasket in? 

[GPrideaux]

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

Is the bearing fixed or does it come out freely?

The ball doesn't come out. If I tip it over and give it a tap it doesn't appear to move, and if I try to depress it with my tweezers it again does not appear to move. My best guess is that it's got some rust in the tube and is seized in place.

1 hour ago, tIB said:

Is the glass retaining bezel ring pressed right into place and what state is the bezel gasket in? 

The glass retaining ring is currently pressed in place, but I have had it out. The bezel gasket is shot and I'll be replacing it. Likewise the crystal gasket. Does that have something to do with the click?

[AndyGSi]

28 minutes ago, GPrideaux said:

The ball doesn't come out. If I tip it over and give it a tap it doesn't appear to move, and if I try to depress it with my tweezers it again does not appear to move. My best guess is that it's got some rust in the tube and is seized in place.

I'd try dropping some IPA or petrol into the tube and leave it for a bit before putting it upside down in an ultrasonic.

[tIB]

1 hour ago, GPrideaux said:

The ball doesn't come out. If I tip it over and give it a tap it doesn't appear to move, and if I try to depress it with my tweezers it again does not appear to move. My best guess is that it's got some rust in the tube and is seized in place.

The glass retaining ring is currently pressed in place, but I have had it out. The bezel gasket is shot and I'll be replacing it. Likewise the crystal gasket. Does that have something to do with the click?

I was wondering if the bezel wasn't seating flush enough to the case due to the retaining ring or gasket? I've badly fitted my bezel before and ended up with a similar result, and with a bit more trial and error had it clicking around nicely.  

If you need a source for the crystal gasket let me know as I recently found a decent supplier (they've got them marked as for a different case but they fit the 6105 too and are cheaper than trying to find a 6105 one!)

[GPrideaux]

1 hour ago, tIB said:

I was wondering if the bezel wasn't seating flush enough to the case due to the retaining ring or gasket?

Definitely not that. The ball is sitting below the surface that surrounds it.

 

14 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I'd try dropping some IPA or petrol into the tube and leave it for a bit before putting it upside down in an ultrasonic.

Thanks, I'll try that today.

[Neverenoughwatches]

5 hours ago, GPrideaux said:

Definitely not that. The ball is sitting below the surface that surrounds it.

 

Thanks, I'll try that today.

whats on the backside of the ball catch ?

[GPrideaux]

36 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

whats on the backside of the ball catch ?

I'm not sure what you mean. As best I can tell, the ball sits on a spring in a blind hole in the case. On the other side is just the unmarked back of the case.

21 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I'd try dropping some IPA or petrol into the tube and leave it for a bit before putting it upside down in an ultrasonic.

An extra 30 minutes in the ultrasonic loosened the ball to the point that I can now turn it in the hole, and it can move perhaps 0.3mm up and down so that when I stick a bit of Rodico on it and pull it up it lifts to be proud of the hole. But I still can't coax it out and there's still no springiness behind it. It seems to me that I'll have to enlarge the hole a little so the ball can come out.

[AndyGSi]

1 hour ago, GPrideaux said:

An extra 30 minutes in the ultrasonic loosened the ball to the point that I can now turn it in the hole, and it can move perhaps 0.3mm up and down so that when I stick a bit of Rodico on it and pull it up it lifts to be proud of the hole. But I still can't coax it out and there's still no springiness behind it. It seems to me that I'll have to enlarge the hole a little so the ball can come out.

It could still just be detritus behind the ball so I'd give it another go with the IPA and ultrasonic before resorting to enlarging the hole.

At worst it should give you a little more play with the ball if you do need to stake out the hole.

[Neverenoughwatches]

Probably the end of the hole was folded over and just needs dressing back to release the steel ball

[AndyGSi]

5 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Probably the end of the hole was folded over and just needs dressing back to release the steel ball

You can see around the hole where it's been struck and peened over.

[Neverenoughwatches]

5 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

You can see around the hole where it's been struck and peened over.

I see it Andy, i initially thought the ring was a tube assembly....why i asked about the backside.  Peened....one of my all time favourite words...." i went out with the lads for a drink and came back absolutely peened " ....or otherwise to move metal. A tool for releasing rubbed in jewels might just work if not much material has been moved SS case though a little countersinking perhaps.

Too much change to that area and the height of the detent could be lost. I think I'd concentrate on trying to free up the lack of tension in the spring and ball.

[GPrideaux]

I've got the ball out, at last, just a little while ago. I did it by shoving an asymmetrically ground 0.5mm screwdriver down alongside the ball and working it round the ball repeatedly so that it put pressure on the inside edge of the hole. Eventually it widened the top of the hole enough for the ball to come out. Behind it was some brown powdery rust as well as some still-metallic remains of the spring. It took a bit of work but I think I've got the remains of the spring out. I used a 1mm drill, carefully working it into the hole then when it grabbed on the spring remains, pulling it out like a corkscrew pulling a cork. Now I've got it in the ultrasonic again to try to loosen any remaining detritus in the hole.

Next I'll need to source a 1mm diameter spring. I've seen somewhere someone mention using a spring from a spring bar, but I think that's going to be too big. At least, the spring bars I have contain 1.2mm or 1.3mm springs. But that's a problem for another day.

[AndyGSi]

If you look at this you'll see it is quite a strong spring.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154289348754

I can't remember the size now but I have made them in the past from spring wire.