Anker watch with no removable back

[nenyon1]

Here is a watch I just bought on eBay.  I have become engrossed with reading posts on this website, trying to work up the courage to start doing my own watch repair.  This Anker came in the mail today and I was so surprised that it has a solid case!  I spent 5 minutes looking for a seam that doesn't exist.  So this obviously comes apart at the acrylic crystal.  I need to take off the crown and have seen videos of Omegas where you blow air in with a plunger and that pops off the crystal. I only want to take it apart to look at the movement and see how badly it needs a cleaning.  I'm nervous as all get up to destroy the crown/stem because of curiosity. 

Have any of you worked on these?  Does the crown separate from the stem when pulled hard, like some Omegas?  It doesn't seem like the crown should screw off to service the watch, right?  Thanks for humoring my ignorance.  It works great, keeps good time.  Should I just wear it until I have to get it serviced?  Thank you!

[Neverenoughwatches]

20 minutes ago, nenyon1 said:

Here is a watch I just bought on eBay.  I have become engrossed with reading posts on this website, trying to work up the courage to start doing my own watch repair.  This Anker came in the mail today and I was so surprised that it has a solid case!  I spent 5 minutes looking for a seam that doesn't exist.  So this obviously comes apart at the acrylic crystal.  I need to take off the crown and have seen videos of Omegas where you blow air in with a plunger and that pops off the crystal. I only want to take it apart to look at the movement and see how badly it needs a cleaning.  I'm nervous as all get up to destroy the crown/stem because of curiosity. 

Have any of you worked on these?  Does the crown separate from the stem when pulled hard, like some Omegas?  It doesn't seem like the crown should screw off to service the watch, right?  Thanks for humoring my ignorance.  It works great, keeps good time.  Should I just wear it until I have to get it serviced?  Thank you!

Lovely little gold watch you have there, you want to take your time and get this right. Not all one piece cases have split stems, that crystal looks like it will come off with a crystal lift , do you have one ?

[caseback]

It seems to be a 2-piece case. There won't be a split stem. Seperate the 2 halves.

You see the seam and why you don't have to remove the stem in this blowup:

 

[nenyon1]

8 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Lovely little gold watch you have there, you want to take your time and get this right. Not all one piece cases have split stems, that crystal looks like it will come off with a crystal lift , do you have one ?

Thanks Neverenough.  That's exactly why I posted this.  I'd rather wear it dirty than destroy it. I took a high powered magnifier and looked all along the crystal and found no evidence of prying, so my presupposition was that the glass came off. 

I'd never heard of a crystal lift, and don't have one.   Is there one you recommend?  Would one from Amazon suffice for my purposes?  

[mbwatch]

14 minutes ago, nenyon1 said:

I'd never heard of a crystal lift, and don't have one.   Is there one you recommend?  Would one from Amazon suffice for my purposes?  

An inexpensive generic crystal lift, under $20 on Esslinger.com, is fine to remove the crystal on a vintage watch and fine to reinsert one. If you start working on more valuable watches, getting a better crystal lift might be necessary since these cheaper ones can be a little rough in the jaws. If you are not careful it is easier to scratch a crystal with these than with a $120 version. The other difference is in how smooth the screw action is on the more expensive Swiss one.  It does take some practice no matter what to install a crystal with this tool, and you can expect to not get your first one or two right without some scratches when installing.

But if @caseback is right and this is a 2 piece case, then it opens up other better options to install a new crystal with a press of some sort instead.

Edited March 26 by mbwatch

[Neverenoughwatches]

16 minutes ago, nenyon1 said:

Thanks Neverenough.  That's exactly why I posted this.  I'd rather wear it dirty than destroy it. I took a high powered magnifier and looked all along the crystal and found no evidence of prying, so my presupposition was that the glass came off. 

I'd never heard of a crystal lift, and don't have one.   Is there one you recommend?  Would one from Amazon suffice for my purposes?  

A bergeon one would be about the best money can buy. I'm not sure how much they are now for a new one. But they pop up on ebay from time to time for about 50 quid,  you want the small adjustable platform as well that sets up the spacing on the crystal to leave room on it when fitting it bsck into the case bezel. 

[AndyGSi]

Looking at the photos I'd say it was an underlay crystal and the bezel will need to come off.

[nenyon1]

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

Looking at the photos I'd say it was an underlay crystal and the bezel will need to come off.

I'll take some closer up photos after work.  I couldn't see any evidence of prying on that crystal.  Also, to me, it looks like the crystal is touching the case directly, I don't see a bezel that would come off.  Should I try spinning the acrylic crystal?  I ordered a cheap crystal lifter this morning, but now I'm nervous about destroying it with that, if it is supposed to come out a different way.

[oldhippy]

Looks as if it comes out from the front. you need crystal lift I suggest the bergeon one, cheap ones do not work well. It will be a two piece stem so so you pull it right out and the movement will come out. 

[AndyGSi]

6 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Looks as if it comes out from the front. you need crystal lift I suggest the bergeon one, cheap ones do not work well. It will be a two piece stem so so you pull it right out and the movement will come out. 

The stem slot is open so won't be a split stem.

42 minutes ago, nenyon1 said:

I'll take some closer up photos after work.  I couldn't see any evidence of prying on that crystal.  Also, to me, it looks like the crystal is touching the case directly, I don't see a bezel that would come off.  Should I try spinning the acrylic crystal?  I ordered a cheap crystal lifter this morning, but now I'm nervous about destroying it with that, if it is supposed to come out a different way.

If this is just the edge of the crystal then you're missing the bezel.

 

[oldhippy]

42 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

The stem slot is open so won't be a split stem.

I don't know what you mean?

[Neverenoughwatches]

54 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

The stem slot is open so won't be a split stem.

If this is just the edge of the crystal then you're missing the bezel.

 

In the picture it does look like the crystal has a step that a bezel fits over. In which case the crystal should just pull up and off. You could try some double sided tape on it to pull it up. 

Does that edge that Case and Andy pointed out have a sharp lip set down 1/2 a mm or so ,that a bezel can snap over

Here looks like a damaged edge to the crystal overlay edge. The crystal step is very visible but I can't see a lip for a bezel to snap over. Maybe is isn't an overlay , just the shape of the crystal. So possibly still needs the lifting tool.

[AndyGSi]

47 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I don't know what you mean?

To me it looks like this is the edge of the crystal and is open below for the stem to come out with the movement.

[nenyon1]

Here are some better pictures.  The acrylic goes all the way to the metal, there's no extra bezel.  I want sure, until I could see the minute dial marks through the acrylic crystal.  I also took a picture of the stem, the crown will need to come off, as the case is complete, no carve out.  

So, I believe the right thing, based on what you've all helped me discover, is the crystal lifter.  Get the glass off and then the crown must separate to get it out of the case.  Unless the crown screws off?  Is that possible?

[Neverenoughwatches]

Still looks a little odd, like a front piece of the case iis missing. But I agree and go with my last comment that the step is just part of the crystal shape, and this is a one piece case. There is a wristwatch case design that has a stem release by the edge of the dial face, so I wouldn't yank the stem just yet hoping that it's a split stem. Have a look around once the crystal is removed.

[oldhippy]

I still say it comes out from the front. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

18 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I still say it comes out from the front. 

Pretty sure thats a given OH, I'd say the op needs to next figure out how to remove the stem. 

[AndyGSi]

It's a lot clearer with the new photos.

As @Neverenoughwatches said it still looks odd with that much or the
crystal showing but maybe that's not the correct one to start with?

[Kalanag]

This watch model on ebay.ca for reference

Edited March 27 by Kalanag

[LittleWatchShop]

Does the crown wobble a little on one axis? If so, it is a split stem.

IMO, as others have stated, it is missing a bezel. The ebay link Kalanag seems to indicate otherwise.

First step is to remove the crystal and present more pictures.

Edited March 27 by LittleWatchShop

[AndyGSi]

4 minutes ago, Kalanag said:

This watch model on ebay.ca for reference

I think that's this watch he's just bought.

[rehajm]

Yah- sure looks lile it’s coming out the front. Get the crystal off with a lift, then you’re probably grabbing the stem and unscrewing the crown. There will be more room to grab the stem. I had a Smiths what had a similar setup. Recasing it was fun…

[LittleWatchShop]

Seiko made a front loader (branded by others) that required you to slip a small screwdriver between the edge of the dial and case to push a lever to release the stem. Really sucked.

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Kalanag said:

This watch model on ebay.ca for reference

Looks the same, with the step in the crystal.

1 hour ago, AndyGSi said:

I think that's this watch he's just bought.

There does appear to be some similar looking scratches near the crown.

[AndyGSi]

50 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Looks the same, with the step in the crystal.

There does appear to be some similar looking scratches near the crown.

OPs followed by eBay.