Snap on/off Casebacks question

johnro6659

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Mar 13, 2015
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Hey guys, do you have any tricks on popping a snap on/off case back, back on? I have a case back tool/press but the lack of die sizes keeps me from getting the backs on a lot of watches without either cracking the crystal or marking up the bezel and on some I am afraid of destroying the Faux diamonds, diamonds or crystals on some bezels. There has been some that I could easily pop back with just my fingers and a few that my case tool/press fits well. A big problem is trying to find dies to buy to fit all the watches I have or get to work on. This is the reason I buy 99% of my watches with screw on case backs so easy with the right tool. I did a search on Youtube and saw some scary stuff like a guy using a rubber cover wrench and just pushing! I do all the battery replacements on friends watches and pass on the snap backs Older Movados etc are a pain. Sorry if this has been approached I can't seem to find anything with the new forum set up yet. The last guy I brought a watch in to change the battery he quoted me $35.00-$40.00 to replace a 377 Renata battery telling me the battery was very expensive!!! I get 5 for less than $5.00.


Thanks in advance!

John
 
This may be a goofy one, but what about mechanics Sockets to try in your press ?
 
I have a few snap back cases and I just try to line the cases up. Some don't have any marks so just a matter of reposition the case back. I spent more 1 hour on one situation. You can also mark the case/ caseback when you remove ... .
 
I will change batteries for friends and I have now decided I won't do snappers anymore. They are just too dang fickle. I've been lucky that I havent broken any but I have spent a lot of time on some and had sore thumbs after. The most recent one was so frustrating that I layed it down over a towel and used the pin punch hammer and rapped it while i pressed in. It was a last resort and i knew there was a high percentage I'd knock the hands off. I lucked out but wont mess with them anymore
 
Get a cheap crystal press from Amazon. You can pretty much put any snap on case back on with one of these even goofy shaped and wrist contoured cases.
 
Get a cheap crystal press from Amazon. You can pretty much put any snap on case back on with one of these even goofy shaped and wrist contoured cases.

Thanks, I have a decent press I got from Esslinger but the problem is they only make so many dies in so many sizes that fit it, I have several snap back watches that are too big or too small for the dies. I bought some dies that I didn't have. The biggest problem I have is even with the press sometime the back still doesn't seem to catch. My main problem is finding Dies to fit watches bezels or dies deep enough for others. I have watches with domed crystals that the crystal sits on the die not the bezel. I am thinking of having someone making mill some in between sizes out of aluminum and use something between them and the case. I have been searching you tube a lot for all the suggestions and tips. I think I can use a little info from most of them to make this issue easier for me. I just do not want to crack/break another crystal. Right now I have two watches I am afraid to try and snap the case back on both have fancy crystal covered bezels.
 
I have a small bench vise on my work bench in my garage. If I can't get a snap on case back back on with my hands, I will put a piece of scrap wood on the back of the watch and a scrap piece of wood on the crystal and put the whole "sandwich" in the vise. Make sure everything is lined up correctly and then very slowly tighten the vise. So far, in my experience this has always been followed by that satisfying "snap" sound of the case back seating. : )
 
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