Whether your watch crown is worn out or you just want to replace it to change the look
of your watch, you can easily remove it yourself with help from this guide from Esslinger-dot-com.
For this repair, you will need: A pin vise
Two part epoxy A piece of pegwood or a toothpick
A parts tray A notepad
A watch stem And a new watch crown
The first thing you will need to do before you can remove the watch crown is open the
watch case back.
To learn more about opening your watch, check out this link.
Once you have opened your watch case back, your next step is to remove your watch stem.
Examine where the watch movement and the stem connect.
You will see either a small screw holding the stem in place or a small indented push
button in close proximity the stem.
After you have removed the stem from the movement and watch case, leaving everything else in
place, you are just about ready to remove the crown.
Take your pin vise and open the jaws wide so you can slide the stem into the opening.
Position the stem in the pin vise with the crown end facing up and out of the vise.
Carefully slide the closing ring up the pin vise to close the jaws around the stem and
grip it securely.
Make sure that the stem is positioned with roughly half of the threaded portion inside
the vise and half outside, like this.
Check to make sure that the pin vise is completely closed and locked around the stem to prevent
it from slipping or getting scratched while you remove the crown.
Grip the pin vise securely in one hand and the crown at the end of the stem in your other.
Then in one quick motion, turn the pin vise one direction and the watch crown in the opposite
direction to break the seal between the stem and the watch crown.
After you have removed your old watch crown use this guide to measure it for a replacement
if needed.
Once you have ordered a replacement crown you are ready to attach it to your watch case.
Be aware, changing a watch crown involves a lot of precision: the new crown must fit
the watch case and fit the watch stem perfectly to avoid getting broken or allowing dust and
debris into your watch case.
If at any point you are concerned that this repair is more than you are comfortable dealing
with please take your watch to a professional.
Note: This guide will not help you fit a screw down or threaded watch crown to your watch
stem or case.
The first thing you need to do once you have your new watch crown and you are ready to
attach it to your watch case is fit it to the watch stem and ensure that the crown,
stem and watch case will all fit together seamlessly.
If you are using the existing watch stem, start by fitting your watch stem into your
pin vise.
Take your watch crown and thread it onto the end of the stem, turning it clockwise.
You should be able to easily turn it into place if it is the right size.
Once you are sure the crown fits your stem and is threaded all the way into place, remove
it from the pin vise by loosening the jaws so they are no longer clamped down on the
stem.
Then, take your stem and crown and fit them into the watch movement.
Make sure that the movement and the movement ring in the watch case are lined up with the
hole for the watch stem and slide the watch stem into place.
Push it in until it clicks into place.
If the watch stem is too long, you will see that the watch crown very obviously does not
sit flush against the watch case.
If the watch stem is too short however, you won�t know for sure until you try turning
the stem and the watch hands do not respond to it.
When the watch stem is the right size, the hands will turn when you test turn the crown.
Remove the watch stem from the movement once you know that it will fit the new crown.
Once you have a stem that fits the watch case and the crown, replace it in the pin vise
like you did before so that about half of the threaded portion is sticking out of the
vise.
Remove the watch crown from the watch stem by turning it counter-clockwise and set it
aside in your parts tray to keep it safe.
Now you are ready to permanently attach the watch crown the watch stem.
Take your notepad paper and your two part epoxy and place two equal parts of each component
of the epoxy on the paper.
Be sure the two dots are close enough to each other that you can judge that they are the
same size, but not touching.
Then, use your pegwood or toothpick to mix the two parts of epoxy together.
Mix it thoroughly for about thirty seconds to ensure an even mixture.
Once the epoxy has been mixed, take your stem in the pin vise and dip the tip into the epoxy.
You�ll only want to cover a few threads with the epoxy, just the ones that will be
covered by the watch crown.
Thread your watch crown onto the epoxy covered tip of the stem, turning it clockwise until
you cannot turn it any more.
The epoxy with create a secure and tight seal between the watch stem and crown to keep dust
and other debris out of your watch case.
Let the stem and crown sit for about five minutes to allow the epoxy to cure.
After the epoxy has set, you can remove the watch stem and crown from the pin vise.
When you are sure that the watch stem and crown are both secure in the watch movement,
you can close your watch case and begin wearing your watch again with the pride that comes
with knowing you fixed it yourself.
For more helpful watch repair videos, check out Esslinger-dot-com�s Youtube Channel
today!