Protruding Seal

[Old Expat Beast]

Last night I dropped my Air King on the floor, and while there doesn't seem to have been any adverse effect on the movement, when I was checking it out for damage I found this...

As you can see, the seal is protruding from the thread on the case back. Is this something that could have been caused by dropping it, or is it more likely that the case back wasn't put back on correctly when I had it serviced a few months ago?

Thank you very much for your help and opinions.

cheers,
Adam

[007Sub]

Adam, I suspect that happened from servicing. Very unlikely that a drop would enable the seal to come out. Perhaps they installed the wrong size seal...

[Andad]

If the case had ben screwed down correctly I doubt the fall could have caused that problem.

I would take it back to the watchmaker and have them replace it with a new one as that one is....st....stu....stuf.....gone for all money.

[sleddog]

I highly doubt any fall impact would have caused an O-ring to slip out from under the case back Adam.
I'd say it was squeezed/pushed out under the force of when the case back was tightened up.. Perhaps you just didn't see it before?? Either way, I'd be under the impression that you do not have a good seating of the O-ring, and thus would be worried about a failure/breach through that point.
If it were me, I'd take it back and have it corrected, regardless if it were my fault or theirs.

[Old Expat Beast]

Thanks Rob. I only noticed it when I was checking for damage under the loupe. It doesn't show at arm's length. I'll take it in tomorrow.

[cop414]

Adam, I agree with the others, I can't see how that could have popped out if the caseback was installed correctly. I would think it'd be an easy fix. Keep us posted. Looks like that drop was a blessing in disguise.

[Old Expat Beast]

That's what I was thinking, Tim

[Tools]

I would say that whoever serviced it did not pressure check it afterward.

There is no way that the back is sealed with a gasket in that condition..

[MonBK]

Wasn't the service done at RSC?

[rmfnla]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Thanks Rob. I only noticed it when I was checking for damage under the loupe. It doesn't show at arm's length. I'll take it in tomorrow.

I the think this is why you only noticed it now...

[rmfnla]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Wasn't the service done at RSC?

You don't think RSC could do that..?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by MonBK

Wasn't the service done at RSC?

No.

[rmfnla]

FWIW, the last time I saw something like that the watchmaker had reused the old gasket because he was out of replacements.

It was not RSC, btw...

[2ar2c1]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

I'll take it in tomorrow.

so did RSC swap it out?

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by 2ar2c1

so did RSC swap it out?

No, it wasn't an RSC job. The watchmaker who serviced it will fix it for me, I haven't had a chance to take it in yet. Probably do it Monday.

[Watchcollectables]

The gasket has stretched during tightening of the case back . This will happen normally when an old seal is used as it would stretch over time when the case back is unscrewed a few times . It needs to be replaced . Your watchmaker should of spotted this and I also wonder if he pressure tested as this would certainly produce an unfavorable reading .
Basic error and not good :-/

[locutus49]

Well, Adam, it gives you a story to tell when you've had a few drinks. You can tell your blokes that you had a SEAL once.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by rmfnla

You don't think RSC could do that..?

Of course not, they would use new seals and pressurize it.

You get what you pay for.

[Old Expat Beast]

I took it to RSC, where I have had many watches serviced, for a quote on this one. It's a 1964 Air King and they wanted to charge very nearly three times more than they charged for servicing my 2005 Air King a couple of months earlier. That's why I took it to an independent.

[Dalton]

It happens with new seals also. The caseback has to be screwed down slowly to prevent it from happening. It happens once in a while. Glad you noticed it before it becomes a problem. I'm sure your watchmaker will correct the issue

[Jesse Pinkman]

Is it normal for the edge of the caseback to sit proud like it does in your photograph? I'm pretty new to Rolex but the caseback on my GMT is flush when screwed down.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Jesse Pinkman

Is it normal for the edge of the caseback to sit proud like it does in your photograph? I'm pretty new to Rolex but the caseback on my GMT is flush when screwed down.

It's like that because the seal/gasket is preventing the case back from screwing down fully...which is the subject of the thread

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

I took it to RSC, where I have had many watches serviced, for a quote on this one. It's a 1964 Air King and they wanted to charge very nearly three times more than they charged for servicing my 2005 Air King a couple of months earlier. That's why I took it to an independent.

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

It's like that because the seal/gasket is preventing the case back from screwing down fully...which is the subject of the thread

No offence meant Adam and I fully understand as I've taken that route on many occasions.

If it was me I would take it to RSC to detirmine if the correct seal was installed by the ind. watchmaker just for the piece of mind and for future dealings with him.

[Old Expat Beast]

None taken
Getting that kind of info from RSC HK would be more trouble than it was worth though.

[dysondiver]

good job youve not been swimming in it ,,, quick fix , easy to happen , but it certainly wasnt pressure tested ,,,

[Jesse Pinkman]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

It's like that because the seal/gasket is preventing the case back from screwing down fully...which is the subject of the thread

In your original post, you make no mention of the fact the caseback is not screwed down correctly; you only mention the protruding seal. I didn't know if the caseback was meant to look like that on an AirKing of this era which is why I asked.

[andromeda160]

Originally Posted by Jesse Pinkman

In your original post, you make no mention of the fact the caseback is not screwed down correctly; you only mention the protruding seal. I didn't know if the caseback was meant to look like that on an AirKing of this era which is why I asked.

The caseback is screwed down correctly though... the gasket just slipped as the caseback was tightened.

Also if you look really closely i'm sure there's a very small gap between your caseback and case as well as your crown and case on your GMT. I only own vintage models but it's been the same on all of my watches. These things aren't torqued like lugnuts, its only like 5nm of torque. Just enough to seat the gasket and keep the case closed away from any of the elememts trying to get in. Which is why there appears to be a gap, but its really just the thickness of the gasket (this gap appears whether the gasket is protruding or not. I just grabbed my watches and checked the gap, seemed to be about as thick as a sheet of paper for the CB the crown is easy to see that it doesn't screw down all the way.

[iclick]

[QUOTE=andromeda160;5389642]...the gasket just slipped as the caseback was tightened.

I read somewhere that applying a small amount of silicone grease to the gasket is advisable prior to closing the case. Does anyone do this? I think it would be advisable to reduce friction between the o-ring and case back. I don't routinely remove the case backs on my watches but have done so occasionally on my Tudors to regulate them, as it is so easy to do. In the future I see removing the case backs on my watches to photograph the movement prior to selling them, and it would be nice to do that without worrying about whether the o-ring is seated properly once re-tightened.

[joe100]

Originally Posted by Jesse Pinkman

In your original post, you make no mention of the fact the caseback is not screwed down correctly; you only mention the protruding seal. I didn't know if the caseback was meant to look like that on an AirKing of this era which is why I asked.

Kinda what this whole thread is about...

[andromeda160]

[QUOTE=iclick;5389770]

Originally Posted by andromeda160

...the gasket just slipped as the caseback was tightened.

I read somewhere that applying a small amount of silicone grease to the gasket is advisable prior to closing the case. Does anyone do this? I think it would be advisable to reduce friction between the o-ring and case back. I don't routinely remove the case backs on my watches but have done so occasionally on my Tudors to regulate them, as it is so easy to do. In the future I see removing the case backs on my watches to photograph the movement prior to selling them, and it would be nice to do that without worrying about whether the o-ring is seated properly once re-tightened.

I'm sure you could, The pawn shop down the Rd from me lets me use their watch vise and caseback opener since I've known them forever. And they have a whole caseback gasket set so I always replace the gasket when I open my watch now, since the same thing that happened to Adams happened to me the first time I had it opened there, they're cheap, no sense in reusing them IMO. You can buy them on ebay fairly cheap