Rolex GMT IIC Bezel Insert fell off!

[allanofcalifornia]

Must have been a real downer!!


Allan

[HDHNTER]

Originally Posted by Imtiaz

In the GMT II, the insert is held down with a spring pin like device.

Wonder if the newer GMT IIc is the same?

Bit of a bummer, what?

Neither the insert nor the bezel are held in place by a spring on the classic GMT II, they both snap in/on & are held in place by tension alone. The spring is solely for the clicking action of bezel movement.

[Dan Pierce]

I work in airports all over the world. I have been thru security as many as a dozen times a day using the same xray machine and sometimes my watch will set it off and sometimes it won't. No rhyme or reason.
dP

[mfer]

Originally Posted by HDHNTER

Neither the insert nor the bezel are held in place by a spring on the classic GMT II, they both snap in/on & are held in place by tension alone. The spring is solely for the clicking action of bezel movement.

Confirmed here as well.

[2th Dr]

Originally Posted by hdhnter

agreed, absolutely no need to run it through the x-ray machine.

x3

[ayecarumba]

Here is a diagram of the ceramic bezel housing courtesy of our friends at WTF:

I don't know how the ceramic bezel insert is held securely in place? Could it snap in like the old SS inserts on earlier models? Either way, as any engineer will tell you, if it's mechanical, there will be a certain # of failures of components. I know that's not very comforting and I am disappointed to hear of your troubles. Warranty should certainly cover it.

Please post some pics and let us know what happens!


--Paul



[IMG][/IMG]

[GoldenBear]

I travel a lot and airport security will almost always ask me to take off my Sub. I tried to tell them it won't set the machine off...but 'arguing' with them isn't a good idea. I now just slip it into my pocket without issue. That way it won't get banged and bumped going through the scanner and conveyor belt.

[Dan Pierce]

Originally Posted by GoldenBear

I travel a lot and airport security will almost always ask me to take off my Sub. I tried to tell them it won't set the machine off...but 'arguing' with them isn't a good idea. I now just slip it into my pocket without issue. That way it won't get banged and bumped going through the scanner and conveyor belt.

When flying I do the same. However, when escorting clients and or contractors thru I don't have that luxgury.
dP

[exxondus]

Originally Posted by gs430

I'll take some pictures today and try and get them posted. I appereciate all the input.

thanks and look forward to seeing those pics

[mck22]

Dang that stinks.

[Timber Loftis]

Originally Posted by HDHNTER

Neither the insert nor the bezel are held in place by a spring on the classic GMT II, they both snap in/on & are held in place by tension alone. The spring is solely for the clicking action of bezel movement.

True. And this worries me about the ceramic bezel falling out, because I know when I replace the Aluminum bezel on the old GMT model, it feels like you have to bend it that last little bit to get the final "snap" into position.... and ceramic, it don't bend so well. So, I wonder how you'd press it back in.

Oh, and confirmed for at least the older style GMTII that you can wear it through security without it setting off the alarm. Of course, it depends on the particular TSA agent you have and their loggerheadedness when it comes to such things.

[exxondus]

the thing is that, i have been hearing loads of such claims for this model. sometimes wonder is it due to the popularity.

How come no one claimed that the DSSD bezel fell off?

[Colnago]

How come nobody has ever ever posted pictures of faults with the GMT II C....I mean ever......OP, I really hope you get yours fixed, really, but I would love to see pics, I know you said you'd post them....we await patiently

[Z-Sub]

Yes it'll be interesting to see the picture. I have never seen one either

[Watchdog]

Never seen any pics of a bezel problem, either.

[Perdu]

Good luck with the fix. BTW, flown a lot an never been asked to take off my watch. Maybe it was lucky you did take it off or you might never have found the bezel when it dropped.

[niels74]

im sure that the AD will repair this free off charge for you, great you noticed indeed, however does not really help to wonder how these come off so easy...

[JJ Irani]

Frist time I heard of a bazel falling off......and surprisingly, with a new GMT-IIC!!!

[Psmith]

Originally Posted by gs430

The bezel insert fell off my watch today for no apparent reason. I had taken it off to go through airport security and when I went to put it back on the bezel had separated and was missing. Luckily, I located the ceramic insert where I had taken the watch off! I did not drop it or hit it against anything. I tried to get back in place but I was unable to. Has anyone else had this problem? I guess I will be visiting my AD tomorrow. Any thoughts?

Was there anything on the base of the insert &/or the exposed surface of the bezel? (such as adhesive residue)

Some pictures would be useful, as you are asking for thoughts.


Cheers

[cmr]

Originally Posted by Colnago

How come nobody has ever ever posted pictures of faults with the GMT II C....I mean ever......OP, I really hope you get yours fixed, really, but I would love to see pics, I know you said you'd post them....we await patiently

agreed, i want to see macro shots of the bezel. every time this kind of thing gets posted there are never any pictures of it. i have beat the crap out of mine and it is just fine.

[Colnago]

Same here.....

[RodS]

Sometime in the late 70's I think, I must have knocked my 66 GMT against something because the whole bezel fell off. For I while I just lived with it, then eventually I had it serviced and the bezel replaced. You've guessed it, shortly after I got the watch back from servicing I found the bezel [with insert] and the spring behind it and I still have them as spares if it happens again!

RodS

[incabloc]

My 1st GMT-IIc TT had a lint inside the crystal & I returned it to the AD. Just got a S/S GMT-IIc 2 weeks ago...hope nothing bad happens to this one.

[argee1977]

Originally Posted by Imtiaz

In the GMT II, the insert is held down with a spring pin like device.

Wonder if the newer GMT IIc is the same?

Bit of a bummer, what?

On all the older models the insert was held in through an interference fit, you had to clip it in almost like a circlip, but without the entire lip. The spring pin was just there for turning the bezels, on the new ceramics they've removed this and use a ceramic ball bearing if i remember correctly.

[gs430]

I am trying to get these photos uploaded but it keeps telling that my upload failed. I am trying to bring them over from Iphoto. Any ideas?

[scottjal]

Is Iphoto an on line thing? If so just take the web link and put it inside the [img]URL[/img] tags.

If not I really like photobucket for a free photo hosting solution. Even makes you the image link directly.

Also you can use the advanced thread edit and use the attach feature to store them directly on this forum here.


Very curious to see these pictures, owning a GMTIIc myself.

[sojourner]

This is lame and embarrassing for Rolex...

[The GMT Master]

Originally Posted by sojourner

This is lame and embarrassing for Rolex...

Woah, hold on a second, you can't expect anything to be absolutely perfect - how is one example, out of the many thousands of GMT IIcs produced in the past few years, suddenly an embarrassment? Anything manufactured is prone to failure, no less so than a complex piece of engineering like the GMT IIc - the bezel, as the technical drawings posted earlier pointed out, it made up of quite a few separate components - all it takes is for one to fail. As a general rule, the GMT IIc has proved itself to be a tough, versatile, and accurate mechanical timepiece - one failure shouldn't ruin its reputation, or the company's.

[Nica64]

Wow not a good thing to happen on a GMT IIc , lately I been thinking of getting one

[Chrisxx]

Sorry, but I still don't see any pictures.....