Over time your watch crown or stem can end up breaking, and you would want to get that replaced. The stem and crown in most watches aren’t very strong, and they can come out or get dislocated from their original structure quite easily.
The knob on the side of your watch is called the crown. The little stick that allows it to be held together is known as the stem. These two parts work together to let you set the time on your watch.
The replacement process for a stem and crown is technical. There are different stems and crowns for different types of watches. You can’t replace the watch on your own and will need the help and services of a professional Horologist.
Your old crown might end up getting clogged and fixated to the stem, and in situations like these, it becomes necessary to remove the old stem and crown. A part of your crown might even break and stay attached to the stem where you would require to remove it.
Professional watchmakers will first check the model of the watch to be able to supply a correct stem to it. Getting the right fit is incredibly essential to help you be able to change time effectively. Watch Stem And Crown Replacement for a Rolex for example is very technical task
Step 2: Attach The New Components To The Watch
After the watchmaker has gotten the stem and crown for the specific watch model or taken the measurements and found a close match to the stem and crown, he will now try attaching the new components to the watch.
The watchmaker will use special equipment to remove the stem; there are two types of ways through which you can remove the stem, and these depend on the kind of watch you own. The watchmaker will either get a screw-type stem removal or a push-type stem removal.
Once the old stem is removed, you will need to insert a new stem, and for that, you will have to correctly identify the watch movements and ensure that the movements are in the right alignment with the new stem.
To insert the stem, the best way to do it is by holding the stem in a pin vise to keep it steady while you work. Open the jaws of the pin wise wide enough so that it can hold the stem and then tighten it as such so that half of the threaded end is sticking out of the vise.
The pin vise is the best tool as a plier may not be as accurate in insertion and will pose to be difficult if your watchmaker is trying to get the stem length correct by cutting the winding stem.
Stem 3: Fit The Crown Replacement for Watch Stem
Fit the crown to the stem; make sure that it fits correctly according to its measurements. It should be a firm fit so that it doesn’t fall off under operation.
At the same time, you need to be careful not to damage the crown. The threads of the crown are very delicate and can be easily damaged because they are very soft.
The watchmaker rotates the crown clockwise until it is fitted correctly on the stem. Once the stem and crown are ready, the jeweler checks the watch and ensures that the watch is in the right alignment.
Once the watch stem and crown are in place, the watch repair technician will observe the watch to make sure that it is operating correctly. If there are any problems or further repairs needed, then the watchmaker will work towards addressing them.
Once we are entirely sure that everything works the way it should, we need to open the watch again and screw it back in place after applying some thread locker. The thread locker will fix all the things in their place and will ensure that you won’t have to face the same issues again.