Releasing Stuck Push Buttons on Watches

By Manuel Jean Yazijian
Specialist in the repair of all chronographs, high grade watches and clocks

The British Horological Institute has archived and edited the following from e-mails sent to the Clock/Clockers mailing lists on the Internet. The information here does not necessarily indicate a method approved by the BHI, we are only publishing this digest so that others can decide for themselves whether the methods listed below will suit them.

With many watches the push buttons on the sides get stuck in after a while. To release the buttons is a very simple  procedure. The method described below is for Seiko watches, but most watches use the same method of securing the buttons in the  case.

1. Remove stem
2. Remove movement
3. Apply a small dab of sticky grease or silicone onto the C-clips . ( SO they don`t fly away !)
4. Push out the pushbuttons .
5. Place pushers in small basket and stand in ultrasound for about 1/2 hour .
6. Apply WD40 in drops onto the case tubes , let stand 5-10 mins. After it has soaked, with broken watch oiler clean the gunk that`s stuck between the case  and the tubes . ( Note , do not clean your entire case in ultrasound if it has any gold trimming , it could come off )
7. When all is clean and dry,apply silicone grease to seals on the  pushers and re-insert pushers in their holes . The rubber seals are always preferable to be replaced , as these watches are at least about ten years old , and those tiny O-rings are very dry . After the whole gunk is cleaned and if the gaskets are not replaced , but the old ones are left in ; the watch could leak . The gunk is what kept the watch waterproof/resistant for all those years .
   ( If your tiny seals are semidried up and cannot find replacement , let stand for about 1 minute in Trichloroethylene ( carcinogen ) and your rubber seals will expand . ) The Trichloroehtylene ( hairspring solvent ) always helps expand the gaskets . If left for too long , they might expand too much and thus will no longer fit in the case tube .
8. Re-apply grease on C-clips and push into position .
9. Put movement and stem back in and close case .

Manuel Jean Y.
Specialist in the repair of all chronographs, high grade watches and clocks
Professional quartz conversions .
Member AWI, NAWCC
( formerly of Henry Birks & Sons )http://www.birks.com/
H & B L'Acadie ( proprietor )
Montreal ,Canada
tel/fax ( 514 ) 333 1785
email horloger1@hotmail.com

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