[Tman]

Hi All, Recently I received in the mail a 007 Bezel that I ordered for my SKX171, with thanks to Gabe for pointing me in the right direction.
Now that I have the bezel and have changed it over, Gabe had suggested some photos of this being done. I have included notes to go with these photos, so bear with me

Bezel change for Seiko SKX171, takes about 5-10 minutes

1. Existing SKX171 with SKX007 Bezel
2. Seiko part number 8601 469A from Chronograph.com Singapore
3. Closeup shot of SKX007 bezel
4. Suitable screw driver, small but not too small, on Swiss Army Soldier pocket knife
5. Insert blade between case and bezel and twist slowly, be patient!
See part two and three for the rest, as 5 pictures can be uploaded at a time

Enjoy, this is an easy project.

Ben

 

[Tman]

Bezel change to SKX171 with photos part 2

Part 2

6. Shot of case and crystal showing bezel spring ring and locating pin
7. Similar showing locating pin and one-way upward facing spring bar, this is what provides the uni-directional turn direction to the bezel
8. Shot of case and crystal with bezel spring ring taken off, showing the hole for the locating pin on the bezel spring ring to engage in.
9. Shot showing position of these holes
10. Shot of bezel spring ring and locating pin, faces down on to case to engage.
A little more of your time!! for part 3 and the finished product

 

[Tman]

Bezel change to SKX171 with photos - part 3

Bezel change for Seiko SKX171, takes about 5-10 minutes

11. Shot of one-way spring bar.
12. Don't forget to remove the rubber or silicone gasket from the old bezel and put it into the new one, a pin or needle will get it out, it is slightly over-size which is what holds it in
13. How it looks without the gasket
14. The finished product with the old bezel
15. Where the photos were taken showing the tripod over the top and the glass door in front, with diffused light

Photos were taken with a Nikon D200, with a Nikon 28-105 zoom on macro focus. The tripod used was a Manfrotto/Bogen 190B tripod and a Manfrotto/Bogen 486RC2 head. The pictures were shot behind a glass door with diffused glass, reduces the shadows somewhat.

Shot 14 was with the D200 built-in flash.

Since I do not have a press, in order to press the new bezel on, I took a cloth and folded it over a couple of times for thickness and then placed it against a timber door frame and give the watch a push on the back of the case, where it should engage and click in.

Your patience is appreciated, I hope that it was worth the wait

Cheers

 

[jason_recliner]

Re: Bezel change to SKX171 with photos - part 3

Nice one Tman. I like the chrome ringed indices on the 171.

 

[giosdad]

Re: Bezel change to SKX171 with photos - part 3

Nice posts. Thanks for sharing and documenting so well.
I like the look of that dial and bezel combo.

 

[skols]

Re: Bezel change to SKX171 with photos - part 3

Great job thanks for taking the time to do that.

 

[OnTimeGabe]

Re: Bezel change to SKX171 with photos - part 3

Excellent post, Tman! Thanks for the contribution. :-!

 

[Claud]

Re: Bezel change to SKX171 with photos - part 3

Well done, that's helpful, thanks!:-!

 

[simonboyce]

Great post on how to change a bezel. I'm eager to switch out the insert on a Seiko diver to create a diver with a GMT bezel. Do you know how to remove the insert? Do you know if the bezels are the same size on, say, an SKX007 and an SKX013? Many thanks for any help. Simon

 

[Alathea]

I just got through this.

On my 7002 and my 6309 you just slide a caseback knife of something thin edged between the bezel and the case and gently twist up and the bezel should pop off. The bezel insert is on the inside, you can pop it out from the back. Clean under and inside the bezel if you need to, replace or reseat the gasket, and snap the bezel back on. Then take the insert lay it in at the 12 oclock position and then just push it back in and it should snap in.

 

[dogboy]

Any gotcha's on putting the new bezel on? Special technique for getting it on correctly?
Also, the last picture with the new bezel, it appears the bezel black is slightly different from the black of the watch face. Is that just a trick of the lighting?

I'm kinda jonesing to do this to my SKX-171, but hesitant to order the new bezel and take a chance of screwing up my -171.

 

[Alathea]

It's probably just the light, being that the bezel isn't recessed like the dial. Just grease the gasket lightly, put it inside the bezel, and then set the bezel on the face and press firmly and evenly until it snaps into place with a firm 'click'. They pop on and off pretty easily with a little leverage, so you can't permanently do any damage unless you press unevenly or something and warp it, though you'd have to press pretty hard.

 

[dogboy]

Thanks Alathea. I think I'll order one up and give it a try. I've about decided that, although the stock 171 bezel gives the 171 a nice dressy look, I kinda like the 007 style bezel better. And I guess if I don't like it once I do it, I can change it back, and maybe pass the bezel on.

 

[nilnawk]

I'm curious about something -- what's the purpose of that gasket in the bezel ring? On the caseback, the gasket keeps moisture out of the movement, but should moisture be a concern for the inside of the bezel ring? Or is the gasket there to provide some sort of tension to the ring? :think:

 

[Alathea]

Good question. Im all ears. I know that when I took the old shrunken gasket out of mine while waiting for a new one the ring was mostly uselsess because it would slip. I suspect that its in there to keep water from collecting against the crystal from the top.

 

[dogboy]

I think it is there just for tension. Ever played with the bezel ring on a Breitling? It is too easy to move, and I do not believe it has a gasket like that.

 

[Iginla]

Can someone post a more detailed description of just removing the bezel in the first place? My 009 bezel is completely stiff, and I'm having a hell of a time trying to pry it off.

 

[Alathea]

Its actually really simple-they are held on by friction. You take something blunt with an edge( ive used a butter knife before) and just work it under the edge of the bezel ring and gently lift a little bit. You'll feel it give, then just work your way around and you'll end up with the whole ring popped off. The gasket may be on the inside of the ring, or you may see it around the lip outside of the crystal.

A toothbrush and some water or jewelry cleaner should take care of your frozen bezel pretty quick. Putting it back on just lay it down on the face and if you like lay a small towel or some folded paper towels over it, then press with a good sized hard cover book.

 

[Tman]

With regard to fitting the bezel back on, I took a towel and folded it over a couple of times, placed the bezel on the face of the watch so that it is reasonably square to the face, place the folded over towel against a door frame ( timber), place the watch with the bezel in place and press it down or push it down, more a push than a press, and it should click into place. With regard to the colour of the bezel and the face, it is the lighting, but it still looks great. I did pass the skx173 bezel on, as I did not intend reusing it back on the skx173, it looks too good as a sk007

 

[quartzomatic]

... I did pass the skx173 bezel on, as I did not intend reusing it back on the skx173, it looks too good as a sk007

Am I missing something -- I thought you started here with a SKX171?

I'm interested since I have a SKX173. Perhaps most of this mod is applicable for that watch as well, but I'm not certain. I have the SKX007 also and don't really see any differences between the bezels of it and the 173. Any enlightenment will help.