Thursday, January 28, 2010

MD-703 Bezel cleaning


I decided to clean the bezel of my MD-703 Casio watch. I have serviced the other watch, so I thought I might as well do this one as well. This is one long blog entry....

The watch.


Removing the screws on the bezel retainer.


The bezel retainer (screws attached).


The watch with the retainer removed.


DNA and rust.....


The underside of the bezel. Removal is easy, lever it out. Very dirty.


The ratchet mechanism. Simple but works.



The gasket that provides some friction.


DNA, grime, etc.... the watch is 20 years old.



Note the thick crystal.


Rust on the contact point on the bezel retainer.


Cleaning done. Equipment? Used toothbrush, toothpaste (not the gel type), soft soap and eraser.


The eraser (soft type) is used to 'erase' the rust on the metal.


Looks like new, well almost.


The bezel retainer and bezel, post spa treatment..... :) .



Fresh clean ratchet mechanism.


The assembly begins.


Don't forget to give the gasket the spa treatment as well. Lots of silicon grease. It would be better if I could replace the gasket, but Casio did not have the parts.


The bezel back on. The bezel on this watch click back on easier as compared to the other MD-703.



The screws.


Bezel retainer back on. Don't forget to diagonally tighten the screws, and finish it off with once around.



Completed. The bezel feels fresh and click sharply. I am a happy person.


7 comments:

  1. Hi! I have an MD-708 that needs bezel cleaning too. Do you know how to remove it? This model do not have a bezel retainer. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi MC,

    If you can send the picture of the watch to horologycrazy@gmail.com, I might be able to help. However, I would still advise you to send it to either your watch repairman or to Casio Service.

    If you still want to do it yourself, you need to be careful with the following:

    1. You will need to pry the bezel and you will need the correct tools. Also make sure you protect the surface where you intend to pry.

    2. With old watches like these, there is the problem of getting the new rubber gasket that sits inside the bezel. I would not remove the gasket as it could expand or break. Use a toothpick to apply silicon grease or petroluem jelly to the exposed surface of the gasket.

    3. Depending on the 'locking' type used on the bezel, it could be difficult to push the bezel back in.

    4. If you are washing the bezel and parts, use a used toothbrush with toothpaste or soft soap. Brush gently as you do not want to damage anything.

    All the best and good luck.

    Best regards,

    Ivan

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Ivan,

    Thanks for your help.
    I had sent it to battery replacement to a local official Casio service and ask about the bezels (yes, it has two) problem (they stop rotating
    even if I apply all the strength I have).
    I was told that they couldn't take it out because after that they are not able to put it back as it requires some special procedure.
    They said also that I should use some kind of penetrating oil from time to time to avoid this from happen. So I did. I used WD-40
    oil (www.wd40company.com) and it worked! Now, both bezels can turn left and right very easily.
    Problem is that they both turn both sides (originally, one only turn left and the other only turn right) and they don't make any 'click'
    sound. Besides that, the inner bezel is somehow 'glued' to the outer bezel so they turn left and right together.
    How can I post some photos?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi MC,

    Good to hear that you have success with the WD-40. As for the photos, you can send it to me at horologycrazy@gmail.com and I will post it as a blog entry. Would be great if you can do that so that we can share this with everybody.

    Best regards,

    Ivan

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Ivan,
    Can you please tell me where I can get a new O ring or what size it is for the MD-703 as I need to replace the battery in mine.
    Many Thanks, Hylton

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hylton,

    Welcome to the blog. I apologise as I do not know the size of the gasket or o-ring for the MD-703. I am sure your local Casio Service Center or even your local watch repair guy can get it for you.

    Best regards,

    Ivan

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    ReplyDelete