Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

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tikkathree
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Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by tikkathree »

@footycrazy and I have been chatting over the past couple of days about, specifically, the caseback screws on the Twelve and I've had a short diversion down a rabbit hole: I think that @footycrazy managed to stay above ground :lol:

Things started with an innocent question about slipping the back off a Twelve to regulate a movement and whether in my experience the six visible caseheads were practical rather than simply decorative?

My first reaction was that I knew them to be practical because I had a memory of buying a set of torx headed screwdriver bits from EBay in order to remove a screwed caseback to regulate a movement. But wait a mo, was it actually a Twelve or was it a different watch? :shock: Hmm, better investigate.....

So the first watch to hand was my Twelve X Ti and, lo and behold, a fully threaded caseback with TWELVE flats around the circumference: not a tiny screw in sight.

I should say that I like to regulate my watches and keep all the records in a notebook where I found details of taking recent delivery of my Twelve Nebula (ex EBay) and noting that what I'd done was demagnetise the watch to bring it back into COSC so though the case back hadn't been removed it is held down by six hex headed screws.
20250415_111820.jpg
The "other" watch is a C63 Sealander Elite which does have six torx head screws.
20250415_111957.jpg
You know when "happy ever after" ought to be enough and yet you keep digging? :oops:

What I gleaned via google is that (1) torx heads are recommended for applications where higher torque loading is a requirement, (2) hex/allen screws come in metric and imperial and torx sizes are specific.

I can't bring myself to think of a watch caseback as being a high torque application and certainly my experience across two different CW models is that the screws are little more than finger tight.

So how come the C63 Sealander Elite has torx heads and yet the Twelve has hex heads?
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by monkeymax »

No time to go deep into the rabbit hole with you right now so this’ll be a quick answer!
But those look like Torx plus not just torx screw heads on the C63 (hard to be sure from that photo). Used more commonly now because they’re harder to cam-out and less chance of screw breakage. It also forces the use of the correct bit head rather than just picking a screwdriver and saying “that’ll fit.”

So yes, although they’re primarily used for high torque requirements and the benefits they bring there’s the cam-out prevention that’s become a major selling point for them.
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by mik »

@tikkathree are you sure the screw heads in the Twelve have 12 flats? They look like std hex in your images? (I may have misunderstood your comment)

Asking as I still need a screw for my C1000 (as per this thread. CW don’t have any C1000 screws left, but I suspect those from the Twelve are probably the same…..?? :problem:
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by tikkathree »

mik wrote: Tue Apr 15, 2025 1:58 pm @tikkathree are you sure the screw heads in the Twelve have 12 flats? They look like std hex in your images? (I may have misunderstood your comment)

A photo to clarify: I should have included this in my opener..
20250415_164739.jpg[/attachment Asking as I still need a screw for my C1000 (as per this [url= https://www.christopherwardforum.com/general-discussion/c1000-or-general-valjoux-7750-clicking-t58346-15.html?hilit=C1000#p1025633]thread[/url]. CW don’t have any C1000 screws left, but I suspect those from the Twelve are probably the same…..?? :problem: [/quote] 1.5mm hex/allen or torx / torx plus T6? I'd hope they have both. [attachment=0]20250415_164739.jpg
1.5mm hex/allen or torx / torx plus T6? I'd hope they have both.
20250415_164739.jpg
Last edited by rkovars on Tue Apr 15, 2025 5:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Placed photo inline.
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by tikkathree »

monkeymax wrote: Tue Apr 15, 2025 12:24 pm No time to go deep into the rabbit hole with you right now so this’ll be a quick answer!
But those look like Torx plus not just torx screw heads on the C63 (hard to be sure from that photo). Used more commonly now because they’re harder to cam-out and less chance of screw breakage. It also forces the use of the correct bit head rather than just picking a screwdriver and saying “that’ll fit.”

So yes, although they’re primarily used for high torque requirements and the benefits they bring there’s the cam-out prevention that’s become a major selling point for them.
I bow to your greater knowledge on fasteners and should also (just in case someone here happens to know him) admit that I didn't involve my engineer son in my researches. :oops: Your point about cam-out prevention underlines my puzzle as to why the newer watch has the "lesser" hex/allen screws.
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by mik »

@tikkathree ah - with the image I now fully get your earlier point :lol:

I’d be really grateful if you could remove one of the hex screws from your watch to confirm that they look like this (just removed from my C1000 to photograph).
Edit: not asking if your can take a picture of it etc - happy to take your opinion on it looks / doesn’t look like mine.

If you can confirm the model no of your watch, maybe I can convince CW to sell me one?

(I too was a bit amazed that they don’t have any C1000 case back screws any more - what if they need to replace on on a watch that is in for service?)

Image
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by tikkathree »

mik wrote: Tue Apr 15, 2025 7:32 pm @tikkathree ah - with the image I now fully get your earlier point :lol:

I’d be really grateful if you could remove one of the hex screws from your watch to confirm that they look like this (just removed from my C1000 to photograph).
Edit: not asking if your can take a picture of it etc - happy to take your opinion on it looks / doesn’t look like mine.

If you can confirm the model no of your watch, maybe I can convince CW to sell me one?

(I too was a bit amazed that they don’t have any C1000 case back screws any more - what if they need to replace on on a watch that is in for service?)

Image
@mik of course but it'll be later as I have an unusually busy day. @footycrazy I don't suppose by any chance that you can get to this one before me please?
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by mik »

Zero rush from my side gents - it’s been 1 screw down for quite some time :)
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by tikkathree »

mik wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 9:52 am Zero rush from my side gents - it’s been 1 screw down for quite some time :)
Here you go. Hex/allen key from Twelve, finger tight.
20250416_115451.jpg
20250416_115712.jpg
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by mik »

@tikkathree awesome - thank you! :thumbup:

C1000 might be anodised black, but they appear to be an identical size.

Sorry to continue the thread hijack, but could you please confirm the model no for the watch you took that from so I can approach CW? :)
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Re: Case back secured with screws but hex/allen or Torx?

Post by tikkathree »

mik wrote: Wed Apr 16, 2025 1:21 pm @tikkathree awesome - thank you! :thumbup:

C1000 might be anodised black, but they appear to be an identical size.

Sorry to continue the thread hijack, but could you please confirm the model no for the watch you took that from so I can approach CW? :)
Twelve Chronometer Nebula.
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