C60 Crown "cracking"

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ondris
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C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by ondris »

Hi,

I am owner of a C60 Bronze, that looks and feels fantastic!

But I just noticed today, after setting the time, that when I screw down the crown, it makes a sort of cracking/grinding noise.
I don't remember that the sound was present when I first got the watch out of the box.
First I thought there was dust in the thread, but It sounds more like a spring.

Also, it is not as repetitive as the cliks from the Bezel for example.
The "cracks" are quite uneven.

Should I be worried of something?
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Paul Drawmer »

Well, it's not right, as the normal action is completely smooth. From your desciption, either there's grit in there or the crown release spring is caught up on something.
Send it in to CW - give them a ring to ask them what to do.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by ondris »

Thank you Paul.

I have sent an e-mail to CW to see what they think about this.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I'm pretty sure Paul is right, but I'd suggest one thing...

It's a bit difficult to explain, but when screwing down a crown I always turn it (slowly) anticlockwise, while pushing the crown gently in towards the case. When I feel a click, which I guess is the thread seating itself properly, then I roll it clockwise and it always screws down smoothly. Some crowns can be little sods for getting cross-threaded.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by ondris »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:42 am I'm pretty sure Paul is right, but I'd suggest one thing...

It's a bit difficult to explain, but when screwing down a crown I always turn it (slowly) anticlockwise, while pushing the crown gently in towards the case. When I feel a click, which I guess is the thread seating itself properly, then I roll it clockwise and it always screws down smoothly. Some crowns can be little sods for getting cross-threaded.
Your suggestion is interesting, as I have seen the same comment for an Omega watch, and I tried this 5 minutes before your comment has been posted. :)

I must say, the crown runs way smoother with this method.

Also, I let the watch rest for some time just to see If the sound dissapears when it's not fully wound.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Toph »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:42 am I'm pretty sure Paul is right, but I'd suggest one thing...

It's a bit difficult to explain, but when screwing down a crown I always turn it (slowly) anticlockwise, while pushing the crown gently in towards the case. When I feel a click, which I guess is the thread seating itself properly, then I roll it clockwise and it always screws down smoothly. Some crowns can be little sods for getting cross-threaded.

It’s funny as I’ve always done that too. The crown catches the threading easier .. and voila
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote:I'm pretty sure Paul is right, but I'd suggest one thing...

It's a bit difficult to explain, but when screwing down a crown I always turn it (slowly) anticlockwise, while pushing the crown gently in towards the case. When I feel a click, which I guess is the thread seating itself properly, then I roll it clockwise and it always screws down smoothly. Some crowns can be little sods for getting cross-threaded.
Absolutely correct, but there is another step before doing this, which I picked up from the Owners Handbook of my Breguet XX, which is;-

Having (presumably) wound the watch/crown clockwise, to then wind the crown anti-clockwise two or three full turns. This ensures the crown is disengaged from the winding gears.

Then, proceed as per @AVO's instructions above.


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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Ian Mc »

Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:42 am I'm pretty sure Paul is right, but I'd suggest one thing...

It's a bit difficult to explain, but when screwing down a crown I always turn it (slowly) anticlockwise, while pushing the crown gently in towards the case. When I feel a click, which I guess is the thread seating itself properly, then I roll it clockwise and it always screws down smoothly. Some crowns can be little sods for getting cross-threaded.
This is an accepted method of engaging fine threads where it would be very easy to cause damage by incorrect engagement.. Cross threading.
People who regularly work on items requiring reliable thread engagement do this as a matter of routine.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by tikkathree »

Thinks: is there opportunity to participate in this discourse by members of The Honorable Society for Fine Thread Settling or am I too late?

Case backs, gentlemen, case backs.

Oh yes and those naughty Vostoks with their Wobbly Crowns.

QED!
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by ondris »

I don't know if It has something to do with the "screwing down trick" (giving a few anti clockwise turns before going clockwise), but since yesterday the crown runs really smooth.

Might also be the fact that the watch was fully wound ?
I assume there is a system preventing the over wounding?
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

It’s an automatic, so there is a clutch that prevents over winding. If you are wearing it consistently you shouldn’t really need to keep winding it as your activity over a few hours will normally be sufficient to power it up. Then you would only need to undo the crown to adjust the time. The screwing down of the crown should not be dependent on the state of wind of the watch, since pushing the crown in towards the case will disengage the winding mechanism.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Ian Mc »

tikkathree wrote: Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:38 am Thinks: is there opportunity to participate in this discourse by members of The Honorable Society for Fine Thread Settling or am I too late?

Case backs, gentlemen, case backs.

Oh yes and those naughty Vostoks with their Wobbly Crowns.

QED!
Scew down case backs.....
I would recommend turning anti clockwise to engage the threads before tightening these as well.
The thread pitch is fine.. (Pitch is the distance between two peaks on a thread), so, combined with a larger diameter it is easier to get the back misaligned with the thread and subsequent risk of crossthreading.
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by Laird »

The worst culprits are old Pocket Watch case backs but more often the bezel - which needs removing/replacing every time you want to adjust an RailRoad style safety-featured Lever access rather than the usual Pull out of the Crown !
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by heffergm »

I just got a 38mm C60 to compare with an existing 40mm. I immediately noticed the 38mm is doing what the OP described, the 40mm isn't and never did. It isn't anything cross threaded, it feels almost like you're winding the watch as you screw the crown in, like it's acting against a spring. Spinning it anti clockwise before you start to screw it down doesn't have any effect. In fact, it's exactly like adjusting the air screw on a Keihin carburetor... which is basically just that, a screw, backed by a spring. Why it's noticeable on the 38 and not the 40, or whether it's normal I haven't a clue.

Did you ever get a response from CW about this? Also, what size case is your C60?
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Re: C60 Crown "cracking"

Post by b_form »

^ interested in this as well.
I've got the same problem as what OP described (an uneven spring-like clicking when screwing in the crown) on my 40mm Trident 600. The "rotate the other way" doesn't work for me, and I'm sure it's not the misaligned threads.
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