The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Anyone know the best way to remove the hands from the dial/movement? I have a NOS 900911 movement coming to replace the working, but EXTREMELY fast 900231 movement, and I need to know how to best remove them, then re-install them.

TIA!

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Chad Jensen
Chronospace

Past B's-
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black Colt GMT
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black SO
Black B-1
Yellow Seawolf Ti
White B-2
Silver Colt GMT
Black Aerospace Avantage LE
Blue Aerospace Avantage
Yellow SO
Blue Aerospace II
Gray Aerospace I
Jupiter 2300

Your best bet will be a hand removal tool from Bergeon (third item down on this link - http://www.tztoolshop.com/page168.html ), BUT as I'm guessing you're not a pro, I'd think twice about messing about with the hands myself. They are very delicate and it requires a bit or skill and practice to get right.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

With the right tools (removers and setters) it's easy. Without, I wouldn't try it. And for a one off vs. the cost of the tools - have someone do it.

Additionally, if the new movement doesn't have a cannon pinion then you will need to remove and replace that which is an absolute nightmare without the right tool - very easy to damage.

Thanks for the tool link...I've seen that site before, and hadn't come across it in some time.

As for buying the tools vs. having someone do it...I'm a "project" kinda guy, and I bought this 2300 just for that reason. I'd never even dream of doing this kinda thing with my Aerospace, but I want to learn, and I don't have much invested in this 2300. Never know when I may need the tools again either...

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Chad Jensen
Chronospace

Past B's-
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black Colt GMT
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black SO
Black B-1
Yellow Seawolf Ti
White B-2
Silver Colt GMT
Black Aerospace Avantage LE
Blue Aerospace Avantage
Yellow SO
Blue Aerospace II
Gray Aerospace I
Jupiter 2300

OK, maybe not to take them off (with the right tool), but I've read a lot of things about novices having problems putting them back on.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Removing the hands without a dial protector is almost guaranteed to leave marks on the dial. So, you will need a dial protector, hand remover and hand setter. Does the replacement movement come with a dial, or do you need to swap the dial as well? That will require additional tools. I assume you have the case and springbar tools if you have gotten this far. If the replacement has a dial attached, you should make sure all the motion works operate prior to installing the hands. Otherwise, you might have to remove them if you need to remove the dial.

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger

Good info...yep, I have almost all the tools needed to this point, except those needed for the hands.

Thanks all...great info here!

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Chad Jensen
Chronospace

Past B's-
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black Colt GMT
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black SO
Black B-1
Yellow Seawolf Ti
White B-2
Silver Colt GMT
Black Aerospace Avantage LE
Blue Aerospace Avantage
Yellow SO
Blue Aerospace II
Gray Aerospace I
Jupiter 2300

I think its best left to the pros for that bit a good watch maker will do it for you and not charge much,I am messer two but I leartnt messing about with a dial that its best left to the experts, No the movement didnt come with a Dial although they often come up on the bay for not a lot of cash

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You will most certainly screw up the hands and probably the dial too, and you will probably bend a pinion in the process. This is going to be a very expensive watchmaking lesson.

Not really...I've got less than $250 in this watch, including the NOS 900911 movement from sonyman. Everything is going fine so far...crown and stem are out, the old movement is out...just waiting for the proper tools to arrive to pull the hands. We'll see how it goes. If all else fails, I'll resell the 900911, and be out a hundred bucks...

_________________
Chad Jensen
Chronospace

Past B's-
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black Colt GMT
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black SO
Black B-1
Yellow Seawolf Ti
White B-2
Silver Colt GMT
Black Aerospace Avantage LE
Blue Aerospace Avantage
Yellow SO
Blue Aerospace II
Gray Aerospace I
Jupiter 2300

.....before you do that! Go and buy a cheapo quartz watch from a local store, even one with faux chrono hands, then practice removing and refitting the hands using the tools. Once you find this to be relatively easy, then proceed with the Jupiter.

To set the hands, I use a small piece of blu-tac on the tip of the hand to align it with 12, before using the hand setter to press down onto the pinion. Using blu-tac (or Rodico) is easier and safer than using tweezers or your fingers!

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Oyster Date '78, Blackbird chrono DLC '10, Blackbird chrono' 02, Navitimer Fighters '02, Aerospace Evo , Seamaster Chrono Diver 300' 02, Carrera cbm2110

Thanks '52! I have two, maybe three to practice with first...no worries buds! I'm dfinitely gonna practice on something else first...

_________________
Chad Jensen
Chronospace

Past B's-
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black Colt GMT
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black SO
Black B-1
Yellow Seawolf Ti
White B-2
Silver Colt GMT
Black Aerospace Avantage LE
Blue Aerospace Avantage
Yellow SO
Blue Aerospace II
Gray Aerospace I
Jupiter 2300

I would have to advocate rodico vs. blu-tac, but yes - rodico is the single most useful substance ever invented for watchmaking!

I'm not sure that you stand much danger of bending or breaking a pinion just by removing hands - it doesn't take much effort, but if you have to remove the cannon pinion then that's a very real risk.

So if anyone is curious how the Jupiter project went...here's a series of pics I took along the way...

The parts I started with, NOS 900911 movement on the right-


In order to remove the hands without marring the dial, I cut some plastic, and laid it over the dial-


Then using the hand removal tool, I popped the hands off, and removed the dial. This was actually VERY easy to do, and they came off with little effort. The dial was clipped in to little guide holes, and it came off with a twist of a flat driver-


Here the dial has been snapped back on to the NOS movement, and the hour hand has been placed back on with a hand setting tool-


Then the minute hand was placed over the hour hand at the straight up 12 position, then I installed the stem to check movement-


I then removed the stem, and installed the movement back in to the case-


Then I installed the battery-


It works!


I put the case back on, and tried to put the crown back on. Here's the one and only part I messed up on. In setting the time, I squeezed the stem a bit too much with the pliers, and now the crown won't go back on with the spring in place-

I also think I lost a small piece that retains the spring inside the crown. So I'll be looking for a new stem with a crown on it.

In the meantime, I put a strap on the watch, and set the current time, and GMT time in the window. It's perfectly wearable at this point, even though it is missing the crown...


So overall, this was a really cool project! I'm REALLY happy that I followed through with it, and go it done. And other than messing up the crown, it turned out great! The new movement is keeping perfect time! Thanks to sonyman for the movement!! Now to find a new stem and crown...hmm...anyone know???

_________________
Chad Jensen
Chronospace

Past B's-
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black Colt GMT
Gray Aerospace SQ
Black SO
Black B-1
Yellow Seawolf Ti
White B-2
Silver Colt GMT
Black Aerospace Avantage LE
Blue Aerospace Avantage
Yellow SO
Blue Aerospace II
Gray Aerospace I
Jupiter 2300

glad it all worked out and all you need is to get the stem try BUSA they might have old ones as spares

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