Posted: 5/14/2025 11:04:52 AM EDT
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This is my tale of self-inflicted woe. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable than I can shed some light. Apologies if this is the wrong place to post this. Pointing me in the right direction welcomed. Timex Waterbury Chronograph. Worked well enough and didn't send me to the poorhouse.  Had to replace the battery, and not being any sort of watchmaker or repairman, I did not realize the pitfalls of re-seating the interference-fit back piece by tapping rather than with a press. Oops. So, one of the hands fell off into the crystal. To access the watch face and replace that hand, I needed to remove the works from the case (something I had never done) which also led to prying off the front part that holds the crystal as well. In the process of doing that, all other hands but the hour hand also fell off, despite trying to use a light touch and not be ham-fisted. Removing the stem was also necessary. Accomplished without trauma. I have now managed to carefully press the hands back on and would like to re-assemble, but for one thing - there is a tiny spring of unknown origin. It is in the picture below, just to the right of the 3. Can anyone tell me where it might belong? It doesn't slide over the stem, and I haven't spotted any obvious place for it.  The spring does not appear to belong in any of the pusher buttons, as they function normally. Thanks very much for any guidance! |
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Ooh! Would you be kind enough to explain what a takedown detent is? Originally Posted By Emoto: Originally Posted By ctfish15: In before you figure out it's for the takedown detent ... Ooh! Would you be kind enough to explain what a takedown detent is? I think that was an attempt at humor. I have never opened a Timex to change the battery, but I have changed a number of Casio batteries. In all of them, there was a spring that size that was vertical and it was to make contact with the back cover. I am guessing it grounded against the metal back cover. Attached File |
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If somebody tries to kill you... you try to kill them right back!
"You can get more done with a kind word and a gun... than with a kind word alone!" Al Capone
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Originally Posted By DasRonin: I think that was an attempt at humor. I have never opened a Timex to change the battery, but I have changed a number of Casio batteries. In all of them, there was a spring that size that was vertical and it was to make contact with the back cover. I am guessing it grounded against the metal back cover. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/70257/Watch_with_small_spring_jpg-3540337.JPG Sorry; I guess I am a little humor-impaired when looking at mechanical things.  Thanks for posting that image and your thoughts about it! I will take a look and see if it looks like this watch has a similar design. 
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Ooh! Would you be kind enough to explain what a takedown detent is? Originally Posted By Emoto: Originally Posted By ctfish15: In before you figure out it's for the takedown detent ... Ooh! Would you be kind enough to explain what a takedown detent is? Put the watch in a big Ziploc bag while you insert the 1/4" clevis pin in the ... Wait ... Wrong thing 
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Originally Posted By Emoto: Ooh! Would you be kind enough to explain what a takedown detent is? We’ve all got a dozen or so of them in dusty corners of our garages It’s the spring that pushes the takedown detent in the channel on the takedown pin on your AR. |
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Originally Posted By FredMan: We’ve all got a dozen or so of them in dusty corners of our garages It’s the spring that pushes the takedown detent in the channel on the takedown pin on your AR. Thanks. I'll have to look for that next time I clean one of the ARs. I haven't experienced anything flying out of an AR yet. |
Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.
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In case anyone is interested, I reassembled the watch without the mystery spring, a month or so ago, and it has been working fine. No indication that I can discern of any issue due to the missing spring. I saved the spring, just in case I ever stumble across more info.
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Don't confuse where I live with where I'm from.