Below is an outline on how to remove the movement from the case with photos!
This guide is intended for basic troubleshooting as well as those experiencing fogging due to high humidity or submerging
First step is to remove the caseback – it can be untightened by rotating it counter-clockwise.
You can remove one of the screws on the bracelet to have easier access to the caseback.
The caseback may be fairly tight – you can use a rubber ball, hockey puck, wet towel to provide some leverage in order to twist it off.
Once the caseback is removed, unfasten the crown into the neutral (winding) position.
In the center of the blue circled area above is a little indentation – it’s one end of the lever that holds the crown in place.
You need to depress the indented area very gently, and at the same time pull the whole crown out of the case.
Once again, depress it very gently!
You can use a toothpick or a small screwdriver/pin, whatever you have access to.
Once the crown is pulled out – there is nothing holding the movement to the case!
Some watch styles have a white plastic holder ring that secure it in place, you can remove this by prying it up
Carefully flip over the case – the movement should drop out with little difficulty.
Some cases have slightly more pressure holding the movement to the case, so if it doesn’t drop out easily you can pry up a corner of the movement and then flip the case over.
Use the palm of your hand to cover the back of the case while flipping.
The movement can rest on the palm of your hand or on a table.
If the watch has condensation/fogging issues, remove the movement from the watch and let it air dry for a few days.
If you have an air conditioner, having the A/C running in the same room speeds up drying as the air is more dry.
To remove the piece of lint or other dust particles, I would advise using a bit of masking tape as it is not super sticky.
Painters tape would be ideal such as the green one
Once the movement is ready to be re-installed, put the movement carefully on the palm of your hand, and gently put the case back on.
Flip it over and double check that the channels are aligned.
Make sure the area in red is centered.
Once that is done, you should be able to re-insert the crown back into the movement with minimal pressure.
Rotate the crown clockwise slowly as you put it into the case.
It should click back into place, you do not need to depress the lever portion to re-insert the crown.
If the crown is not sliding in easily, double check the alignment of the movement to the case.
Once the crown is in, fasten it back into the case, and reinstall the caseback and you should be good to go!
We hope this guide is helpful in helping you resolve some minor issues one may come across!
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