# Crown Tube Worn Out After Only 2 Years



## gallch (Jan 7, 2007)

My beloved O & W M4 is away with Steve at R*te T*me for a new crystal as I finally decided to deal with the damage my also beloved daughter did to it by using it for dive practice in a swimming pool. Have decided to have a non-cyclops crystal for the replacement - just a precaution if it's going to get knocked about that much.

Now, the crown had become really stiff and I asked Steve to take a look at it, and much to my surprise the problem is that the crown tube thread is worn almost to nothing ! The watch is only 2 years old, and admittedly has been in and out of salt water and sand a great deal in that time (beach and desert). Even so, I'm a bit surprised - and so is Steve.

Any views ?

Chris


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

Salt water and sand don't mix with watches, simple thing is did you rinse the watch after going in the sea ? or just let it dry natuarally


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

The M watches are also easy to cross-thread in my experience :lookaround:


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

Best to grab a little tub of silicone from your local dive shop, that they use on gaskets and apply a small little bit with a pin to the threads in the future, for all threaded ones. A replacement tube and crown can easily be obtained there is room in the crown guard for even a touch larger crown too, cheap enough.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I am surprised too, I would have thought the only way to wear out the threads would be by unscrewing and screwing the crown a great deal of times... :huh:


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## gallch (Jan 7, 2007)

Well thanks everyone. I did take care to rinse it in fresh water after it had been in the sea each time but not immediately so that might have been part of the problem. I suppose given that I haven't been wearing it every day, or using a watch winder, I might have had to unscrew and screw the crown more than otherwise, but there we go. It did cross-thread a couple of times too, but I doubt that would have produced that amount of wear.

Once I get it back I'll invest in a tube of silicon, see how it goes for the next 2 years and yet you all know.

Off out for New Year Hogmanay party soon with my Nautica on board.

See you in 2009 !

Chris


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## gallch (Jan 7, 2007)

Well, it's on its way back and apparently the problem was to do with the unusually narrow thread of the crown tube, so more prone to wear. In fact, Steve found that the thread was so much narrower than the standard that he couldn't replace it like for like and therefore has had to replace the crown as well so the threads will match.

But he's not charging me for the additional cost of the new crown, which is very handsome of him.


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## trumpetera (Feb 19, 2005)

WOW! 

I've had my M-5 for well over 6 years now without a problem, and I tend to screw down my crowns (on watches) TIGHT!!!

Sounds like bad luck to me.

BTW, let's see some O&W pics here on the forum!!


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