# Damaged Stem Seiko 6309-7040



## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

Hi chaps, this is the first time I've had a watch properly apart - its been just taking the back off until now. So armed with my new christmas toys I'm having a bit of a tinker.

As its my first time at this, I hope you'll excuse me if some of the terms I'm about to use are 'noddy'. Please feel free to correct me.

I bought a a 6309-7040 with a 'damaged crown' as a project for me to play with

I've got the crown and stem out and removed the movement.

Examining the outside of the tube the stem slides into, I found a damaged seal and a load of crud where the tube joins the case. I've scraped most of this out and it felt like sand that had been mixed with glue.

I'm a bit premature now because I think I still have to get more of that crud out, but I need to know where the thread is that locks the crown in. So I can inspect it and make sure its OK.

So can somebody either point me to a web site which has very detailed info on this (I've googled but can't find anything) or better still, tell me what I'm looking for (it'd be much better having a repair 'buddy' than trying to just do it from just reading stuff)

I'd really appreciate your help in my first - but not last - foray into watch repair.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

The 6309 diver has a tube that has threads on the outside, the crown has the threads on the inside.....

The bad news is that if the tube has very worn threads then the case is buggered, these cannot be replaced unlike a lot of tubes in other divers cases...


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

You can see the threads on the tube in this pic..


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## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

Blimey, that was quick Jasonm. Thank you.

I'd started to suspect there may be a thread on the outside of the tube. But there was so much crud in there it was more like archeology than horology trying to figure it out.

Right, back to my archeology then, see if I can clean the threads out. Not holding out much luck though if the threads are full of this stuff I've been digging out.


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## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

Help guys.

When I put the winder back in the watch and attempt to adjust the time it's OK forwards, but trying to change backwards unwinds the stem from the crown. Do I need to put loctite onto the end of the stem ?

Thanks

Ian


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Yep, loctite will do the trick...


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## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

Thanks again Jasonm

I have another question for you I'm afraid, because I was perhaps a bit premature saying its all working and I've just got to put it back together.

Does this look like an original stem?










I've got the crown to screw to the case without the stem attached. But with the movement back in the case and the stem attached to the crown it just will not screw down. Having looked on fleabay I've found a couple of pics which show the male and female parts of the stem and they don't look like this.

So now I'm wondering if its possible that all the crud I had to dig out of the crown thread and the crown itself were put there on purpose after someone bodged the crown with a stem which doesn't fit.

Thanks in anticipation

Ian


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## rdwiow (Aug 15, 2008)

Barreti said:


> Thanks again Jasonm
> 
> I have another question for you I'm afraid, because I was perhaps a bit premature saying its all working and I've just got to put it back together.
> 
> ...


Ian

Does the crown have a thread for the stem to screw in to? Can this thread be depressed, ie is it spring loaded? If it is, then

I would suggest the stem is too long, from your picture it looks as though a stem extender is fitted, try unscrewing this and fit the stem to the crown without this extender. Hope this may help.

Rob


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## johnbaz (Jan 30, 2005)

hi

from memory, when i put my 6309-7049 dive watch together, the stem was a two piece affair and as already stated, spring loaded, i didn't photograph the build unfortunately 

your stem looks like it may have come from a 6309 dress watch...

regards, john


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I dont mean to state the obvious, but you are pressing in the stem release button on the movement as your pushing the stem back into the case arnt you?


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## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

Thanks for the replies chaps.

A spring ?!

No, no spring anywhere 

The crown has, blimey, this is hard to describe, well it feels like the stem screws into a thread which is proud of the bottom of the crown - if you know what I mean. I suppose a spring could go into there too and sit around the raised thread but to be honest I thought a gasket might sit in there as I got a bit of rubber out with my cleaning job.

Tell you what, it never dawned on me that my stem has an extender on it. Its so bloomin obvious now I look at it too. So perhaps a good soak in WD40 and see if I can get that extender bit off might actually do the job.

I'll have a stab at that when I get home.

As a last resort I could cut a couple of mil off the stem, but that is as a really last resort.

One other thing that puzzles me.

The stem tube which is part of the case sticks out about say 4-5mm and the top of it - the bit furthest from the case - is rolled slightly and there is not a sight of a gasket apart from the caseback gasket. I'd like to put a gasket in if only to stop the dreaded dust (I'm under no illusions I'll ever swim in this watch now) so how does it fit on the crown/stem/tube?

Thanks for listening!

Ian


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## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

jasonm said:


> I dont mean to state the obvious, but you are pressing in the stem release button on the movement as your pushing the stem back into the case arnt you?


Better to state the obvious than say after the event "Oh, I thought that but it was too obvious so didn't mention it" though Jason.

Yes I am pressing the button. I push the stem in gently and wiggle it so it finds it own way in, then press the release button and push it home.

The functions all work OK when its back in again but it _just_ won't push in far enough to be able to screw it down.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Right , can you get the stem to engage properly with the movement with all the correct functions while not in the case?

If the stem srewed in and worked before then it should still do so....

Was the stem in the 'crown out' hand changing position when you released the stem?


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## Barreti (Apr 18, 2008)

Yes I can get it all to function correctly while not in the case but the crown has never screwed down when its all together. This would have been hampered by the glue+sand/grit I scraped out of all the threads and the bottom of the recess where the crown sits when it's screwed in.

Was the stem in the 'crown out' position - I can't honestly say. But when it wouldn't screw down it was all working but just - by a fraction - was not quite down far enough to screw in.

The crown positions were all doing what they should. One click and forward/back to adjust the day/date and another click to adjust the time. So I figured I had it put together properly. Is it possible the position of the crown before it was released is the problem then?

I appreciate your comments Jason. I wish I'd worn the watch to work and brought some tools. Its so damned boring here today I could have had another got at it.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Barreti said:


> Yes I can get it all to function correctly while not in the case but the crown has never screwed down when its all together. This would have been hampered by the glue+sand/grit I scraped out of all the threads and the bottom of the recess where the crown sits when it's screwed in.
> 
> Was the stem in the 'crown out' position - I can't honestly say. But when it wouldn't screw down it was all working but just - by a fraction - was not quite down far enough to screw in.
> 
> ...


Not if its all ok whilst not in the case....

Mmmmm dunno what to suggest next really.....You can get new stems from 'thewatchcollector' on ebay,I guess you have nothingto loose by trying to shorten the stem slightly....


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