How to Remove a Watch Back with No Notch?

Introduction – Remove a Watch Back with No Notch

If you own a watch that does not have a traditional center-mounted crown, you can either have your watch serviced professionally to have the watch serviced by the watchmakers or you can take it to an after-market watch repair shop for the watch to be serviced at an inexpensive cost. On the after-market service shop, you will have to remove the watch from its case and the crown will be removed manually without the use of tools.

On an after-market shop, the watch is serviced with a powerful oscillating force via the crown. The oscillating force can be strong enough to do the job at an after-market shop and it can be done by using a lightweight bench tool. However, it is much more laborious on an amateur watchmaker like you to use a bench tool to move a large watch case. On an after-market watch repair shop, the work is done automatically and you won’t have to do the heavy work. In the procedures below, you will be removing a watch back without a notch. Let’s get insights and deep dive into the methods.

Table Of Contents

Introduction – Remove a Watch Back with No Notch
Conclusion

1. The Usage of Small Pin to Pry the Watch Back – Method 1

This is a common method used by watch repair shops. The procedure is very simple and takes less than a minute to complete.

You will first need to open the case and take out the strap of the watch.
From the back, use a small pin to pry the back case of the watch away from the watch.
Once the back case is removed, you will be left with a normal watch back with no notch.
Using a little, bent pin, you can slide the back case on to a clean area of your desk.

It is very important that you use a thin pin that will not be damaged by the prying of the case back. You can use a smaller pin but it can damage the outer layer of the case. So, care is must!

2. Use A Hammer and a Screwdriver – Method 2

This method is also very simple. You will need a hammer and an easy-to-hold drill. The drill bit can be used with a small hammer or you can use a hammer alone. If you are not comfortable with the drill bit, you can take out the watch case.

Use a flat-head screwdriver to remove the back if you want to get a completely clean view of the watch.
Open the small nuts if there, or slightly tilt it over the back to remove it easily.
Now that the back is open, you can use a bench tool or a hammer to gently push the case back in.

It is important that the watch is well balanced while you are using the drill bit. It should not wobble. It is very important that you do not press too hard on the case because it can break the crown of the watch.

3. The Use of Lever or a Jig – Method 3

Instead of drilling a hole in the watch case, you can take out the watch with a lever or a jig. This method works with most types of watches. You will need the proper tools to remove a watch from a watch case with a lever, but it is more time-consuming to remove the watch with a jig and you might damage the watch if you make a mistake.

To remove a watch, you will first need a small lever to remove the watch from the case.
Press it little bit to the back of the clock to remove the back.
It will be removed easily but don’t put so much force as it can break the watch.
In our case, we used a simple lever with a tiny hammer.

It will only work with a small watch and will cost you less than $5. It takes about a minute to remove a watch if you follow the correct procedure.

4. The Fold-up Technique – Method 4

This method is a bit longer but can be a great alternative to the pin-pushing and drilling method. You will need to buy the tools. We use a thin-gauge wire to lift the board to move it in a specific direction.

You will need a fine tape or thin-gauge wire to fold inside a small flat board.
The folded-up method can be used to do the pinning, drilling and lifting of a watch.
Now, drill the back side of watch without damaging it.
Use a pin to remove it without more drilling.
Note that you will need special tools to fold a flat board and you will also need a jig to lift the board.
You will probably need to use two arms to lift the board. This makes it difficult to use any kind of lever.

You will need a certain amount of patience, especially when the board is at a different angle to the arm, that will make it difficult to turn. But it can be a great solution if you cannot use the other techniques.

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5. The Side-to-Side Method

This method is very useful if you don’t have the right tools to remove the watch case. If you want to have a completely clean view of the watch, it is best to take the watch off in the front.

You will need a 3/8″ flat-headed screwdriver to remove the watch from the watch case with a hole.
The only other tool you will need is a special gimlet-head wrench.
Take the watch and use wrench to open it by holding it inside the wrench.
Give a little pressure and the back will be removed without any damage.
It takes less than a minute to remove a watch with this method, but the bracelet is easier to remove using a side-to-side method.

The smaller wrench will fit perfectly without its outer case. It can be difficult to turn the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona when it is partially in the case. Use the side-to-side method.

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Why to Remove a Watch Back?

Is there really such a thing as a watch case that doesn’t have a back? Watch companies still make watches with metal backs that do not have a nut, but most watch companies offer different back types. The most common are the classical (or “rebirth”) and the plexiglass. Here are few reasons why it is a good idea to remove a watch back, so you can clean it up or do your mechanics.

1. Maintaining a clean face and mineral crystal

Keeping the watch clean will always be better than trying to clean up a dirty one. Removing a watch back enables you to keep the main case clean and free of dust. Removing a watch back will help keep the watch cleaner. Also, a clean face means no scratches.

When we remove a watch back, it is common for the face to be scratched by the watch case. The edges of the case that touch the dial are difficult to clean. However, the side that faces you may be unscratched. When we remove the watch back, we sometimes leave marks on the case that we can clean off.

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2. Easy-to-see dial and hands

Removing a watch back allows you to keep the crystal face and dial sharp and clear. You can remove the back on the same watch face that you currently use. This also makes it easier to clean the crystal face by giving you access to a polish.

You can use a magnet or a chamfer stick to clean it, but if you are careful, you can use a side-to-side method. Removing a watch back will make it easier to see the dial and hands. It is better to have a clean and sharp dial and hands than having the backing of the case interfering with your view of it.

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3. Best for Changing Cells

If you need to change the batteries on your watch and do not want to go to a watch repairing shop, you can try removing the back first. When we remove a back, we usually use a special tool called a “Key Blade.”

If you have a similar Key Blade, you can take the back out of your watch by using this tool. It is best to remove the back of your watch when you are close by and you can see the back easily. Remove the back of your watch using a special tool.

4. Preventing scratches and corrosion

There are four types of removable watch backs: steel, plexiglass, rubber, and rubber cases. All of these are durable and can be used with a watch repair shop if needed.

Removing back is easy way to prevent scratches and notches on the face of the watch. Plexiglass watches are a favorite of DIY watch repair experts because they can be removed without damaging the crystal or crystal face.

Conclusion

We have introduced five methods of removing watch back to help you in many different situations. If you need to take a watch apart in an emergency, removing the watch back may be the best way to get to the innards of the watch. The biggest benefits are keeping your watch cleaner and easier to see. We have often used a standard Swiss Army Knife with a small flat head screwdriver to remove watch backs. We hope that these five ways will help you decide whether to remove the watch back or not.