I use a rubber ball and if it can't open the watch then i give it to an expert.

As you say i don't want to damage the vintage original finish and i don't want to butcher my hand like Javier!!

Rich

: This is a topic I have have been willing to post already for some
: time now...well as most of you guys already know, time is not
: always on my side ;-)

: How do most of us watch-collectors open our precious vintage
: (and non-vintage) watches, to see what's inside, to check the
: condition of movement, to admire the technic?? I realize
: there is also a big part of us collectors which don't open their
: watches themselves (and often that's also the smartest choice).

: I really don't know howmany watches I already held in my hands,
: howmany casebacks I've opened. I'm still very young but I think
: I can say I do have some skills in opening watchcases. When I
: get a watch in my hands I obviously first check condition of
: dial and hands and almost immediately after checking those I
: verify the condition caseback. In at least 75% of the watches I
: held in my hands, the watches had some marks of opening the
: caseback...and that's such a shame!! For me a perfect watch with
: just a small mark/scratch due to unprofessional handling is very
: frustrating...

: And let me be clear. Opening a watchcase has nothing to do with the
: actual value of the watch (ofcourse this influences our
: behaviour but in fact it shouldn't)...whether it is a $20 watch
: or a $20000 watch. When you do something...try to do it right,
: always try to achieve perfection and not leaving any
: marks/scratches on the caseback after opening and closing it
: back again.

: I'm sure most of you guys know the frustrating feeling of a ruined
: caseback.

: I always try to imagine how people actually can abuse these
: casebacks so much, there are some real watch-butchers out
: there...be carefull!!

: So, let's get out our camera's and let's take some pictures of the
: tool we use to open our watches...let us learn from eachother
: and see which tools there are available and wich tools we really
: should avoid to use.

: For me personally, I have only 1 tool to open a watch (in fact 2 if
: you also take the holder in account)...one tool that enables me
: to open 99% of the watches available worldwide...more details
: and pictures later...

: I already look forward to see your watch-opening-tool and to learn
: your way of dealing with this ;-) I hope this will become a
: usefull topic...

: Cheers,
: Abel.