The Breitling Watch Source Forums

I recently purchased a model 1809 Cosmonaute. I took it flying on Sunday and noticed condensation under the crystal. Being a watchmaker, I removed the case back to pull the movement and I found that the gasket has turned to a soft jelly. It is totally useless. I've worked on a lot of watches and encountered soft gaskets, but none like this one. It is almost liquid. Does anybody have experience cleaning the old junk out of the case groove? I prefer not to remove the bezel and crystal, so I just can't toss it into a jar of powerful cleaning solution.

Thanks,

Onewatchnut

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger

Not sure how liquid you mean, but can you use a toothpick with some cotton around the end - like a fine point q-tip?

No, this stuff is like a gel, pegwood will probably be stiff enough to get most of it, I just want to get the groove totally clean before installing the new one. So, I'm looking for some type of mild solvent that won't cause damage if it accidentally comes in contact with either the crystal or bezel.

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger

Oh, sorry, got you.

What about naphtha - I can't recall if that is safe on crystal or not, but will dry residue free. Just be careful as the flashpoint of pure naphtha is very low (57c if I recall), and obviously fumes should be avoided.

How about isoproponol? We use that at work for all sorts of applications

Might be a bit harsh for some of the treated metal parts, it's not something I'm familiar with in watch servicing / cleaning.

Thanks for all the ideas. I ended up using hairspring cleaning solution. You know, "One Dip" and all the knockoffs. I used pegwood to get most of the gasket out. Then I soaked a Q-Tip with One Dip and got the groove good and wet with the solution, followed by pegwood carved to fit the groove at one end and carved to a point at the other end. Between the two, I was able to get the remaining gasket out of the channel with several cycles of the process.

The pushers and crown were in the same condition. I put them in a small jar of One Dip and ran them in the ultrasonic for a while. Again, pegwood got the case clean. I still have a little but of stuff in the crown, but I should be able to get it.

I'm sure there's a better way, but this got it done with some effort.

Oh, be sure to turn the fan on if you try this! You need good ventilation when using the One Dip or it's relatives.

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger

Glad it worked out - yet another use for pegwood

One Dip does a good job, and of course it's residue free, but you're right - it stinks!