As you all know, we don’t do quartz watches, but this one if from a parent from my youngest daughters playgroup, so we do make exceptions 😉
The poor watch has lost the luminous compound from the hour hand, and the bezel ring has gone awol. Being a TAG, you can’t buy spares as an independent, so we have to get a bit creative here …
No wonder TAG watches are so expensive – the ETA 955.412 will set you back a whopping £ 10 wholesale, and the plastic case ring, injection moulded by Tibetan virgins, will add another £ 0.10 to the production cost. So well worth every penny (£ 795) you pay for it 😉
The hour hand has lost its luminous compound.
As I can’t buy a new bezel, it’s off to my trusted lathe.
Voila – new luminous compound, and a hand-made bezel ring, and we are back in business.
This is no Tag Heuer F1, but a Tag Heuer 2000. There is no plastic bezel for these, but a solid full metal one. There’s always some listed at Ebay for little money. Both used and NOS. Typical price of USD 50. That would be a even better solution than making a plain bezel.
New Turning bezel with holding spring # HL0106/R
Description: Sand-blasted steel
New Bezel friction spring # HL2101
Description: 4 clicks
New Hand set H + M + S HA0154
Description: Nickel
Just order, Install, Done.
Hi,
I’m intrigued to learn where you found them available because i’ve had one of these for 4 years with its bezel missing. TAG said they are discontinued but if it was the full size model, they supply the newer WK series with 12 flat sides but there’s no substitute for this, the mid size.
That bezel solution is so good. It looks great!
That new bezel looks much better than the nasty plastic ones that TAG fitted, I never understood the F1 design with all the plastic/rubber bits, they are bound to wear and fall off and make the watch look like a very very cheap thing…..
Does the bezel turn, or is it just a fixed ring for cosmetic reasons? If it turns, you could add a bit of functionality by adding some sort of marker – even a black paint dot could do…
No, it’s just there to fill the space. It doesn’t turn.
Even Tag in Switzerland do not have much of these rotating old F1 bezels anymore. A small few here and there, but that’s all.
Yes, looks like it also has the Mercedes battery protector.
that’s why I don’t buy quartz watches!
:)) add another 10£ for modified eta.black paint to mark the movement is expensive.
In my country there is a word “it’s not stupid who ask, it’s stupid who give”
Haha, yes at least they can claim that their name on the movement adds to the cost of the “base” ETA 😉 . Still I have a soft spot for these quartz Tag Heuer watches for some unknown reason. Probably has to do with the simple uncluttered highly legible dial and robust cases. If they were 10x cheaper I’d add a few to my collection.
I quite like them too. It’s hard not to like a watch you can wear swimming and in the sauna, only adjust the time twice a year and put in a new battery every 4 years. And they look pretty good!
Would you be interested in making another bezel? My daughter has a similar TAG watch with a green plastic bezel and she was asking me where she might get something like this in stainless to replace it.
Hi Chris, do you have a list of watch manufacturers which sell spares to independents? Actually, I am considering a Junghans Meister Chronoscope, so I really hope that Junghans will be on that list.
Junghans use valjoux 7750 on chronoscope.eta movement.but o think it’s not an isue to buy parts for an 40 year movement