Despite the “Rolex” on the dial (which refers to the case), this is a Tudor watch, as it has a Tudor movement. Philip sent it in, and it has a couple of problems – you can wind it, but it doesn’t run, the crown doesn’t screw down, and there are some hairs under the crystal.
The most likely cause for the movement not working is a broken mainspring, and that’s easy to fix. The movement will need a service anyway, and I got to sort out the crown.
The pendant tube thread is fine, which is good, so we only need a new crown. There are two choices: original Rolex for £180, or generic for £18. Factor 10, and Philip makes the same choice that I would have made. You can always buy a Rolex crown later if you feel like it, but the difference of £162 will pay for a lot!
Time to take the movement apart. I start off with the bottom plate.
Now it’s time for the top plate. You can see that I have already removed the balance jewels.
As I thought, the mainspring is broken. I would have replaced it, anyway, so no big deal.
I start by putting the balance jewels back in and oiling them.
The gear train back in place. There is a bit of oxidisation on the click wheel, but that won’t affect anything.
A great little movement. The escape wheel has two cap jewels as well, so we really don’t have a huge difference to a Rolex movement – apart from the level of decoration.
The bottom plate is back together.
I press the bezel over the new crystal.
And now I can case the movement.
Now everything is back together, I waterproof test. I have a slight loss (10% in one minute), and that probably comes from the oxidised case back. I did clean that up as well as I could, but 10% isn’t a big deal. The watch will be fine for doing the dishes and taking a shower, just not for diving.
A great looking watch – I like that black dial very much.
Never say taking a shower with a watch on is ok!!
The lower density of the hot water can get past seals where cold water wouldn’t.
Soap scum sticking to the case / bracelet is pretty yuk and in this case it’ll kill the leather strap in short order too.
I’m a watchmaker – I know a little bit about this stuff.
I was awarded a Tudor Prince quartz in Mar 25, 1989 inscribed on the Tudor clasp. It has worked faithfully since that date. However a few years ago when I had the battery replaced the dial change color for blue to brown (tan). This has made it difficult to read. This has the original Oyster case by Rolex Geneva. It has the gold steel band. Would you be able to tell me why the dial changed color.
Thank you.
LeRoy
Could it be that the battery was empty? If it was, it probably gassed which lead to the discoloration.
Great write up, I’m in the US and just got a 7934 Tudor with 1156 movement from ebay.
It has the same issue of the crown not screwing down, The watch will wind maybe one time and start moving but won’t let you wind past that. Question is, do you know what is the correct crown and tube size for this watch? Not expecting a response but if so, any help would be much appreciated.
Best,
Sean
Here’s a link to the watch:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F272960592439
you can find crowns and tubes by case reference at cousinsuk.com – they ship to the US
Hi, do you know where I would get an 818 Tudor mainspring from and pay using PayPal.
Thanks Kev.
That might be too much to ask for.
Hi
I really enjoy reading you Blog. A great lesson in watch repair.
I have a Tudor oyster 1978 with 34mm case. I need to replace the crown and tube. I have a Cousins account but I am struggling to settle on the product to buy.
worn Crown width 5.4mm
worn pendant tube width 3.8mm
Considering C9059
https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/twinlock-rolex-053mm-06mm-external-thread
any advice?
Hi my mum has a 1973 tudor royal solid gold watch with a gold bracelet but I cant really read the codes as they are tiny. The winder no longer works. It has NEVER been serviced. We only got 40 years service….Do you think it would be worth getting repaired? I don’t think that it would be valuable.
You only got 40 years out of it without servicing it????? Yes, it’s worth repairing, and yes, it’s valuable.
Hi how can I contact you? I need a watch repair in a Tudor submariner.
I suggest the “Contact” link on the menu above 😉
Hi Christian,
I’ve literally just picked one of these up with a cracked crystal. Just wondered what crystal you used for the replacement and where I might get one in the UK. I am assuming it has a tension ring?
Cheers Russ.
You can get the crystal at cousinsuk.com
Hi, cool thanks for that I’ve found it.
Just looking over your post again and see you’ve removed the bezel, placed the crystal and replaced the bezel.
Cheers!
One question, is possible replace a tudor Oyster prince date day dial with a Rolex on?
Not in this workshop. It’s Tudor.
I would like a quote for repair of a tudor prince watch purchased 1992/3.
The watch has suffered moisture damage and the movement is partially damaged, the dial & date disc are damaged by moisture as are the hands.
The bracelet is worn and strained and the glass is incorrect, it should be a sapphire glass.
I am afraid there is no way that I can quote without seeing the watch. Book a repair slot, and we can take it from there.
I really appreciate this site. Thanks very much for the perfect photos and the breakdowns of the movements. I am a mostly self-taught enthusiast who works primarily with pocket watches. I paid 25 cents U.S. for a broken Tudor Oyster with an 1156 movement that I found in a box of books at a book sale. I’ve taken apart the movement and found that it has a broken setting lever spring. Any idea where I can find one of these? Thanks very much.
Hi Gerry,
Tudors have standard movements, so check out the calibre number (should be close to the balance, you might have to take that out), and you can order your parts from ofrei.com.
Thank you for this post. I love Tudor watches, including the newer ones. Can you provide information around the size of the watches you service? It is always difficult to guess, especially with older ones. Best, Jean-Luc
I guess I should measure watches in the future…
That would be fantastic!