How do I remove the stem from my 12 size Rockford watch? There are two different screws that could possibly be the detent screw and they are both difficult to move.

The one at roughly 2:00 above the winding wheel moves a bit and seems to be involved, but it only turns 1/4 turn. It may be a let-down screw. The other screw provides a back stop for the click, but could also do double duty as the detent screw.

Can anyone help? (You can click on the thumbnail to make it big.)

Tom
The one at the 2 o'clock position,if it is the letdown screw,you could check it by winding the spring a couple of turns,then turn the screw the 1/4 turn you say it goes, while holding the crown,and see if the spring will letdown,as you release some of the hold on the crown. Just a thought.


Frank

Tom - this model does not have a detent screw. It is negative setting, like most American watches of this era. Once you have pulled the stem out into setting position and removed the case screws the movement should tilt out of the case. It may be that an incorrect stem that is too thick could be binding or sticking in the winding arbor. Aside from the plate screw between the click and the crown wheel, there is the click stop screw (alongside the click) and a shop screw on the other side of the crown wheel that should hold the mechanism in winding position when it is out of the case. On Hamiltons these are often blued.

Thanks Jerry,

I finally worked my courage up to just take out the case screws late last night and found that it was negative setting. The screw at 2:00 had confused me.

The 2:00 position screw seems to affect the adjustment of the negative setting also, but I have not yet taken off the dial to see.

How difficult do the experts think it would be to dish and polish the winding wheel? Unfortunately this part only appears on the 300 and 305 so I think it will be devilishly hard to find. Similarly the rounded and polished whiplash spring looks to be unique to the top grade 12 size Rockford.