TT1 bezel inlay change: Possible? Easy?

[tfar]

I have the TT1 GMT Worldtimer. Wonderful watch. They later came out with the GMT "only" model that has a 24h bezel instead of a city bezel. Otherwise exactly the same watch. I'd love to be able to change the bezel inlays out myself. I know for Rolex GMTs that is possible. If the bezel inlay itself can't be changed I'd be willing to change the entire bezel.

So here are my questions:

1. Are inlays or bezels available separately?
2. Is it possible to change them yourself?
3. What tools are needed?

Thanks for your help!

Till

[dmb2000]

I always thought the watch would look sweet with an all black timing bezel. Sometimes I love the world timer and sometimes I don't. This is the reason I have not taken it to the shop and checked on getting another bezel placed on it. I would guess that the inlay is glued into the bezel and it might be less damaging to just have the whole thing replaced. I have one watch that has a bezel that comes off easily, to allow you to changes bezels with a simple case knife. After looking at the bezel, I am not sure how easy it is to just pop out the insert and replace it.

[wired]

tfar your first question is a good one.

I myself would like to buy a new Oris bezel just to have a back up in case mine gets messed up.... but i did not buy my Oris through an AD??

[tfar]

I always thought the watch would look sweet with an all black timing bezel. Sometimes I love the world timer and sometimes I don't. This is the reason I have not taken it to the shop and checked on getting another bezel placed on it. I would guess that the inlay is glued into the bezel and it might be less damaging to just have the whole thing replaced. I have one watch that has a bezel that comes off easily, to allow you to changes bezels with a simple case knife. After looking at the bezel, I am not sure how easy it is to just pop out the insert and replace it.

Yeah, well that's the question. Some watches you can actually switch out just the inlay and there is a special tool for that; Rolex. Other watches the inlays are glued and you need to switch out the entire bezel which is more costly. I'd be ready to spring for that if need be and if it's not crazy expensive.

But I also don't know how the Oris TT1 bezel is constructed and frankly I lack the balls to just put case knife to mine to see if it will budge. ;)

Till

[dmb2000]

Yep, I am with you on that. I don't have the stones to try my Oris bezels either. I would hazard a guess that the inlays are glued in and you would have to change the whole bezel. Kazimon and a few others have bezels that are easy to swap using a case knife, but the Oris ones are too tight against the case for me to try.

[TheMaestro]

Wow! This is an old thread I picked up.

I recently acquired an Oris Small Seconds blue dial 47mm watch and would love to get a spare bezel insert.

This one, and please read on underneath the pic.



Now about replacing it, I did this a couple of times on an Invicta diver and was easy process, I just wiggled a Stanley blade gently
between crystal and insert and the glued insert popped of.
Considering I'm not sure if the AR coating on the Oris crystal is on the outside or inside I would think twice to put the blade between crystal and insert, since
I don't want damage the AR coating when it happens to be on the outside.

There might be another option I thought of, how about removing the 12 'o clock pearl from the insert and use the tiny space underneath to lift the insert from the bezel.

If there are people who succeeded in replacing the insert on this model I love to "hear" from them.

[bluloo]

On my last TT1, I needed a new bezel insert. Oris was not selling these parts to the end user. In addition, they had to replace the entire bezel and insert as an assembly (Omega does the same thing, IIRC).

On the upside, it was only $100, parts and labor included. (But it took 12 weeks for a 15 minute bezel swap, and they scratched the watch up something fierce.)