How to remove watch hands - Watch hand removal detailed guide

[@hfkwong109]

This is profession level of presentation work. The BEST video I have seen.

[@DIYWatchClub]

Glad you liked it!

[@andrewhogg1427]

I tried this with the separate bars on your recommendation and it worked really well! Used a sandwich bag(!) and the dial was fine! Thank you!

[@DIYWatchClub]

Glad it worked!

[@jane3945]

Thanks man 👍

[@DIYWatchClub]

No problem 👍

[@joanc120]

Removing is easy. Attaching can be tricky, especially the seconds hand. I tried once and got the hours hand too low so it stumbled on the minute markers. Boom. Had to take them off again and put them back checking the distance to the dial.

[@DIYWatchClub]

That's entirely true! Hand installation is often considered the hardest part in watch assembly. btw we have a guide on hand installation, might be helpful to you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKqQk4ugodR9eJo

[@joelintl2226]

Should have watched this splendid video before ruining two sets of second/minute hands.

[@julio933]

Thanks for the video! Sadly, I've used a dirty ziploc before watch your video and now i've got a dirty dial. There's a safe way to clean it? Thanks in advance.

[@DIYWatchClub]

Depends on what kind of dirt it is. Try using a blower, or a soft clean brush first. If that doesn't work, try a slightly damp cloth to dap it off (try not to wipe). Don't use alcohol or any solvent, especially if the dial is painted.

[@nunyabusiness9056]

Hey these are THE best videos so thank you so much. I'm about to attempt my first teardown and service of a 7s26 and i was going to get the horotec levers but I can't seem to find any information on what size i should get. Do you recommend the 2.5mm or 4mm size? I'm planning to eventually service 3 7s26 watches including an orange monster which appears to have an hour hand that is incredibly low and incredibly wide.

[@DIYWatchClub]

Personally I prefer the 4mm. Broader base for better balance, larger surface so less pressure on the dial.

[@iandinwoodie]

It seems like the Bergeon dial protector protects the dials, but allows the hands to be scraped by the pry bars. On the other hands, the protective sheet protects the hands from scratches, but invites the possibility that the hands scratch the dial once loose. Have you run into either of these undesirable scenarios? Do you have a preference of dial protector or protective sheet?

[@paulneedham5900]

Thanks for the instruction. How on earth do you get under an Ebel set of hands? There is almost no space at all...

[@arinasan247]

Very well made video!

[@dhayalanrajagopal2551]

Thank you very useful to services Chennai India

[@icsasziii]

Hello there! Thank you for the video! I wonder what is your opinion on the following: I have an old Citizen Jet Boy. I’d like to remove the watch hands, but afraid to use removal tool, as there is no dial, but LCD under them. Would a loop of dental floss work to pull the hands of the axis? Thanks in advance for the reply :)

[@rubinsteinway]

On my quartz watch the minute hand is slightly off, i.e. when the minute hand is pointed at "12" the hour hand is not exactly pointed at the hour. Can I simply nudge it to the correct position without removing the hands? Thanks for your advice on this.

[@ArjenJongeling]

My first try ever, with one of those fancy plates, caused the seconds hand to fly through the room, ending in the carpet. Never to be found again. So I was thinking, why not put the watch inside the zip bag and lift the hands off? If they fly off, all is inside the bag. Extra advantage: you only have one layer of plastic bag between the tools and the hands.

[@TheWeardale1]

great video... got a question for you, i just bought an alpina startimer, model - AL-371NN4S6, but the hands are quite dark, I'd prefer them to be white like the newer - AL-372N4S6... I've contacted jewelers but they aren't interested in sourcing and replacing the hands.. so i though i could paint them instead... any tips etc?

[@DIYWatchClub]

I see that the Alpina startimer has lumed hands. So what you need to do is to remove the lume, paint the hands (spray paint for example), and then apply new lume on the hands. We are preparing a luming guide that's coming out soon-ish. That should help you on the luming part.

[@podolanko7]

What is your opinion on doing this by hand with the little prybars and with the tool that does it all for you?

[@DIYWatchClub]

By "the tool that does it all for you", do you mean the hand removal tool in this style: www.esslinger.com/watch-hand-remover-tool-compression-spring-style-watch-hand-puller/ Our experience with this style of tool is that since it is spring-loaded, it is harder to control precisely than the prying type of tools. The prying type operates by simple leverage, so the control is much more precise. That's why we prefer using this in the video

[@podolanko7]

@@DIYWatchClub Yeah those plungers. Thank you for the answer. The quality of your videos is outstanding.

[@hsvr]

I have an old Citizen 8970 (you can do a Google search on the watch) and the area where I need to get the tool in to remove the hands is very small. Can you give me some advice on how to get in there? I believe using those tools might damage all the components in that area.

[@DIYWatchClub]

You mean removing the central hands, right? We'll use the same tools as in the video. Don't worry, the tip of the tool is actually quite small and there's plenty of space in that Citizen to work

[@roygardiner2229]

My Wenger Military quartz watch has a misaligned hour hand. That is, when the minute hand is wound to the noon position the hour hand is approximately 1/3 of an hour "slow" i.e. behind the hour marker. Do I need to rest ALL the hands to correct the misalignment (using your video, of course!) or can I merely "nudge" the hour hand "forward" to its correct position, while keeping the minute hand stationary?

[@DIYWatchClub]

You'll need to remove and re-install all the hands. The hands are on the post via friction fit, so it's impossible to "nudge" the hands (think of it this way, if you can nudge the hands, that means they can slide on the post, and that's not a good thing)

[@roygardiner2229]

@@DIYWatchClub Thank you very much for your timely reply. I really appreciate your help. I shall now order the tools that you recommended in the video.

[@joanc120]

@@roygardiner2229 If it has a date, you also need to advance the hands till the point date changes then put them at 12, otherwise date will change at a different time.

[@ulisescastillo285]

Thank you very much two watchsmith refuse to set the hands on my citizen and I did it myself just watching your video😅😅

[@jackjax7921]

how do you stop the watch from moving? I ruined my seconds hand. Sorry for the ignorance.

[@DIYWatchClub]

Sorry about what happened. You can only stop the watch if the watch has hacking second function. Try pulling the crown all the way out, that should stop the watch if it has hacking second. If it doesn't stop, that means no hacking second. In that case, just wait till the second hand moves to an aligned position to remove the hands together. Hope this helps!

[@jackjax7921]

@@DIYWatchClub How about a 7s26 Seiko ? The balance wheel keeps on moving. It has no hacking. Can you remove the seconds hand whiles it moving or not? Thank you for your time.

[@DIYWatchClub]

@@jackjax7921 Yes 7s26 has no hacking second. And you can remove it while it's moving

[@roo2dee2]

What about waiting for the movement to run out of energy and aligning the minute hand with the second hand? Then remove both, followed by the hour?