# Problem with crown not tightening down



## Sherwooddavid (Apr 10, 2010)

I own a Tag Link and today after setting it the crown would not tighten down and it just seemed to spin.
It's still under warranty and I am wondering if it will be sent back to Tag for servicing or is this something the AD's watch tech will attempt to fix. 
I'll probably lose the watch for a while if they send it back to Tag so I'm hoping they can repair it on site.

Thanks,Dave :think:


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

Usually this is stripped threads on the crown tube. If so, the fix is easy but, as a case part, this is not normally covered under warranty, if that is operational here. If your AD has a watchmaker on staff, they can certainly fix it but they may have to order parts.

Crowns need only be 'finger tight'... all you need to do is compress the gasket slightly. Too much and damage occurs... but this is also a 'normal wear' part... i.e. it happens and is not rare.


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## Sherwooddavid (Apr 10, 2010)

Eeeb said:


> Usually this is stripped threads on the crown tube. If so, the fix is easy but, as a case part, this is not normally covered under warranty, if that is operational here. If your AD has a watchmaker on staff, they can certainly fix it but they may have to order parts.
> 
> Crowns need only be 'finger tight'... all you need to do is compress the gasket slightly. Too much and damage occurs... but this is also a 'normal wear' part... i.e. it happens and is not rare.


Thanks very much,I appreciate the info.


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## selfwind (Oct 29, 2010)

Eeeb is correct about the crown tube threads. Unfortunately TAG uses threads inside of the crown tube which are more vulerable to stripping than threads outside of the tube like Rolex. The outside of the tube design has more thead surface area than the inside design making it stronger. 

Some of the new TAG models such as the Aquaracer 500 have even made the situation worse with a very massive crown. The large crown increases the user's torque and aids in stripping the tube if you get carried away.


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## decipher28 (May 2, 2010)

i prefer to call this part case tube rather than crown tube,anyway a simple cheap fix if that is your problem.

Push out old tube reinsert new tube,check winding stem length is correct and screw down the crown.Getting the correct length of winding stem is quite a tedious job.You don't want to cut a stem to short otherwise it be no good and you don't want it to long or it won't screw down.

if you have any warranty left try that route.


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## Sherwooddavid (Apr 10, 2010)

I stopped by my AD today with my Tag and explained the situation with the crown not tightening down.
She had a look at the watch and said that it would have to be sent back to Tag for servicing and all I needed was the warranty card.
So we'll see how things work out and if everything is covered under warranty.
Thanks everybody for your great advice,greatly appreciated !

Regards,Dave :-!


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## dcom (Jan 10, 2008)

selfwind said:


> Eeeb is correct about the crown tube threads. Unfortunately TAG uses threads inside of the crown tube which are more vulerable to stripping than threads outside of the tube like Rolex. The outside of the tube design has more thead surface area than the inside design making it stronger.
> 
> Some of the new TAG models such as the Aquaracer 500 have even made the situation worse with a very massive crown. The large crown increases the user's torque and aids in stripping the tube if you get carried away.


I had the same problem with an Aquaracer 500M. I got it back in December and don't wear it every day so I end up unscrewing the crown to set and wind it several times a month. I've had a watch with a screw-down crown for over 20 years so I know how to treat them but 2 weeks ago, I noticed the crown on the Tag didn't grab the threads until it was very close to the case and after it did, it only turned about 1/4-1/2 a turn before it tightened. I unscrewed it and tried again but this time, it didn't grab any threads and I was able to push it all the way to the case and it wouldn't catch any threads. I did some research here only to find many people coming to the same conclusion that the crown threads were stripped. I began thinking the same thing happened to me then something made me change my mind.

I was in a local Tourneau store and was talking to their watch repair tech about the Tag and he said it's very unusual for the crown threads to strip. He said given my description, what likely happened is that the crown tube got pushed back into the case. He said it's only held in place by friction so if the crown is pressed in too hard (perhaps after winding when screwing it back down) or takes impact damage by dropping or whatever, the tube can be dislodged and slide into the case. I now tend to believe this is what happened to mine even though it never took any damage. It's still a manufacturing/design defect because the crown tube shouldn't simply push back into the case, especially on a watch with a WR rating to 500M but it makes me feel better that I probably didn't strip out the threads, possibly leaving some metal particles in the works.


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## selfwind (Oct 29, 2010)

I suppose it is possible that the tube could begin to spin or change position in the case. I am not sure the likelyhood of the tube pushing into the case. The pic below is of a standard inside thread TAG tube and some crowns. As you can see the tube has a swedge on the end to prevent it from pushing into the case.


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## dcom (Jan 10, 2008)

Well, the report came back from Tag and they said the spring bar had broken. I’m only familiar with the ones that hold the bracelet so there must one or more that are somehow connected to the crown tube because obviously the bracelet bars have nothing to do with the crown. Apparently the threads aren’t stripped and the tube did get pressed back into the case.


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## selfwind (Oct 29, 2010)

Great news! Hopefully not real expensive fix. That watch must have used a non-swedged tube so I guess it depends on the model. Rolex solves the problem by having the tubes screw in to the case. Anyway good luck with the watch.


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## dcom (Jan 10, 2008)

Thanks. Tag wanted over $250 but it’s only 7 months old so well within warranty and I provided the warranty card. The AD I went through is taking care of it for me so it won’t cost me anything.


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

dcom said:


> Thanks. Tag wanted over $250 but it's only 7 months old so well within warranty and I provided the warranty card. The AD I went through is taking care of it for me so it won't cost me anything.


The only vendor who covers case parts on warranty that I have encountered (But I don't buy new usually) was Bulova on their Precisionist line. That the AD handled it shows an advantage of dealing with a good AD!


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## atlaz (Jul 7, 2011)

I've got the same problem (was fine two weeks ago travelling to mainland Europe, not fine today). Does anyone know how much this is likely to cost to fix in the UK?


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## dcom (Jan 10, 2008)

Eeeb said:


> The only vendor who covers case parts on warranty that I have encountered (But I don't buy new usually) was Bulova on their Precisionist line. That the AD handled it shows an advantage of dealing with a good AD!


They're an excellent dealer and go so far as to double the manufacturers warranty on watches. We buy all our high-end jewelry and watches from them.


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## Sherwooddavid (Apr 10, 2010)

Just found out the hairspring was magnetized and am wondering where I had it at that would cause this. Would laying it by my laptop cause it ?


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## selfwind (Oct 29, 2010)

Laying it on a laptop could have some effect since the hard drive is magnetic as well as computers have DC motors and electronics in them. I assume that the watch all of a sudden started running fast. That is the usual magnetic symtom.


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## dcom (Jan 10, 2008)

Update on my situation. I got the watch back a couple of weeks ago and it appeared to be fixed. The dealer covered any charges from Tag, which totaled $106. The crown screwed down as it used to so I thought everything was ok. I wound it up and put it on a winder to keep from needing to set it. I wore it to work a few times and put it back on the winder at the end of the day. Yesterday, I wanted to make sure the crown was secure before getting in the water so I attempted to tighten it slightly. It showed symptoms of stripping again. I called the dealer to tell them and they told me to bring it, the box, and all documentation in to the store. When I got there, they said they would take the watch back and give me full credit for it even thought I bought it 8 months ago! 

I really did like that watch (Full Black Aquaracer 500M) and hate to give it up, but I was using it as my work watch and need a watch that isn’t breaking every few weeks. They had a pre-owned Rolex Sea Dweller so I decided to get that to replace it.


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## selfwind (Oct 29, 2010)

Sorry the repair didn't work out.


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## Wisconsin Proud (Jun 22, 2007)

It's easy to overtighten the crown on the full black model. The crown is covered in rubber and butts up against the case. Once it touches the case, don't tighten any further even though you can probably turn it another quarter turn.


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## selfwind (Oct 29, 2010)

One thing that I would want to avoid is purchasing any watch that has been a jewelry case demo. Just think of how many customers might have played with the crown and abused the threads prior to your purchase!


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