WANTED: a pair of 28mm casebacks, for my two CROTON watches

[dodger1954]

Hi Gang,

Several months ago I ran across this PAIR of Croton red LED watches, as shown in the accompanying pictures, but the seller had misplaced BOTH of the 28mm snap-on casebacks for them. Both watches DO work, so ever since then I've been looking for replacement casebacks for them, with no luck. I've got lots of other sizes...25mm, 26mm, 27, 29, 30, 31...but, none with an inside diameter of 28mm. I even tried (and failed) to "flare outward" a 27mm, to try and make it fit, but it didn't...also, trying to "crimp inward" on a 29mm didn't work, either, as it just wouldn't stay on. So, I was wondering if anyone on here happened to know where I could find a couple of snap-on-type casebacks of that oddball, 28mm size..?

Thanks very much,
Charles

[Adam]

Charle cant you use a a gasket on a 29mm to create a seal?

[dodger1954]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your reply, and that seemed like a VERY good solution! ..However, none of my casebacks would stay on, even with the use of a small gasket to take up the space, in the slightly-oversized caseback. I tried various gasket & caseback combinations, and it just didn't want to work. The main problem is, on these plastic-cased Croton red LED watches, the raised "ring" that the caseback should normally snap down onto, simply does NOT protrude very far;...in fact, I'd say that it's only about 1mm high, at best;...or, as best as I could measure it, with my old, plastic caliper;...not very much to grab onto, at all, and actually kind of reminds me of a couple of plastic Bowmar red LED watch cases I'd had, in the past. ..Well, anyway, I guess I'm back to "square-one", and the impossible task of trying to find the actual casebacks, for these oddball Crotons. Anyway, thanks again for your helpful suggestion, it was certainly worth a try!

Thanks,
Charles

[retroleds]

Hi Adam,

Thanks for your reply, and that seemed like a VERY good solution! ..However, none of my casebacks would stay on, even with the use of a small gasket to take up the space, in the slightly-oversized caseback. I tried various gasket & caseback combinations, and it just didn't want to work. The main problem is, on these plastic-cased Croton red LED watches, the raised "ring" that the caseback should normally snap down onto, simply does NOT protrude very far;...in fact, I'd say that it's only about 1mm high, at best;...or, as best as I could measure it, with my old, plastic caliper;...not very much to grab onto, at all, and actually kind of reminds me of a couple of plastic Bowmar red LED watch cases I'd had, in the past. ..Well, anyway, I guess I'm back to "square-one", and the impossible task of trying to find the actual casebacks, for these oddball Crotons. Anyway, thanks again for your helpful suggestion, it was certainly worth a try!

Thanks,
Charles

Yeah, that's a pretty short lip on the case. I'll try to take a look in the morning - I throw away cases but not backs. Got'm all organized :) Back are important. HEY, check out the backside on that one!

Try hailing me with the system if I don't get back to it. OR contact me direct, link is in my sig(I think).

[retroleds]

No love on finding you a back. I will note that the CompuCHron cases that hold the 25mm HUghes have a case back opening of 28.7mm by my measurements. I am using very high quality Helios(germany) calipers. Those composite plastic ones are hard, imo to get closer than .4mm. Too much flex and the tips wear to inaccuracy quickly.

[dodger1954]

Hi Ed,
Sorry it took me so long to reply, but I just now found your posts about the Croton casebacks. Anyway, yeah, I've just about given up trying to find these darned things, as that awfully thin lip on 'em is just impossible, to work with. I had thought perhaps I could get something "fairly" close, i.e., crimping a 29mm caseback inward just a bit, but, with that nearly-nonexistent lip on the case, and plastic at that, it just would NOT grab ahold, and stay on. Nor, would trying to "flare-out" a 27mm caseback, do the trick;...it just wouldn't stay on. I also thought of possibly going to a metal-working shop, to see if they could make a couple of casebacks from scratch, as I'm fairly certain that the original ones were simply pressed aluminum or tin;...that is, very cheaply made, like, the ones you'd see on a plastic-cased Bowmar, for example...very cheap, die-cast or pressed tin, sometimes with no writing at all, embossed onto it.
..Anyway, thank you for your efforts in trying to locate a couple casebacks, I appreciate it!
Cheers,
Charles