WATCH PRICES DROPPED ebay etc..worldwidecrunch!

[bruce wegmann]

No, I think this will be The Outer Limits! Remember, the watches in the old pic belonged to four or five different owners...AFAIK, nobdy has ever owned five at the same time. Look for the pic intwo weeks or so; that will give me time to receive it and complete the restoration work. This time, I'm going to video the actual opening of the case...how thats done is a real hoot...

[f.e.a.r]

bruce, im eager to know, how do you get the back off a p1, why did the seller say it was soldered shut?

[azimuth_pl]

the P1's were soldered shut and not meant to be ever serviced
I had the chance to hold a P1 once but didn't get a close look, I guess it's standard solder.
however I'm also very eager to see the process filmed by Bruce.

[bruce wegmann]

Pietor's right about them being soldered, but wrong about the TYPE of solder...it's anything but standard. I promise you'll get to see how it's done...the first time I saw it, I was amazed to see it happen and how fundamentally simple it is to do. The P1 has a couple exotic elements to it [the crystal being the other one...the mystery of the Blue Glints!]...this watch was clearly intended to be top-of-the-line on all fronts. As it was put in Jurassic Park...they "spared no expense".

[azimuth_pl]

:) veeeeery interesting :)
TIA Bruce for your efforts, get yourself a headband and spycamera for easy shooting ;)

[retroleds]

Pietor's right about them being soldered, but wrong about the TYPE of solder...it's anything but standard.

My guess is high antimony solder- expands slightly as it cools and shrinks within a certain temperature range. Used by the jeweler's trade for setting certain stones(tanzanite for one) that would be altered by higher heat. Below 50-80cel(135-185 f.), depending on the mix, the solder expands, shrinks as temperature increases above that, then starts expanding again with a vengeance. Which is why pipes soldered with the new "lead-free" solders often prove most difficult to unsolder - they seize up as they start to cool. Antimony is what makes your metal teeth fillings tighten after the dentist packs them in(and why they have to work fast), but loosen if you drink too many scalding hot drinks.