Hey guys, just a little follow-up;...I decided to give it one last try with solvents & etc., and when that still didn't work, I figured I'd go ahead and remove the defective button, since I was going to get another one, even if it meant scavenging a button from another watch which I already had. But, surprisingly, after giving the button a couple of raps from the inside with a punch tool, it suddenly decided to work, and moves rather smoothly now, retracting as it should, when the button is released. So, all's well that ends well..
Thanks,
Charles