Why it matters which one yours is
- Snap-on backs lever off. Quick, and the commonest kind on dress watches.
- Screw-down backs have notches around the edge and unscrew with a case wrench. Common on divers, chronographs and anything rated for water.
- Screw-in bezels or front loaders, where the movement comes out the front instead.
- Four-screw backs, held by small screws at the corners.
Using the wrong approach on a screw-down back is how a case gets scarred around the edge, and it is the single most common avoidable damage we see on a watch.
The gasket is the real point
Behind every screw-down back there is a rubber gasket doing the actual water resistance. It hardens and flattens over years. Opening a case and closing it again without looking at the gasket is how a water-resistant watch quietly stops being one.
So while yours is open we look at it, clean the seat, and tell you what we find.
Torqued back down properly
A screw-down back has to go back to the right tightness — loose lets water in, overtightened distorts the gasket and can crack a case back. That is done with a tool rather than by feel.
If it has been forced before
Plenty of watches arrive with tool marks from a previous attempt, sometimes from a kitchen drawer. Bring it in anyway. We will tell you what we find and what can be tidied, without any fuss about it.
Bring it in and we will look at it
Every piece is different and sealed cases especially so. Put it on the counter, tell us what has happened, and we will tell you what we see and what we would do about it. You decide from there, before anything is agreed.
Questions we get asked
Can you open a screw-down case back?
Yes, with the proper case wrench, and we check the gasket while it is open.
Will my watch still be water resistant afterwards?
That depends on the gasket, which is exactly what we look at while it is open. We will tell you what we find.
How do I know which kind of back mine has?
Bring it in. We will look at it and tell you.
My case has marks from someone else opening it — can that be tidied?
Often, yes. Bring it in and we will look.
Will you tell me what you find before doing any work?
Always. We look at it with you at the counter, tell you what we see, and you decide.
Not sure we can fix it?
Send a couple of details and we will call you back. Or just walk in — it is quicker, and we can actually look at the piece.
Drop it off, shop the mall, wear it tonight
We are inside Orland Square Mall in Orland Park. Walk in during mall hours, no appointment. Most repairs are finished the same day and a good number while you wait.
Where we are
Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm. We are also at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL 60546.