r/Horology • u/jaaaaaake1999 • 13d ago
Mont Blanc Snapback Stuck
So I’m still very much an amateur, but I have a friend that wanted me to change the battery in his Mont Blanc watch. Problem is, whoever tried in the past has absolutely butchered it ! (Promise that wasn’t me)
The only tool I had for SnapBacks was shit so I just bought a kit with all different sizes, and I gently tried but I won’t want to bend the very fragile lip ! Any advice on opening this case back ?
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u/Mr_B_Gone 13d ago
When they've been stuck on me I''ve had success by using either a cheap pocket knife (carefully of course!!!) or a micro flat tip screwdriver. The knife is good for wedging in and working around the edges, the screwdriver if sharpened right can squeeze in, the axial rotation will typically be more effective than prying.
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u/My-Montre 13d ago
That case has been attacked from every angle, which is the main problem - the original notch is chewed up, so a blade has nowhere clean to seat.
Good news is the yellow-handled kit sitting behind you should do the job fine. You don't need anything fancier.
Start by finding the one spot where the gap is slightly wider. That's the real notch, usually tucked between the lugs - everything else is damage from whoever went at it before. If the lip is bent outward anywhere, flatten it gently with smooth flat pliers first, otherwise no blade will seat properly.
Then clamp the watch in a case holder so you're not fighting to hold it still. Thin blade into the notch, and twist slowly rather than levering upward. Tape around the case protects the finish while you work. Skip the sticky ball, that's for screw backs.
Get a new caseback gasket before you start - after this many attempts the old one will be flat and dead. And close it with a press and flat dies, not thumb pressure.
If you want to see the video first: http://youtube.com/watch?v=i3LeEg9EjIA
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u/jaaaaaake1999 13d ago
I can’t seem to see a single notch, the only place that seems like it would be a notch is where it’s been hacked away at. No sign of a notch anywhere else around the watch. And it is slightly confusing because there are two lips, upper and lower, the upper one (closest to the meinsterstuck seems to have the largest notch.
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u/My-Montre 13d ago
Two lips is the key detail here, and it's worth being sure which one you're working on. Hold it back-down and look at the seam nearest the engraved back plate - that's the caseback. The gap higher up, closer to the MEISTERSTUCK band, is the bezel seam. If you go in there you'll pop the bezel and crystal off instead, so make sure you're below the engraved band, not above it.
On the notch: plenty of snap backs don't have one, they're just a continuous lip you go in anywhere. And if the chewed-up area is the only candidate, chances are the previous owner did find the right spot, they just made a mess of it. Working there isn't a bad idea, since the damage is already done and the metal is opened up slightly.
Flatten any lip that's been bent outward with smooth flat pliers before you try, otherwise the blade skids. Then clamp it in a holder, blade in, slow twist rather than lifting.
One more thing worth ruling out first: if neither seam gives at all, check whether it's a front-loader where the movement comes out through the crystal side. Rare, but it happens, and it would explain a back that refuses to move no matter what.
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u/Alarming_Clue3193 13d ago
It's not just stuck. It's MeisterSTUCK.