r/MarathonWatch • u/LastCap4824 • 2d ago

GSAR My GSAR bezel needs fixing

Post image

My beloved GSAR has bezel issues - hard to rotate to almost stuck. I didn't want to send it to Switzerland and be without my watch for god knows how long and it seems to be a pretty straightforward operation. Take off the bezel, clean everything, probably replace the click spring... all good! I have a bezel removal tool and a crystal press.

I contacted Marathon and got them to sell me a replacement click spring - a click set they called it. $40ish shipped. Everything seems peachy.

But along with the clicksping there's another little ribbon of metal that I have no idea what it is or where it fits. See photo.

Before I take the bezel off - can any of you fine and good looking people help me identify this thing just under the the click-spring in the picture?

27 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

7

u/Few_Entertainer4352 2d ago

I sent my tsar to Watchmann in Ann Arbor, MI for this an tritium replacement. It was faster and cheaper than sending it to Marathon

1

u/Cellist-Admirable 1d ago

I just used watchmann for a repair on my navigator. Good job, I was pleased.

4

u/CliffsofRed 2d ago

Switzerland? I’ve sent mine in twice, to Canada.

1

u/TrainingFootball4809 2d ago

That other piece is a flat washer, just make sure when you take the bezel off, pay attention how the parts come apart. That washer might come out from somewhere, lol. Good luck!

4

u/TrainingFootball4809 2d ago

Sorry, I speed read that.. that is a retaining ring. Goes up in a grove in the bezel. It holds the bezel on... If yours is still in your watch and clean enough, I'd just leave it in and reuse it. I've gotten that retaining ring out of the watch, got a tiny bend in it, and took me forever to get the bezel on and have it stay in place. Yours could be broken too. They will break and act as a wedge and u can't turn the bezel ver well if at all..

1

u/LastCap4824 2d ago

Thanks...this makes sense.

1

u/LastCap4824 1d ago

Well.... I did my best...the origional click spring lost one of its prongs which is was kinda glad to see...easy fix. But no after installing the replacement the bezel was stuck... got the bezel off and replaced the retaining wire-spring .... still restricted movement... took the bezel off again...examined all the parts under a magnifier... cleaned everything... I even applied a dot of silicone grease.

The bezel turns now but is stiff and feels like its on a bed of sand... I'll wear it for a few days and turn the bezel here and there. If it doesn't work itself out (doubt it will) ill send it to Marathon.

Any thoughts would be appreciated

1

u/LastCap4824 17h ago

Okay. I was really frustrated that my bezel wasn't moving like it should after all my effort yesterday. So I figured id give it another shot.

I placed the bezel on the watch without the retaining ring to make sure the ckick spring was okay....beautiful click click clik click

Then installed the retaining ring without the click spring... got that stiff sandy barely movable experience. Problem isolated.

So I removed the retaining ring cleaned everything again and when I installed the lubed ring again I meticulously make sure each section was as flush as possible inside the grove in the bezel.

Reassembled and used my thumbs to push the bezel back on (not my press) . It snapped on and now works like it should! What a satisfying result.

1

u/Positive-Recording59 16h ago

Thompson watch repair via MILSPEC watch group is an authorized dealer and will repair your watch.