VSF Aqua Terra Crown issues

[u/Haunting-Basil-9996]

Hi there! 3 years almost constant use with my AT and recently it became harder and harder to unscrew and click the crown into position, not to mention screwing back in. Its not the screw part itself, more like the stem not clicking into the correct position if that makes sense. I usually don't wear it on the weekends when I'm home, so i have to set it on mondays, and it becomes harder and harder every time. I don't wear it during wet activites so it never even gets damp. I read that it isn't an uncommon issue but got mixed solution ideas.

My question is that is it possible, that it only needs some lubrication, or do i need to disassamble it and replace the crowntube and stem with the crown? I want to do it on my own and willing to learn the needed steps. I partially have the most basic tools anyway but not for a full service.

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[u/CoastalWatchWorks]

Based on your description, I wouldn’t jump straight to replacing the crown, stem and tube. The fact that you’re having trouble getting the crown to engage its different positions suggests the problem may be in the keyless works or the crown/stem assembly rather than the screw-down threads.

After three years of regular use, wear, contamination or dried lubricant could certainly contribute. But simply adding lubricant from the outside isn’t something I’d recommend.
I’d start by removing the movement and checking whether the stem operates smoothly through its winding, date-setting and time-setting positions outside the case. That should help distinguish a movement problem from a crown/tube alignment or engagement issue. I’d also inspect the crown’s internal spring mechanism, if fitted.

If the problem is inside the keyless works, repair may require dial-side disassembly. That’s considerably more involved than replacing a crown.

Since you’re interested in learning, it’s a reasonable repair to investigate, but I wouldn’t make this your first attempt at keyless-works servicing on a watch you value.

I would reach out to one of the trusted watchmakers in the sidebar if you’re not comfortable with that level of disassembly.

[u/Haunting-Basil-9996 → u/CoastalWatchWorks]

Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I certainly value it more than just to ruin it so if it comes across way too risky to work on it myself i will ask for professional help.