Watch Glass & Crystal Replacement

If your glass is shattered, this is the most critical step. We immediately halt the movement to stop glass shards from grinding into the gears. We remove the movement and dial entirely, then use Rodico (watchmaker’s putty) and vacuum suction to extract every microscopic fragment of glass from the case and dial surface.

We identify the exact specifications of your crystal. This includes the material (Sapphire, Mineral, Acrylic), the profile (Domed, Flat, Box), and the thickness. For luxury brands, we source genuine signed parts (e.g., with the laser-etched crown for Rolex) or high-grade Swiss generic equivalents if preferred for cost-efficiency.

Before the new glass is fitted, the empty watch case and bezel are cleaned in our ultrasonic tank. This ensures the “seat” where the glass sits is free of old glue, dirt, or glass dust, guaranteeing a perfect, watertight seal.

A crystal is only as waterproof as its gasket. We remove the old, compressed plastic (Hytrel) or rubber (I-ring) gasket and replace it with a fresh one. This is essential for maintaining water resistance, as old gaskets cannot be reused.

Using a professional screw-down crystal press and specific nylon dies that match the curvature of your glass, we press the new crystal into the case. This requires precise, even pressure to snap the glass into the gasket without cracking it or distorting the tension ring.

Once fitted, the case is sealed and subjected to a dry vacuum and wet pressure test. We verify that the new glass creates a hermetic seal up to the watch’s rated depth (e.g., 100m, 300m).

The movement is re-cased, and we perform a final check to ensure the hands have sufficient clearance and do not touch the underside of the new crystal.

In many cases, yes. If your watch (like a Seiko or Citizen) came with mineral glass that scratches easily, we can often source a Scratch-Resistant Sapphire crystal of the exact same dimensions to upgrade durability. Ask us for a quote on a “Sapphire Upgrade.”

It is a high risk. When glass shatters, tiny shards often enter the date window or fall onto the dial. If the watch is still running, pull the crown out to stop it immediately and bring it to us. Running the watch with glass inside will chew up the gears.

Yes, we have access to genuine branded parts. For Rolex, this includes the crystal with the “Cyclops” date magnifier and the laser-etched coronet at 6 o’clock. For Omega, we can source crystals with the central logo (on Hesalite models). We can also offer high-quality Swiss generic crystals if you want a more cost-effective solution.

It depends on the material.

Acrylic/Plastic (Vintage/Swatch): Yes, we can polish these to look brand new.

Mineral/Sapphire: No. Glass cannot be polished effectively without distorting the vision. It is always more cost-effective and safer to replace the glass entirely.

Yes, provided the case integrity is good. We replace the crystal gasket as standard and pressure test every glass replacement. If the watch fails the test (due to case damage), we will inform you before returning it.

For standard flat round crystals, we can often turn this around in 48 hours. For domed, shaped, or genuine branded crystals that need to be ordered from Switzerland, it may take 7–14 working days.