Homage Forum

So, I found a Girard Perregaux at a local estate sale. Non-working but great price.

Well researching the watch I found one on chrono24. The pictures got me wondering how do you take the movement out of the case? The case does not have a case back. Do you pry the crystal off?

https://www.chrono24.ca/girardperregaux ... 752559.htm


I have not purchased the estate watch yet and hoping to figure out all the gotchas before I lay my money on the table.

Hi,
It seems as if this watch can be opened as a pocket watch. But not sure… I am checking too.

It looks as if there is a place for a case knife in the case back.
If not, it is a monocoque case and then it has a stem in two parts and you pull out the crown with a tool and remove the movement.

It should be similar to my pocket watch:


I found this picture… there should be a place for a case knife in the case back like this:

That looks like a one piece (monocoque) case. You'd need a crystal lift to remove the crystal and the stem should be a two piece that snaps together and apart.

The master is in the house! Hi Dave!

Thank you for all the replies.

I think unreformed66 nailed it. Those photos on chrono24 shows the watch with the movement removed and it had to have come out the front.


I actually have a crystal lift. Came in a bunch of watch makers tools I picked up. I have never used it, but at least I have the tool.

Never heard of a split stem before. Had to research that. This site has a good write up.
https://blog.watchdoctor.biz/2019/03/23 ... plit-stem/



I will not know until Saturday if the watch is mine. Something different to work on.

Thank you again

Well not mine. The estate people told me the case back had been removed and the movement taken out to weigh the case to determine the quantity of 14K. The weight seemed high and they stated once you purchase the watch there is nothing you can do if the weight is not correct.

The pricing was to be the scrap value of the gold. Using a loop (and my new found knowledge of how the movement comes out) I could see the crystal had not been taken out. There was too much crud left in the crystal recess.

Sale closed today. Watch did not sell. I told them to contact me if the seller wanted to negotiate a little.

Nice looking watch. Being vintage the size is fairly small. Lugs 18mm , case just under 35mm.