The Time Guy

This Longines UltraQuartz was misindexing, and it was quickly apparent that the drive jewel had been broken off and then badly super glued into place at the wrong angle. So I redid it.

More photos inside!

To work properly, these jewels have to interact with the index wheel teeth at just the right angle. Also, super glue is not a permanent repair that withstands cleanings. This jewel is so impossibly small that it would never be found if it fell off.

Here is the jewel, cleaned up. The grey hair from my beard is for scale. I removed the jewel and used acetone to clean the jewel and finger. Super glue dissolves easily in acetone.

Shellac has been used by watchmakers for centuries. It can be softened by heating, just enough to allow careful repositioning, and then holds tight when it's cooled again. If not overheated or otherwise abused, it tolerates routine cleaning for decades or centuries.

Here is the cleaned finger, with a micro dab of shellac applied to the tip.

Then, carefully placing the jewel back on the finger gives this happy result. The jewel is flat on the finger, and the edge is perpendicular, perfect for interfacing with the wheel.