Repairing Vintage Caravelle Admiral Stretchy Band Watch - Super Glued Nut on Stuck Screw-on Case Back
- Chelsea Stolte
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Let us start April with a win on the watch front. This was one of the first watches I acquired last year (2025) that started my journey into watch repair and resale.
So, what was wrong with this watch? Normally I would open it with these guys: 3 prong case back opener. You can purchase what I have here: https://amzn.to/4sghgB6
Problems to solve:
Seemed overwound
Stem fell out after fiddling with it
Glass is Cracked
Metal Band has a repaired portion - Admiral Brand
The backing was stuck on and had to use a nut to glue on and remove backing
This blog is your sign NOT to give up on that watch! The most important part of this is the technique to place a nut with super glue and how to remove. I have had many watches with a twist on back I have not been able to remove and passed them on instead of fixing.
Step 1: Remove the case back to see what is going on inside.
Problem: Tri / double case remover does not budge the backing - leading to a unwanted scratch or two. STOP!
Solution: Find an old nut, single use super glue and a wrench. Dab super glue on the back of watch case and press down nut - let sit for about 5 minutes. Use wrench to turn the case counter-clockwise to open.
Before you go ahead and do this, keep in mind you will have to remove the glue and nut after you are done. I used Acetone - general purpose for nails will do. Dollar store has tons! You just need to soak for a few minutes to make the super glue gooey and you are good to go.
Step 2: Figure out why the stem fell out and winding issues
There is a tiny screw in this watch that holds the stem in place, it may have fallen out due to someone yanking it previously because it was not winding properly. This stem does have some play in it, but we should still be able to reinstall it. All you need is a tiny screw driver. In this case I used the tip of a exacto knife because the screw head on this had a very tiny slit.
Step 3: Remove the glue from the backing
Fill a small container with acetone and drop the screw and backing into the solution. Let sit 5 minutes. You can find my little metal containers here: https://amzn.to/4csQwsw
Step 4: Reinstall the backing (making sure the seals are lined up) and check stability of crown and stem placement. You should be able to push in and wind approx 10-20 times and it should hold / start ticking away the seconds hand. You can also hold up to your ear if the seconds hand is not there.
Good luck! Keep an eye out for follow up youtube videos walking through the whole process.
~DIY With Chelsea
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