Our Guide to Installing an Adhesive Ring on Bezel Inserts

If you’re planning on buying a good-quality watch for yourself, a Seiko timepiece may suit your preferences! For over a century, Seiko has produced elegant and high-perform watches, each component standing the test of time. 

The Appeal of Seiko Watches

However, besides the stylish designs and unique features borne from Japanese artistry, perhaps one of the primary selling points of Seiko watches is customisable.

In addition to the standard range of watches, you can personalise your watch with various bracelets, bands and straps. You can also opt to have your watch engraved as a beautiful and unique keepsake.

How to Add Rings to Bezel Inserts

One common way of customising a Seiko watch is installing an adhesive ring on bezel inserts. Seiko watches come pre-installed with a standard plastic bezel insert. 

While this makes for an excellent base for customisation, a more premium look can be achieved by replacing the bezel insert with a metal ring made from stainless steel. Read on below to find out how to easily add rings to bezel inserts:

1. Prepare Your Bezel

To add an adhesive ring to the bezel insert, you need first to remove the pre-installed bezel insert from the case. Before you can do that, you have to take off the dial and the crystal. This can be done in a few simple steps:

First, remove the watch’s crown and then lift the crown guard by carefully pressing it with a fingernail. Next, remove the screws holding the watch case together. You can unscrew the case screws and remove the dial using the right-sized screwdriver. 

Take out the movement holder, lift the dial, and remove the watch’s hands. With the hands out of the watch, the dial and the crystal can be taken out.

2. Prepare the Bezel Insert

A bezel insert is an adhesive ring made from stainless steel. For the ring to attach correctly to the case, you have to make sure the bezel insert has the right amount of adhesive on it. 

If the ring has too much adhesive, it will be difficult to align it with the case and harder to remove. If it has too little adhesive, the adhesive ring might not stay in place properly.

To ensure the adhesive is just right, take the bezel insert and apply a thin layer of glue on it. The right adhesive will secure the ring will stick to the case, and still be easy to remove.

3. Align the Bezel Insert

Now that you’ve made a ring from the bezel insert and prepared it with just the right amount of adhesive, you can finally install the ring on your watch case. 

Before installing the ring on the watch case, you need first to align the bezel insert. This is done by first aligning the ring to an existing bezel on the watch case. Place the ring parallel to an existing bezel or the bezel insert and align the ring to the case.

4. Install the Ring

Once you’ve correctly aligned the adhesive ring, you can now install it in the case. Start by aligning the centre of the ring with the centre of the case. Make sure the ring is parallel to the case. Next, you can use a credit card to press down the ring. Press gently, and once you feel the ring will stay in place, you can remove the credit card.

Conclusion

If you love Seiko watches, you can make your own bezel insert using the steps above. However, we recommend bringing your watch to a local watch service store to ensure a successful outcome. With the help of a professional, you can swap Seiko parts and end up with a timepiece that is unique to you!

If you want to customise your Seiko watch, browse our items at Seiko Mods! We specialise in the design and manufacture of Sapphire Crystals and custom parts for Seiko watches, ensuring that you have the parts you need to build your dream timepiece. Browse our parts today!