Bulova Driver LED Watch - Where can I find this part?

[arnoldh]

Hello,
I have a Bulova Driver LED Watch that works great, except it does not have the red glass or crystal that covers the leds. Can anybody help me by providing a source for this part? Is this a part I can put it on myself? How much should I pay for such an item?

Sorry for all the questions. I found this watch at a weekly rummage/garage sale and took a liking to it immediately.

thanks All

[retroleds]

Hello,
I have a Bulova Driver LED Watch that works great, except it does not have the red glass or crystal that covers the leds. Can anybody help me by providing a source for this part? Is this a part I can put it on myself? How much should I pay for such an item?

Sorry for all the questions. I found this watch at a weekly rummage/garage sale and took a liking to it immediately.

thanks All

All collectible parts cost an arm & a leg. You choose which arm, which leg. I'm thinking that considering the relative scarcity, it could be $50-100. Depends on whether the seller could use it themselves or they just have a dead case with good glass or just some good glass laying about. Consider in prices:if your friendly watch repairperson breaks it, you still only pay for one....stuff happens(ok, I'm bitter about a piece of NOS glass I broke yesterday, don't understand it, maybe I'm stronger than I think). Arggh!

[digibloke]

It could be a long wait for a new old stock crystal to come up on ebay. There is an ebay seller in Hong Kong called lob-time who seems to have a lot of none working but nice condition bulova drivers watches. It could be worth checking his auctions or perhaps even contacting him to see how much he'd charge for a case.

You could also make your own if you can get hold of some deep red plexiglass. Check out Azimuths page - full of helpful tips...

http://crazywatches.w.interia.pl/photo/led/bulova_led_sideviews.html

Sucks with that NOS crystal Ed! What was it going into? (I've been restoring an old 1950's Universal Geneve Polerouter bumper automatic for months now and I can't bring myself to attempt fitting the 55 year old NOS crystal and tension ring I managed to source into the case - press, press, crack, swear, kick, sob...).

[retroleds]

Sucks with that NOS crystal Ed! What was it going into? (I've been restoring an old 1950's Universal Geneve Polerouter bumper automatic for months now and I can't bring myself to attempt fitting the 55 year old NOS crystal and tension ring I managed to source into the case - press, press, crack, swear, kick, sob...).

It was a NOS Omega crystal for a customer's piece....I really don't want to go into this again, but it came from Otto & Frei(big parts supplier), who got them from Omega, who got them(according to the twittering I get from the grapevine, not making an accusation, could be a load of crap)from a source in England. Bob Frei personally is looking into this in conjunction with the people at Omega. The glass is about $200 a pop - it is bogus quality in many fashions, including a disappearring logo. The first one broke, the second one lost it's logo when I wiped it clean with rubbing alcohol. Customer thinks I am an incompetent.

Mr.Lob-time doesn't seem inclined to sell those for less than $50 each, then there is shipping. I think our poster had contacted me and was shocked I would ask $70. Realistically, I bought ten off Lob for $500, plus $32 shipping - if 1 in 10 breaks coming out or going in, $70 seems like a steal to me. But again, someone who has glass they don't need may have some at a much better price....I bought three pieces for $15 each a few years back that were just gorgeous with the silver foil logo. Catch as catch can. Oh, and the sale from "Lob" was a bank transfer only sale, which means you had to make a $532 leap of faith - that has to be worth something.

The plexiglass is a very good idea/option - you could even go with a different color.