Swatch Chrono Case Swap

In this video I answer the question are plastic Swatch Chrono watches serviceable? In it I show you how to take a working movement from one and put it in the case of another. With chapters due to its length and limited-interest (Swatch repair) topic:
00:00 Coming Up Next...
00:19 introduction
01:12 overview of the method that I ended up using
02:02 accessing the stem removal button and resealing it
03:35 lume test on the finished watch
05:09 introduction to the process before starting the experimental procedure with no expectation that I could do it
05:56 how the Swatch Chrono works and differences between the early (1990 - 1993) models
06:03 average cost per watch was US$ 6
06:09 Twenty Two jewel 12 hour version (1990 - 1991)
06:36 Four jewel one hour with tenth's of a second register version (1993 +)
08:37 how to fix stuck Chronos just by putting a battery in them and playing with them until they unstick
09:32 the problem with the broken movement - stuck in time setting mode
10:36 second hand hack: both early models stop when switched to time-setting mode - this is good for accurately setting the time to a sync signal or master clock
11:23 how the 1993 model (with tenths of a second register) works
13:14 the plan - to swap case and movement from two identical models from 1991 (Swatch Chrono Goldfinger SCM100) using a heat gun to remove the crystal
14:28 the heatgun (made for desoldering with precise temperature control) - I'll set it to 165 deg celsius - the melting point of acrylic is 160 degrees
18:52 test melt of a spare (cracked) Swatch crystal
20:16 test melt of a spare (cracked) Swatch Chrono case
21:51 melting the crystal on the Chrono - fail
26:40 concluding that melting the crystal didn't work
27:30 discussion of the possibility of CNC machining away the crystal
28:17 removing the crown and stem
29:48 inspecting the shattered crystal parts stuck in the test case under the microscope
34:42 Part II - after I discover that smashing the crystal with a wrench actually works better than melting it
35:30 digging out the remaining shards of the crystal with a small screwdriver
36:10 a ray of hope as I realize that I may be able to pull it off after all
37:13 removing the hands and movement from the non-working watch
39:52 removing the dial from the non-working watch
42:30 identifying the ETA 251 281 movement
42:59 looking at the shards of broken crystal still stuck in the "good" case that I will be using
43:24 removing the crystal and working movement from the "bad"case using an Omega Tool 107
45:37 inspecting the donor crystal and donor case after successfully removing the crystal with minimal edge damage
47:41 marking 12 o'clock on the crystal for optimal fit of the broken shards in the donor case
47:57 bench cleanup
49:03 drilling a hole in the "bad" case to remove the stem and crown to get the movement out
52:14 placing the working movement in the donor case
53:28 putting the battery back in the assembled watch
55:01 setting the time and synchronizing the chronograph registers
57:36 taking a victory lap by showing how the chronograph lap function works
58:26 discussion of the need to fill the hole made for the stem release before wearing it (how I did that was shown at the beginning of the video)
58:52 conclusion - the joy of fixing and wearing broken watches that otherwise would be thrown awayShow more

Thanks again to Mike from @WatchWithMike for the multitool I used at 44:52 😂😂😂

Here's my previous video with full teardown of the 1990 22 jewel Swatch Chrono movement: https://youtu.be/-fP3rAz7jUw

Swatch, Chrono, repair