Formula One Repair Question

I have attached a generic picture of a Formula 1 dial. Does anyone know if the black rubber pieces with the numbers on it can be replaced or repaired if they become faded or worn? If so, how much would it cost?

Thanks!

You'd probably have to replace the entire bezel. No idea on the cost. Your local TAG Heuer AD could probably give you a quote, but I suspect the cost won't be worth it.

A cheaper option would be to repaint if the bezel isn't actually damaged.

I appreciate the replies. Very helpful. The bezel on the one 8m looking at isn’t terribly bad right now, but it will only continue to wear. Just wanted some options and options on how to deal with it. What is the most you’d pay for a quartz Forumla 1 Hathaway is in good condition but the bezel is the primary place showing wear?

That bezel is metal though, not rubber. Numbers don't fade tbf. The rubber on the watch are the crown guards and the case buffer on the opposite side to the crown. These do wear, mine have completely gone

I agree - the ‘bumpers’ on mine are gone too, apparently the complete case needs to be changed.

I have an F1 Series 3 that was my first "nice" watch. Even when I moved to more expensive autos, this F1 was always my grab-n-go when I was in a rush. Eventually, though the bumpers and crown guards wore down to the point where they looked awful. So, I eventually got rid of them entirely, and it looked better. But I found I stopped wearing the watch as much. I think it bothered me that the bumpers were gone. Like others, I did my research and found that the bumpers are apparently injection molded and the only way to replace them is replace the entire case for approximately $400USD, with the prospect that if I wore it enough, I would have to plunk down another $400 in a couple of years.

So, I got to thinking, could I drop the Series 3 movement into the Series 4 case? Short answer - YES!

I got a series 4 case off of ebay for $140. That included the case, bezel, crystal, spacer, crown and case back.

Here's how you'll need to combine the two watches:

• Series 3 - You'll need the movement dial and hands, stem, and bracelet/strap
• Series 4 - You'll need the case (with crystal and bezel), white plastic spacer (it's larger) and crown (crown tubes are not compatible)
• Caseback - They are interchangeable; I used the 4

1. Remove the crown and stem from the S3 movement (pin in pinhole and pull)
2. Unscrew the S3 stem from the S3 crown
3. Screw the S3 stem into the S4 crown
4. Remove the S3 spacer from the S3 movement
5. Put the S4 spacer on the S3 movement
6. Reassemble

That's it. The whole thing took me about 30 minutes, and a big chunk of that was figuring out which crown and spacer to use. Obviously, this isn't in keeping it original. But this does work as a budget solution and I feel with the S4 case, this old friend will last a very long time.