Glass smashed

Here are instructions on how to replace the glass with a sapphire one.  Don't expect perfection, but if your watch is not usable due to smashed glass, what have you got to lose? You'll lose water resistance but who cares. if you get the seal good enough then dust shouldn't be too much of a problem. 

You'll need the following items.  (See pics)

A soft make-up brush 

A can of air (compressed air)

Blue Tac

Glue B-7000 

Sapphire glass (double domed) 33.5mm x 1mm (If you can find up to 1.5mm or 2.mm all the better.) 

Link here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-4-1-5-1-6mm-Thick-26-5-40mm-Double-Domed-Sapphire-Replace-Watch-Crystal-Glass/392291615366?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=661268866682&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

The glass will take about 5 days to arrive. 

Disclaimer.  Wear safety goggles or protective glasses if you're breaking the old glass. It's up to your common sense to observe safety here.
 

To remove the old glass, you'll most probably have to smash it if it's just cracked. Although this seems scary, remind yourself it's useless as it is. I tapped the glass with the heavier handle of a dessert spoon and it smashed leaving it nice and flexible to get out.  Lots of tiny pieces of glass will stick to the face and elsewhere on the inside watch face.  Ignore this, we'll deal with it later.  Use a plastic spudger and don't lever against the watch face, remove as much glass as you can.  There's a rubber gaskett around the bezel which you'll need to get out, I used a stanley blade or a craft knife to get the last of it and any other bits that were still stuck to the edge bezel.   Now use the soft make up brush to remove the glass dust from the face, stroking in the direction of the hands.  Then use the forced air to blast the last of it out.  Sit the watch face down to stop dust collecting. The next part is self explanitory really, open the glue and place a very thin layer in the sides of the watch bezel.  Too much and it'll bleed onto the watch face! less really is more.  Open the glass envelope and use the blue tac to pick up the glass from the top and blast the underneath with the compressed air to remove any dust.  Now place the glass into the bezel and twist it a little with the blu tac to spread the glue sealing it as best as you can.  Leave to dry.  That's it really.  The end result will be more than acceptable and much more scratch resistant than the original mineral glass.

If withings delete this post you can look for me on facebook or something. 

Good luck! 

Can confirm thanks to the help in this thread. 34mm double domed is spot on

I didn’t use glue because I got impatient just be sure to take your time and remove every spec of glass the stock crystal leaves behind. There is a very thin rubber gasket that is white in color that goes around the circumference. Leave that intact. Once you remove the old cracked crystal line up the 34mm replacement and just press it on evenly. It will go into place and hold.

As a test I put a small suction cup on it and pulled. I wanted to see how well it sealed without glue and to my surprise I couldn’t get it off.

Really glad it's worked for you guys. Yes 34 mm double domed sapphire. I did remove the gasket by accident scraping out the glass. Mine was black. Also watch expansion and contraction can cause the glass to migrate over time so you may need to press it down every month BUT I'm splitting hairs, the results are good in fact I actually prefer the replacement as it's a flattered dome shape and to me looks sleeker.

I have the 36mm Activite Pop. I was able to break the smaller part of the glass and preserve the larger portion so I can measure it. The thickness at the center is 1.5mm and the diameter is 34mm.

However, the edge of the glass has a profile that it can only partially fit inside of the nylon gasket. As shown in the picture below, the lower part that fits inside the gasket is smaller, and the bump rests on top of the gasket. I used a blue marker to make the area more visible.

A detailed view of the nylon gasket is shown below.

So, I decided to get the 33.5mm/1.5mm crystal so that the bottom can still fit into the gasket, and I will inject glue to fill the gap on the top. I'll report how it goes after I do it.

Hi

I'm waiting for the glass to arrive before I post full instructions, either here on in a blog post.  I want to make sure the glass is suitable, works and arrives before getting everyone's hopes up on a job that seems 'not possible' from the general consensus.  I'll post a reply in a week or so.  I'm still on it don't worry.  

Thanks for the write up

Looks to source a replacement glass/crystal for mine also which is cracked.

So the 40mm sport and steel hr I would assume would have the same size glass dimensions?

I’ll be ordering the glass you linked here soon.

im curious to know how you decided which glass dimensions would fit?

AFAIK the glass is the same size 

Here's the 34 in situ, no need for glue

It's still available Yell, where are you? It's not sapphire it's mineral but is fine and is the same as the one in the last pic, email me if in UK 

Just got the notification from this thread. so im updating all of you on my situation.

Ive got the smaller watch, the 36mm in white, and went for the double domed  34mm glass 1.5 thicknesss. I removed the damaged glass by taping it wiht a scissor handle. Id like to note i wasnt using too much force, but had to be quite cautious with where to smash so the thing would shatter in enough pieces to pry it out without damaging the handles.

Once I took out all the pieces, cleaned the rubber thingy and made sure there wasnt any glass pieces left in the watch i tried to mount the new glass, with the rubber on. To my surprise it didnt fit, i think the glass was too thick (1.5), tried to apply some force but it wouldnt stay, so in the end i mounted it without the rubber and it stays in. 

So after all everything worked well enough. Its not waterproof anymore for obvious reasons, although I ceased to care about it since im wearging it with a leather strap, and you obviously dont swim with those. 

When it comes to the looks i ABOSLUTELY LIKE IT MORE NOW it looks more sleek and elegant, and the glass itself have a nice noticeable shinny effect. The default mineral glass has, to my opinion, a domed shape that is what might make it so fragile. This new glass has a less pronounced dome shape and I havent seen any scratch yet, so all in all really happy with the results. Thanks to this thread i manage to revive this great watch.

I wanted to attach some pictures but the scaling is so off...

So jairostun, did you get the sapphire crystal, and do you think the 1mm may work better as far as the fitting does? 

Thanks to this thread, I also replace my broken glass with sapphire. I'm using 1.5 mm thickness just like jairostun. But because i'm lazy and too affraid to replace it myself, I asked a watch repairmen to do it (and I regret it, because the repairmen touch the glass with bare hands, and leave an obvious fingerprint INSIDE the glass!)

The result is good enough, but my repairmen can't put the glass evenly on the bezel. So I try to press the glass with force, and it fit evenly on the bezel. Just as jairostun said, maybe 1.5 mm is still too thick. You can see the result in the image attached. It's still better than a cracked one, right?

Hi guys just my 2 cents..

I bought a Saphire glass 34x2.6x1.2mm from Ali express and it worked perfectly, well i looked like it would not, it looked too big but i have a glass setting tool for watches (its cheap off alixpress) and it supprised me as it just snapped in, it sits proud about i would say less than a millimeter.
I have photos but have no idea how to upload them but ill post a video to youtube just search Withings Glass Repair it should come up.
I would like to give credit to you all here as its where i got my inspiration from and also the size of the glass, do note i also installed the glass gasket, i have two more to do so ill update the video and record the glass snapping in place no glue and i am very sure its water proof still but i am not taking the risk. Good luck. alenbud@live.com

alenbud I have tried looking for your video on youtube and can't find it.  Are you able to post the direct link for the video?  It sounds like your replacement was quite successful, would love to see the video.  My screen has also inexplicably cracked so needs replacing.

Thanks.

I have reached out to the support before and was advised not to get any of the devices repaired as it can damage the mechanism. You can check with the support team at https://support.withings.com/hc/en-us/requests/new so they can provide you possible options that you can get.

The mechanism is fine and I'm currently waiting for a new sapphire crystal. Support would do nothing. User damage. I'll fix it fine and post a tutorial when I get it done 😊

You might wish to use T-7000 (black) glue instead 

And I've now found a 34mm will fit with force, however, expansion and contraction may cause problems. 

A little update here, I have found that the 34mm 1 or 1.5mm sapphire OR mineral glass fits fine and for me, water resistance is OK too, also no need for glue. (maybe a tiny bit)  To answer your question I found the correct size by trial and error.  Nokia If you are in the UK I will send you one FOC save you ordering, I ordered too many in case there were errors, breaks etc.  My email is jonnoandrews and a famous google email (at) ending,  message me and I'll send it over (if in uk) 

Thanks for the reply that’s a good detail.

So I already pulled the trigger and ordered glue and the 33.5. Which have both shipped.

I have the 40mm Nokia steel hr with cracked glass.

Unfortunately I’m not in the UK im in the USA.

Jonno - I’m in the sad situation of having to replace my screen. If no one has taken you up on the offer, would you be happy to send me your spare glass face? Happy to pay for it - it’ll save searching for the right one and potentially getting it wrong!

Hi, would you care to help out a fellow withings owner? I have the 36mm withings HR and I am up for the adventure of fixing it myself, lthough I dont know which size it will fit mine. Would you guys know which size to order?

As far s I know the glass is exactly 34mm on both watches, it's the bezel that's larger.  The suggestion for 33.5 is to allow glue in the recess for water resistance.  I'm currently using a 34mm sapphire one with a small amount of glue.  It's not perfect but it is most certainly usable. 

hey jonnoandrews! 

First of all thanks for the prompt reply. I know it may be too much to ask but i'd still like my watch to be waterproof, so i want it to have it sealed as tight as it can be. I am also looking forward to the saphire glass since the mineral glass is kind of a downer honesly, it sucks that after two months my glass broke. 

I see youve tried both the 33.5mm and the 34mm. I reckon the 34mm is the best fit, isnt it?

Thanks. I already orderend the glass. Il keep you updated!

Thanks jonnoandrews. It's good to know that the 34mm fits nicely. My only question is regarding the removal of the old glass. Is it possible to first remove the movement and then push the glass out as in most watches? I am afraid that smashing it from the front may inadvertently damage the watch face and even the movement. 

Not possible since the watch is built from its face to the back. There is no way to get underneath the glass. I used an exacto knife to get into the broken glass and pry out the first large pieces. Just take your time.

Hey gangh58, yes i took the saphire, it is more resistant to scratches apparently.  I woulnt recommend any other thickness because i havent tested them... also take into consideration that im using the smaller watch 36mm and it may have a shallower body... All i can say is with 1.5mm i couldnt fit the glass with the rubber. Keep us updated!

1.5 mm sits very slightly proud of the bezel. With the internal gasket it falls out

1mm sits slightly below the bezel with the internal gasket it falls out and the fingers touch the glass causing problems and 1mm below the gasket looks awful, slightly proud is far superior and gives you a thicker side to grip.

I tried multiple thicknesses when I was researching the replacements

It looks 100 percent better than the original glass.

Sad about the finger print. If he hasn't glued it in place you can tap it out by tapping the side of the watch firmly on a wooden cabinet till it falls off, clean and replace.