praetor

^I thought that the 2846 has been out of production for years. hmmm

ya that one... thanks. are their movements good?

I need to source one too? are the sources I googled reliable? they're selling it for $70 ish

I can tell you what it's not =D

good job. I guess it still needs a lot of work huh?

^taxes

500 dollar service + 350 dollars for clasp? @_@ And here I am complaining how people are charging an arm and a leg for superdome tropics. It was Rolex's fault to begin with.

^you might also want to note that plastic blocks beta radiation =P

tritium emits beta particle radiation or a charged electron only which might cause a chemical reaction given that the reactants are available because it gives it enough energy to do so. Radium emits alpha radiation, beta radiation and gamma rays which would in theory have more unknown effects. Also, you can't really detect beta radiation from tritium with a Geiger counter, which is what you see in old panerais because it's not sensitive enough.

they should have different case sub types too since they've been running for 30+ years

It's too hard to tell because most of the references that you would see is polished and this one claims to be mint. It does have a superdome tropic though and yes, the stainless steel engraving is crooked. The bezel looks off, much like a datejust bezel. And the lugs (the bottom section) doesn't look like it has the right curves for a mid 60s 1016. It looks like a re-engraved 16200 series datejust to me lol.

what you're suggesting is that tritium causes patina when in fact it isn't that clear what causes it. The decay of the tritium should mostly cause the decrease in the amount of luminescence of the dial markers. I think dial patina has to do more with aging and exposure to the elements rather than tritium itself. The only correlation I've heard of with respect to patina (not verified) is that watches stored in safes tend to be darker in color whereas worn watches are lighter. It might have something to do with the sun bleaching the markers... who knows. Also, in theory your tritium will never disappear. It's just a simple half life calculation: After 25 years, it should have 25% remaining, and 37.5 years 12.5% remaining and so on.

well.. you could always get the screwdriver blades from bergeon and use the watchbitz screwdriver body.

wow great job and nice write up. It should also be a great reference for other people that wants to do similar types of projects. I could only wish my projects would go as smoothly as your do. Again, congrats on a great watch.

It looks mint. But your last franken watch ever? there's always new stuff around the corner.

hmm let's see (the second one compared to the first one) a new dial a 200 uph bezel. a new bracelet - folded links. I love the dial on the second one, where did you source it?

i got my aftermarket 702 tube from marsupilami

it looks gen to me. If it is a fake, I want it =D notice on the pictures, in the underside of the lugs, there are hallmarks for the quality of gold, which is usually missing on reps.

Also, I bought my supplies from the the sales rep in pickering for inkcups now. I'm experimenting using alkyd based paint and liquin (in order to reduce viscosity) as what this guy did: http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=3752922&rid=0. So far, I can't decide whether the paint is too thick or the pad is too old, since the machine did come with a vhs instructions tape.

Thanks stilty, That's exactly the reason why I tried to avoid using inks in the first place, since they smell like ether and I would have to wear protective equipment. I'll update this thread in a month or so.

my sig

the plates are surprisingly hardy. I've tried jabbing it with a knife and didn't even scratch it. Based on my calculations the paint I've bought in the art store costs 2 times more than if I were to buy ink from the supplier >.< art store = $160 per litre supplier ink specific for pad printing = $70 per litre. the only difference is that I have to buy more ink from the supplier. And yea LHQQ, I blame you for showing me the explorer because now I want it =D

it is recommended to use a conical pad since it reproduces the most accurate print due to sharper angles = more rolling over. hmm ..I just noticed they use a putty knife for a doctor blade ! no wonder I was having so much problems. skip to 2:00 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93W5AvdBMxE&playnext=1&list=PL53539F587BBE49FA

Thanks guys. Need a little bit of R&R. Gonna continue once I get a new pad, doctor blade. Currently researching new inks and compositions hmm.. :g:

So here's the story for those who's interested in a nutshell: I'm a cash strapped Rolex WIS, with no aftermarket dials good enough to put in your rolexes. Thus, I thought I'll give pad printing a whirl First I've bought a very old pad printing machine for $70 off you know where: Then, with my trusty inkjet, I've printed some film positives of a dial I've made myself from some scans off some auction site. I've made a couple of plates, and screwed it on with some c-clamps. *skip techinical stuff* and arrived at the final result: The problem was that the ink was not picked up by the pad. And this could mean a number of issues: At first I thought I've made the plates wrong. So I've tried remaking the plates with some modifications to increase the etch depth, it turned out worse than the first plates. After some research however,it turned out that I've made the plates correctly to begin with. After a while, I've figured that the ink might be the problem since I've used some cheapo oil based paint with liquin additive. But again, after some more research, it turns out that this indeed does work. Finally, I've narrowed down the culprit to the biggest problem of all :the pad. Which, by my estimates is about 15 years old. Thus, i've ordered a new pad which unfortunately will come in a month or so since it's custom fitted for my very old machine. Anyways, if you ever wonder what a red 1016 explorer look like, wonder no further: (butchered the bad plates)