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JAY48

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Posts posted by JAY48

  1. Thanks for the compliments and lovely work, Aeromatic! I really like your Snowflake. I actually tried your method on the blue bezel as a test and it turned to a pleasing teal colour. I then proceeded to ruin it by bleaching it! :bangin: I'm going to get another black bezel and try your method on it to dull the surface.

  2. Hi RWG,

    Here's my first project-a homage of the Tudor Submariner 9411 Snowflake. A little background; like most WIS, I love vintage submariners and I wanted a homage to satisfy my craving for one. When I decided I wanted to build my own homage, I was torn between a 1680 and a 9411 homage. In the end I decided to go with the Snowflake because most folk in my area don't know the Tudor brand or their awesome watches! :protest: The movement is a Sandoz ETA2824-2 which does not hack, but I will be looking into the possibility of getting it to hack. I read online that the usual case is a missing stop lever so I might be able to get a replacement lever online.
     The case was once a Rolex 16610 replica (I think) but does not feature gen-like construction. It also lacks lug holes-my favourite design trait in a vintage sub! The dial is from Tiger Concept and the hands from another vendor online.

     

    All the parts-

    DSCF2063m_zpsdc3cbc2b.jpg

     

    Movement (the original datewheel had to be replaced with another one so the font is different)

    DSCF2062m_zps8c0ad24d.jpg

     

    Dial and hands. The dial is the usual 29mm size so the hour indices appear smaller than on the original-

    DSCF2059m_zps1f1ef7fb.jpg

     

    Here it is before the bracelet arrived. It's on a padded black leather strap with burgundy stitching-

    DSCF2294m_zps33a2ea9a.jpg

     

    The blue bezel was nice, but I wanted a black one so it was replaced. Unfortunately I decided to practice bleaching on it so now it's a faded, teal coloured bezel :bangin:

    DSCF2295m_zps7b97326d.jpg

     

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    DSCF2300m_zpsaf87b369.jpg

     

     

    Here it is after the bracelet and bezel insert was installed. The bezel insert was the usual gloss black and since I wasn't happy with my bleaching attempts, I decided to give it a coat of acrylic matte black. It wore off now so I'm going to have to tackle that bleaching job eventually! ;) I also removed the clicking mechanism and made the bezel bi-directional so it matches the vintage theme. The pearl does not match, but I had a hard time removing it and I thought I'd leave it on till it falls off on its own :fool: The bracelet is a sterile 93150 type but with a 78360 type sterile clasp.

     

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    DSCF2374m_zpsef0c50a6.jpg

     

    No drilled lugs... :cry2:

    DSCF2375m_zps0c4f032e.jpg

     

    Matte black bezel insert-

    DSCF2376m_zpsdc61c7db.jpg

     

    DSCF2377m_zpsc1cd9c82.jpg

     

    Lume shot-

    DSCF2367m_zps958c413f.jpg

     

    I'm very happy with how it turned out but I'd like to try out new mods on this to make it better. For starters, I'd like to add texture to the dial and relume it with a puffy lume, then work on thinning down the crown guards and softening the case.

    So there you have it, my first project. I'm always on the lookout for a beautiful 1680 or 5513 case with drilled through lugs so I can make a true-to-original homage of the 9411. My next project is going to be a vintage Datejust build for my father. The base watch is on its way to me so I'll open a thread for that when I receive it.

    Thanks for viewing my thread!

    Jay.

     

  3. Yes, the insert was a standard (rolex) service replacement insert that was also glossy. It seems all the inserts have a solid glossy finish/ varnish so whenever i customise an insert i start with gently remove the glossy layer; i let is sit in bleach but only for a little while and then i use a mild scrubbing cloth to gently and evenly remove the glossy layer. Use bleach carefully as some sorts are very agressieve. I also put it in a box with screws and stones to give is many small scratches. After that i used cape cod to polish it to a semi-gloss finish. For the black insert this is were i stopped, hope this info helps; whatever you do; take your time because you can't go back and make the insert darker again :) and repeat the bleaching/ scrubbing process if needed :)

     

    Thanks, this is exactly the info I need! The bleach I have at the moment is Clorox and is pretty strong.

  4. Gorgeous, I'm drooling all over my keyboard! I have one question; did the first insert you installed have a glossy surface before you mildly bleached it? I installed a new bezel insert on my homage and it is too glossy for my liking. I was hesitant in bleaching because I've never attempted it before and I don't have scrap bezels to test with. I gave it a coat of matte acrylic clear as a temporary fix, but I would love to achieve the effects you have achieved!

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