Enough to make James Bond cry!

[bob bean]

Just a little wear and tear. Too much?

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from this...

Image courtesy of narikaa

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to this.

[Guest HaloArchive]

That car looks like a Chinese Audi lol

[Jkay]

I like your efforts here but maybe removing the second hand was a bit much? If someone was competent enough to open the watch, pull the movement, removed the broken hand ... wouldnt they re-attach it?

Edited August 16, 2009 by Jkay

[tmg]

Looking good BB,

I'd suggest a better bezel insert and give it the same aging treatment as you did with the current one. Catch up the aging of the case up to the bezel insert, add gen crown & tube and pop the second hand back on and you're good to go.

[bob bean]

Unfortunately its the pin that sheared, the second hand is fine apart from a bit of the pin still in it..

I would just have to replace the cheapo 21j.

But I'm not to worried as I now synchronise to meet other secret agents at the pub on the minute.

[baglc1]

Is the car a chinese Rover.Nice watch

[TeeJay]

Nice vintagizing

[metaljesus]

Want to talk us through your process? I've got that exact model sitting on my wrist right now and have been intending to vintage it up for a few weeks now.

[TeeJay]

Want to talk us through your process? I've got that exact model sitting on my wrist right now and have been intending to vintage it up for a few weeks now.

+1

I'd be very interested to hear how you got that fade on the bezel insert

[TJGladeRaider]

You people are just sick!

And to think, we haven't even heard from Nanuq yet.

I heard he went and bought one of those little cement mixers so he could fill it up with gravel and dump his watches in it.

Arghhhhhhhhhh

Bill

[Demsey]

Want to talk us through your process?

And to think, we haven't even heard from Nanuq yet.

lol, I was going to say; to best vintage patina a wristwatch, buy the watch, travel to AK and donate a few weeks this Summer to Bob's Scout Troop. Then you return. Voila!

[fakemaster]

You did a good job and all. But why would you want to make it look like you don't care about your watch?

[TeeJay]

You did a good job and all. But why would you want to make it look like you don't care about your watch?

Better than trying to pass off a vintage rep as a 'safe queen'

[bob bean]

I will get around to sharing my aging "tips" during today.

And it's not that I don't care for the little fellow, I do. He is just wearing his "hard at work" outfit, you know clearing submersible mines, abseiling battlements and such. It was designed as a tool.

[georgegrasser]

I'll never understand vintage. I won't even leave my house unless I look spotless. And I live in a shack.

[TeeJay]

I'll never understand vintage. I won't even leave my house unless I look spotless. And I live in a shack.

Pristine is over-rated

Okay, sure, it's one thing to wear clothes which are clean and not falling to pieces, but some things (and I think watches fall into this catagory) just look better, and certainly feel more personal, when they've acquired a few knocks and scrapes When I was younger, I used to get a new watch every year, and until it picked up its first ding, all the time it was still 'factory new', it didn't ever feel like it was 'my watch'. I remember seeng a Biker Buildoff where one builder had an OCD about being worried about getting new things damaged, so what he'd do, as soon as he got something new, be it a helmet, a bike, etc, he'd dump it on the floor to intentionally mark it up, so he wouldn't have to worry about keeping it pristine anymore Sure, it's nice to keep a nice watch in a reasonable condition for special occasions, but even then, that's no need to turn a watch into a safe queen

[frutta007]

Looks like A8, but chinese)))

Cool watch, but this strap doesnt suite it IMHO

[wan]

Just source yourself a accurate bezel insert for this model watch, its the one with dashes all the way around the bezel insert, with numbers at 10-20-30-40-50. Try looking at the MMKII web site and i believe they carry the correct bezel insert. The insert alone will improve the watch greatly. I will post a pic of my finally completed milsub for you to see in a minute so o can see where you could take it? Cheers, Wan

[tmg]

Classic Watch Parts sells a nice 5517 insert too. The standard 5513 insert is also correct on a 5517. If memory serves me the 5517's was delivered to the MOD with the standard and 60 minute marked bezels, the same goes for some with sword hands and mercedes versions as well.

Here's a shot of a CWP bezel with gen lumi pearl installed.

[bob bean]

There were several configurations of mil subs that are considered correct and original depending on the age and batch.

- The 5513 milsub has been delivered with either sword hands or mercedes hands from new

- The 5513 milsub came with either full 60 minute bezel insert or 15 min bezel insert from new.

- The 5517 milsub was delievered only with sword hands and full 60 minute bezel.

Some milsubs have had their dials repainted by the MOD watchmakers in a very unusual fashion: the resulting dial has a very unorthodox

[bob bean]

As for my aging (mutilation) tips.

I removed the movement and dial/hands.

Closed the empty case, covered the crystal and then just a quick workout in a plastic container with some nuts and bolts, followed by a more controlled beating with a large bolt for the more "focused aging".

I then ran a yellow/orange felt-tip pen(texta) around the inside of the crystals and wiped it off, repeated a few times to give it that "too long in Algiers" look.

I painted a water/coffee mix onto the hands and dial and dried under a halogen light, them buffed it clean to avoid water stains on the dial. Not the hands, I left them wet and you can see the discolouration on them.

I gave the dial and the hands a good session under a halogen light to sun beat them.

Finally I popped the bezel insert into an eggcup of bleach for a few minutes, when you see some of the black in the bleach remove, then gave it a rub which removes even more colour. I didn't remove the insert I just removed the crystal and popped the case into the bleach face first. (the eggcup was perfect size to just submerge the bezel.

Done.

Oh then I dropped the movement/dial/hands onto a hard floor and sheared of the second hand. Do not do this. Unless of course you too think that seconds are overrated.

Rob

[Jkay]

thank you for sharing your aging secrets