docblackrock Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 And then let it soak in the sun for a while to age the luminous pearl? Not something that'll work on the pearl. The dark-colour ageing you see on the gen acrylic pearls is, like gen dial indices, is a natural artefact seen as a result of the decay of the tritium paint used in the lume mix (which means less of it to activate the phosphor in there, hence no glow). UV exposure has little to do with the ageing you're talking about. If you have one of the so-called NOS or generic 'empty' acrylic pearls, then you can simply stain whatever lume is in there yourself with either tea-dye or coffee mix etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Teejay, you may have also touched on something. Ocean water also has quite a bit of sand particles in it which may be causing an abrasive effect on the bezel insert. Perhaps amending my previous statement, how about a small amount of sea-salt and sand mixed into a small ultrasonic bath? And then let it soak in the sun for a while to age the luminous pearl? It's certainly worth a try Or maybe even soaking a cloth in a salt/sand solution and using it as a rubbing compound. I definitely think the ultrasonic cleaner might be a good idea I have a friend who's a tattoo artist, I might have to ask if I could borrow one of his cleaners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 I just made the strongest possible sea salt solution from boiling water and dissolving as much salt as I could. I soaked and swirled the insert for one hour with no change. I even tried some abrasion with my fingers.... No effect. I'll let it soak all night tonight and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 It's certainly worth a try Or maybe even soaking a cloth in a salt/sand solution and using it as a rubbing compound. I definitely think the ultrasonic cleaner might be a good idea I have a friend who's a tattoo artist, I might have to ask if I could borrow one of his cleaners If you do, let us know how it works out. I think the US cleaner might just have the right amount of agitation qualities to make this work quite nicely! Doc's posted pics of a nicely aged dial is a good target to shoot for! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 I just made the strongest possible sea salt solution from boiling water and dissolving as much salt as I could. I soaked and swirled the insert for one hour with no change. I even tried some abrasion with my fingers.... No effect. I'll let it soak all night tonight and see what happens. Can't wait to hear if it has any effect If you do, let us know how it works out. I think the US cleaner might just have the right amount of agitation qualities to make this work quite nicely! Doc's posted pics of a nicely aged dial is a good target to shoot for! I will indeed, and absolutely, it is a fine example to aim for Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docblackrock Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 I just made the strongest possible sea salt solution from boiling water and dissolving as much salt as I could. I soaked and swirled the insert for one hour with no change. I even tried some abrasion with my fingers.... No effect. I'll let it soak all night tonight and see what happens. Much as I hope I'm wrong here Nanuq, I don't think it'll be that easy unfortunately, even if you reached saturation point with the salt solution (which isn't quite the same composition as seawater anyway). As I said before, that with the gen greyed inserts I suspect it was down to combined long-term exposure to both UV and seawater. You can't just hope to massively increase the concentration of each element and expect a reciprocal and indirectly proportional reduction in time to desired effect. Even if you've got a 13 year head start on the UV Must find that recipe and list of reagents - sure it was at the other (low) end of the pH scale than bleach and definitely less corrosive, but can't recall the details. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Wow, coming in late to this post. Maybe I am crazy, but I AM a fan of the bluing, and sheared off pearl. Here is my MBW 1665 in my project bin/queue. DRSD dial, lugs, super dome, and silver flat 3 datewheel are on the to-do list. Hmmm, add a Blue NATO strap perhaps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 Wow, coming in late to this post. Maybe I am crazy, but I AM a fan of the bluing, and sheared off pearl. Here is my MBW 1665 in my project bin/queue. DRSD dial, lugs, super dome, and silver flat 3 datewheel are on the to-do list. Hmmm, add a Blue NATO strap perhaps... That is a fine piece The first Snowflake Tudor I saw had the same faded blue inset, and it's an awesome look I've got a sheered off pearl in my project sub (I didn't realize that was what they were called) and I love it, no risk of it catching on something and getting knocked out I'd actually suggest a grey NATO, rather than blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted September 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 I suspect it was down to combined long-term exposure to both UV and seawater. Hey if you're like me with the attention span of a gnat, even overnight is long term. FADE BABY FADE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted September 4, 2009 Report Share Posted September 4, 2009 I think it has to do as PolexPete said with the base color content on the various inserts as to how it fades. The first MBW insert I bleached turned blue/green. One of the cheapy ones from Wholesale outlet I treated turned the perfect slate grey color after several treatments. I also gave it a little polish with a Capecod cloth to give it a little shine. From what I've seen many of the aged/faded inserts still have the clear coat on them but are discolored. Unlike when you bleach them the clear coat is stripped away. The Capecod brings a little of that shine back. Here is the Wsoutlet insert: and the same insert on the left on a different watch, the one on the far right is a gen with more of a charcoal/graphite tone I need to dig through my photo library to see if I still have a shot of the blue/green MBW insert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted September 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Whoa, forget the insert, tell me about that Rolex pressure vessel in the background! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted September 5, 2009 Report Share Posted September 5, 2009 Whoa, forget the insert, tell me about that Rolex pressure vessel in the background! Nanuq, it's just a photo from inside the Antiquorum Revolution catalogue. I'd have to say I know squat about it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Picking up where I left off (I did say I have the attention span of a gnat) tell me about that lovely DRSD in front of the pressure tester? Modded MBW case, vintage crown, NDT dial? I'm starting to think about taking my antique MBW to that level now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 As one of my experiments, I bleached an insert that ended up turning a very lovely chocolate brown. I ended up giving that one to Jetsons (whom I haven't seen in well over a year, methinks), but I oft times wish I could re-create it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HaloArchive Posted January 20, 2010 Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 Hmm, Has anyone considered sticking an entire watch in the OVEN (Minus movement and seals and bezel) and let the dial bake inside of the watch for lets say... 2 hours at 200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted January 20, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2010 That's about what I did in Okla-stinkin-homa, I left it in the sun in a car on 100+ degree days for 8 or 10 hours at a stretch, with the entire watch intact. I'd pick it up later and it was so hot I couldn't hold it in my bare hands. Presto changeo, baked dial! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1watching2 Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 (edited) I baked an sd dial in the oven. started at 200 and slowly raised the temp. It didn't start working until 325. By the time it changed to where I wanted it, the paint on the dial started to pop and bubble a bit. I left it in a little too long. It did work though. I also put the insert into a bleach bath, rinsed it, then ground up a chlorine tablet and added it to some hot water. I swished the insert upside down in that for a couple of hours. It did have an effect. The granules of chlorine acted as a sand abrasive, as well as fading the insert. If I hadn't of broken the stem while reassembling, I would have had the watch back together. It looks pretty good for a first attempt at this stuff. Anyone have a spare stem for a 21jA? Edited January 21, 2010 by 1watching2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Hmm, Has anyone considered sticking an entire watch in the OVEN (Minus movement and seals and bezel) and let the dial bake inside of the watch for lets say... 2 hours at 200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HaloArchive Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Nanuq cooked a rep Sub on his gas range stove top once. Does that count? Yeah...... no. That would be "Bluing" the steel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yeah I think when it comes to cooking a watch with heat... this takes all the marbles. Did you know it's possible to melt a sapphire crystal? Neither did I. That sucker's collapsed in the middle. And truth be told, I didn't "just" use a gas burner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HaloArchive Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 50kV induction heater core used in industrial smelters? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Sorta gave the hands and indices a pleasant smoky color, didn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Back from the dead post! Nanuq Thanks for the kind words on my DRSD. You are correct it's a modded MBW case, NDT dial -the indices & hands were given a patina paintjob by The Zigmeister to give it that high humidity exposure look. Also a Twinlock crown, Gen T39, 2846 ETA with Watchmeisters DW overlay, the insert (Wholesaleoutlet) in the photo at the time was an bleached & aged with a cracked vintage toned lume dot from "watchesandparts" on ebay. Picking up where I left off (I did say I have the attention span of a gnat) tell me about that lovely DRSD in front of the pressure tester? Modded MBW case, vintage crown, NDT dial? I'm starting to think about taking my antique MBW to that level now. God, I still love this photo and story!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted January 21, 2010 Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Yeah I think when it comes to cooking a watch with heat... this takes all the marbles. Did you know it's possible to melt a sapphire crystal? Neither did I. That sucker's collapsed in the middle. And truth be told, I didn't "just" use a gas burner. There's hands in that mess???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted January 21, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2010 Thanks, TMG! Say, you want to trade that "slightly used" vintage piece of RWG history for your NDT DRSD straight across? *crickets chirping* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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