lanikai Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 I started attempting to age my bezel inserts using the wholesale outlet inserts about a year ago.. yeah not very accurate (the insert).. but still pricey after numerous attempts.. I had this particular insert just about right .. meaning it still had the silver metallic colour to it.. then I tried to lighten it up more .. a bit too much.. .. and lost most of the silver metallic colour under the black finish.. so..start all over.. I have another in the "oven".. so we'll see in a couple of days.. but this I'd like to get it to around this shade without loosing too much metallic.. took shots in different lighting..even though not where I want it to be and it will never be spot on to the genuine.. but I prefer this over the brand new look.. Here is a Yuki's I'm working on.. I have yet to get the solutions correct for the stages of aging.. along with the oxygen exposure... like I said this will be costly but once I have it down .. I'll surely pass it on.. This would be the half way point .. Too much ... need to adjust the solution a little next time.. AC Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoJo35 Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Looks good Lani! What type of solution are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Solution......hmmmmn! I just used ScotchBrite on mine! I can't wait for you to finish this! I think I overdid mine in some areas: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Looks good Lani! What type of solution are you using? Clorox and acetone.. but I've learned that after 12 hours of undiluted Clorox and acetone the solution need to be thinned with water.. and the process slowed down so the metallic in the insert is not removed... it's important to note that oxygen plays a big part ... when you remove the insert from the solution and it hits the air.. the oxygen reacts with the Clorox and your inset will lighten immediately.. So what you need to do ... instead of removing the insert ... run the container under running water ... so the insert is not exposed to pure air.. after about 5 minutes of flushing the container with the insert in it.. then remove the insert from the container.. that way you won't get the "flash" of oxidation to the colour.. then on the next go around with the same insert dilute the mixture 1 part to 3 parts water.. slowing down the process so it will colour more evenly.. I could kick myself now .. before I attempted to get a lighter colour the insert had a nice silver metallic to it..kind of a Pearline essence to it.. the negative is that I've found not any 2 after market inserts react the same.... or have the metallic to them.. I hope that I didn't just get lucky and run into the one and only. I have a few more .. I need to take the images in the sunlight though as they look good .. but appear darker with the camera pics.. AC Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 The results on the insert looks amazing If I can get hold of the chemicals, I'll definitely try that method rather than simply bleaching with kitchen products... Thanks for sharing, bro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 TJ, what ever happened to that post about trying to come up with a salt water & UV light aging system? I tried to find the posting, but it was quite a few months back now. I wonder if anyone ever tried that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 TJ, what ever happened to that post about trying to come up with a salt water & UV light aging system? I tried to find the posting, but it was quite a few months back now. I wonder if anyone ever tried that? It's not been something I've been able to look into fully yet. The next time I talk to my tattoo artist, I'll ask if he'd be willing to let me do a 'test soak' in the ultrasonic cleaner UV shouldn't be a problem, but I don't have access to a high power UV bulb, so it's been something of a non-starter project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 just an fyi to the UV bulb.. it would take a very , very long time before you start seeing any results.. and the ultrasonic will surely get it clean but not "fade" the paint.. I see everyone "scouring" the insert.. not "fading" it.. TJ .. I'll do one for you and send it along with all your other goodies.. AC R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 just an fyi to the UV bulb.. it would take a very , very long time before you start seeing any results.. and the ultrasonic will surely get it clean but not "fade" the paint.. I see everyone "scouring" the insert.. not "fading" it.. TJ .. I'll do one for you and send it along with all your other goodies.. AC R That would be very much appreciated, bro, I'll be sure to give it prime place on my daily-wear Sub I know the case should have lug-holes, but heck, it was on my wrist while I was in Tokyo, it has memories, so I feel it deserves the most frequent wear, as well as upgrades I think the idea with the saline solution, was just a musing as to if sea water might have had some very mild abrasive effect on the gen bezels. I think to see any effect from a UV source, it would have to be a very powerful lamp (and then I think the heat generated might make as much effect on the dial as the UV rays...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 the Uv lamp sounds promising.. but I think you would need to add a mild corrosive solution to the insert before exposing it to uv.. salt water is alkaline but the insert is made for salt water.. anyway .. I have more inserts arriving from Nostalgia.. so as soon as I can I'll prep one for you.. AC R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 the Uv lamp sounds promising.. but I think you would need to add a mild corrosive solution to the insert before exposing it to uv.. salt water is alkaline but the insert is made for salt water.. anyway .. I have more inserts arriving from Nostalgia.. so as soon as I can I'll prep one for you.. AC R I think you're right there that some kind of corrosive solution might be needed in addition to the UV, I think the question, is finding the correct one It's very much appreciated, bro, I'll be sure to give it a good home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redwatch Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Lani, we were discussing at one point the possibility of using an agitator like an ultrasonic bath, but instead of a cleaning solution, using a combination of sea salt and sand. Then exposing to a higher dose of UV light. It may take a while, but I think the results would be pretty spot on. I was theorizing that the aging of an insert takes place when watch owners actually dove with their watches. So, if they are moving through the water, there is salt and dirt particles passing over the bezel insert constantly. An ultrasonic machine would, in theory, speed up this process. Finding something like an EPROM eraser, which uses UV light to erase a programmable micro-chip are super cheap and you could fit a few bezel inserts in there at one time. They have a timer on them so it would take some experimenting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted November 7, 2009 Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Try a light grade automotive compound. These are designed to remove a light coat of paint (where surface blemishes reside), but usually leave dark colors looking a grade or 2 lighter. With some trial & error, I think it would produce a more realistically faded appearance than bleach, salt or UV alone (though a dose of UV after compounding would probably ice the cake). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2009 Try a light grade automotive compound. These are designed to remove a light coat of paint (where surface blemishes reside), but usually leave dark colors looking a grade or 2 lighter. With some trial & error, I think it would produce a more realistically faded appearance than bleach, salt or UV alone (though a dose of UV after compounding would probably ice the cake). I tried that last year, the results were no to my liking...... I want to get the insert on a jewelers buffing wheel with some white or green rouge and see the outcome.. that would work better then compounding by hand.. I think the next go around I'm going to thin out the solution from the get go and let it sit for a week.. so the bleach slows down for a more even look this is the same bezel after overnight in a milder solution I could actually keep more metallic if I didn't go so hard and kept the colour a little darker.. try again.. AC L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltatahoe Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 just seeing this thread for some reason; i had a real scientific thought a while back but haven't gotten around to trying it just yet. why not just set the insert out somewhere where it will get daily, direct sunlight? would be interesting to see if it changes at all after a month of sitting out in the california or hawaii sun... deltatahoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 I'm doing the same thing we use to do with coral that put in restaurant tanks and private home salt water aquariums Clorox water in a bowl in the sun.. it accelerates the whitening..it would take a couple of years to achieve the same wthin just with UV rays.. AC Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Nice work! I experimented with my MBW and different kinds of bleach. They have different ingredients, not all use sodium hypochlorite. Then I used truly massive amounts of heat, and extremely saturated saline solutions. It went a little tropical ("chocolate") and the insert went faded, though a little "bluer" than I'd like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 The blue actually makes it look more natural. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guanaco Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 How about putting it under some fresh, moist soil in a plastic cup under the sunlight for 3-5 days? The acids in the soil plus the abrasiveness of it will probably "age" it nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 Nanuq.. I think I'll try mixing in some Hawaiian sea salt for the alkaline.. good idea..ok.. back to the Doxa pics R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
what2 Posted November 20, 2009 Report Share Posted November 20, 2009 I used straight bleach, took a minute to realize that the paint was coming off, but "floating" above the surface. I touched to see why nothing was happening and my finger had a black spot from the insert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thogaa Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 I used straight bleach, took a minute to realize that the paint was coming off, but "floating" above the surface. I touched to see why nothing was happening and my finger had a black spot from the insert. Oh no no no no no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbh Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 Here's 3 minutes in straight liquid pool chlorine. Like Lani said, it got much lighter when it hit the air. Next time 2 minutes might be worth a try. All in all, I'm quite happy with the results. It's very uniform throughout the whole insert. It actually looks slightly darker than what the picture shows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinamm20 Posted November 21, 2009 Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 I used straight bleach, took a minute to realize that the paint was coming off, but "floating" above the surface. I touched to see why nothing was happening and my finger had a black spot from the insert. Been there, JUST done that with the insert on my DRSD 1665 project doooh and i have a singer dial on the way - how smart is this (hitting my self) Anyone have a 1665 insert they would sell.....pleeeeeaasee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2009 Very nice kbh.. well done !!! actually I think that is Perfect !!! it give the watch a very cool all around vintage look !!!!.. Great Job !! I have had the insert in a light solution .. diluted with water for a 'slow burn" over a week now,.. and I added some Alae sea salt.. for the alkaline.. I like the look it's a little more "metallic" than my past endeavors... the better quality inserts do better in the process.. you'll see the cheaper inserts won't fair to well...as they are basically just painted over.. I'll post some pics later edit add.. I'm using a Yuki's for this one.. and have some Clark's that I'll start.. Clarks insert is 12 usd compared to Yuki's @30'ish .. AC Lani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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