RWG Technical Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 With shorter days here and the coming darkness and drearyness of winter, I tend to get the blues this time of the year. So, I though it appropriate to brighten my day with some pics of some watches I have modded with genuine Super Luminova Blue Lume. To the older members who have seen these before, I apologize for repeating these pictures, you don't have to look at them again. We have many new members who may have never seen these, so I hope they find them interesting. A bit of background information to those who aren't familiar with this procedure, the lume is hand applied on all of the watches, this particular Super Luminova looks white in daylight, but in darkness glows a nice blue colour. The handiwork you see is all applied by me - by hand - one needle drop at a time... Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vlydog Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Never tire of seeing your work R. If I had the blues before, I am cured of them now! Blue Light Therapy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hackR Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 got the blues with ya, R... what, no PAM 252 North Pole glam shots?!... your "handiwork" is bluetiful! R- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted November 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 I didn't get around to taking some pics of it before it left, but I see it's arrived on Friday, so I'll have to get some pics before it goes out again. Although your picture looks great, not sure how I am going to do any better... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Love the IWC! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 Love the IWC! It looks great on the wrist too...except my wife and kids complain it keeps them up if I wear it at night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 We don't have hibernation blues hea.. but I got ma "Blue Darlin".. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Demsey Posted November 16, 2009 Report Share Posted November 16, 2009 The sausage dial PAMS (not here) are most impressive, but the first fifteen minutes of the Aquatimer inner bezel? That's just plain nuts. In 13th century Florence, an established painter, Cimabue took on a young apprentice Giotto di Bondone, whom as a child was found by Cimabue painting sheep on a rock. They were so lifelike his talent was obvious and would not be wasted. In Cimabue's studio, Giotto painted a 'fly' so lifelike on Cimabue's working canvass that the master tried repeatedly to brush away the fly. The Pope, having heard of the talent of the young man asked for a specimen of his work. Giotto presented a simple red circle. It was considered a slight to the pious Father, until is was revealed; the circle was drawn free handed and was considered by mathematicians in the Vatican to be 'perfect' when measured with a compass. So. Yeah. 'Art'. Define it yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxman Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Wow Zig, I can handle those kinds of blues. It would trully be a honor to have a dial with your lume. I need to give you a call Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omni Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Although it is a gen..........(cough-cough) "quartz", I'm still proud of the Zig's fantastic precise blue lume artwork on the Luminox tritium tube dial. Highly recommend sending your watches to Zigmeister. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 It's always a pleasure to see your work, thanks for sharing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fijikid Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 The handiwork you see is all applied by me - by hand - one needle drop at a time... So impressive, Zig! As anyone who's tried to lume something knows, it ain't easy! Equal parts art, engineering and science. By your above comment, are you saying you do this all with an oiler? Would love to see some action shots, though I'm assuming you've little time to entertain us with "The Zigmeister Lumes Sausage" (directed, maybe, by Sidney Lumet? ;-)). Really amazing. Dems: loved that anecdote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Zig, as always, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted November 17, 2009 Report Share Posted November 17, 2009 Zm... I have never used SL to lume a dial, only the cheaper alternatives (and then only for fun). I am interested in how long the SL compound remains workable. Do you have to mix a batch and then complete the dial in one sitting to maintain continuity of colour and texture? Or do you do one or two indices at a time? If you could 'throw some light'..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shundi Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted November 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 @ Omni Great photo, I forgot just how good this one turned out, it's certainly a one of a kind... @ fijikid You read it correctly, everything you see is lumed one drop at a time with an oiler...maybe one day I'll try and set up a camera to film the work, but I work from 2" (5cm) away from the dial, so there may not be room to view what I am doing. @ Slartibartfast It depends on which binder is being used. For the matte finished lume, the mix stays usable for about 10 minutes before I have to add a bit of thinner and make it usable again. For the gloss finish, the mix stays usable about 20 minutes. Mixing the lume alone takes a lot of trial and error (at $40 a gram...), if you put in too much binder, you will thin out the lume and it won't look right, if you put in to little binder it's not workable, when you thin it out with the thinner as it dries, you have to be very careful that you don't make it too thin, or it will not stay in place when you apply it. The most difficult to use is the gloss finish, the bezel on the cousteau and slevin are not only very time consuming to do, but the mix has to be exactly correct or it won't flow as you apply it, mix in just a bit too much thinner and it will flow too much, and run into the negative numerals and cutouts... luming these models is 1-2 hours of fast heartbeats and nerves shattered when your done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fijikid Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Thanks for the reply Zig. I know it's hardly a priority for you, but I'm sure many would find it pretty fascinating - well at least I would! Perhaps a mini tri-pod, macro lens and use of the intervalometer setting on your camera would achieve this quite nicely. My Canon G5 has an intervalometer setting and I use it when I have parties - set up camera in corner on tripod and the camera takes a picture automatically every _____ minutes or seconds - whatever you choose. Makes a cool verit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Anyway - I'm starting to think that RWG is the best watch forum period (no need to qualify gen or rep). I've learned more here on how watches work and are repaired than any other I've frequented due to the INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY of men like The Zigmeister (and Bazz, Fidestro, Ubi, By-Tor, Freddy etc.). You got that right...I've learned so much here...and have had my watch passion fuelled. And my Zig Lume needs met too...what else could you want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fijikid Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 You got that right...I've learned so much here...and have had my watch passion fuelled. And my Zig Lume needs met too...what else could you want? Manischewitz!!! I didn't mention you Toad! I'm an ass. I KNOW you were not fishing for that with your reply, but credit is due - I've read many of your guides. I've got a real soft spot for McQueen Explorers. Now if only Zig would produce his own line of watch repair videos and sell them to us devote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member X Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 Stunning work as always Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted November 18, 2009 Report Share Posted November 18, 2009 @ Slartibartfast ...... Mixing the lume alone takes a lot of trial and error (at $40 a gram...) Ouch! An expensive way to learn! @ Slartibartfast ... luming these models is 1-2 hours of fast heartbeats and nerves shattered when your done. Now that I can believe. From my own small efforts I can definitely empathise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its_urabus Posted November 19, 2009 Report Share Posted November 19, 2009 I hate the winter blues, but I love my BR blue from Zig. the blue glow is just amazing to behold... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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