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"Lightly" Aging...


jmb

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I'm fairly happy about the way my vintage Tudor turned out but the dial just looked out of place in a nice new shiny case! Today I decided to attempt to rectify that issue. I don't belong to the "toss it out in the driveway and run over it with the truck for a few days" camp, rather I like an aged watch to look like a well cared for old watch with a nice crystal. Today I made attempt number one at putting some "dignified" age on the case and bracelet.

I stuck a piece of duct tape over the crystal, put a heavy leather glove on my hand, put the watch onto my fist, and mashed the watch into a 5 gallon bucket of lathe chips so put some lite random scratching on the case and band. This bucket is full of mostly 303 stainless shavings. Since this swarf is about the same hardness as the case it doesn't gouge it, just leaves some light scratching.

Aging Case.JPG

After the swarf treatment I then buffed the case with a green Scotch-Brite followed by 0000 steel wool. I think I've accomplished my goal of winding up with some light somewhat hard to see scratching and dulling down the overall sheen. The dial no longer looks out of place with this case and band, although I do think I'm going to dull the band a bit more.

Aged 1.jpg

Aged 2.jpg

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I'm of the same mind set as you, J; I like my watches to look well cared for, but a little age and character never hurt anything...

Since I don't have a bucket of lathe left overs and shavings to subject my watches to, my only course of action is to just wear my watch in just about everything and anything I do. Before long, it will accumulate wear on it's own (and if I'm of the mindset of wanting to keep something pristine and perfect, it seems as though it picks up scratches and the sort just that much easier :bangin: ).

If I want my watch to look really, really beat up, I just Mrs. Ubi wear it for a few hours...

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As always, nice work, bro :good: Don't forget to give the top sides of the clasp, and the links of the bracelet which sit on the lower outside edge of your wrist a little extra buffing, just to highlight that they are the main 'contact points' :)

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Nice! How about putting that watch in a big sack of the shavings and then running it in the clothes dryer for an hour?

"Run it over with a truck". Pffffffft! Who would DO such a thing?! :Jumpy:

oomph.jpg

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Nice! How about putting that watch in a big sack of the shavings and then running it in the clothes dryer for an hour?

"Run it over with a truck". Pffffffft! Who would DO such a thing?! :Jumpy:

oomph.jpg

:lol::lol::lol: ..ultmate aging inded...knowing you the watch probably can tolerate it...and is there still snow on the ground? must be from Finland considering the tires on that thing...

spring here in Fredrikstad, have removed 2 large containers worrth of branches from pruning the 14 fruit trees in my garden (mostly apple and pears), the early flowers came weeks ago but waiting for the first fruit trees to blossom

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