scotty Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Hi All. Few months ago I bought a DSSD from Mary, along with the correct 10 spacing bezel insert. At the time she didn't offer the watch with the insert fitted. Now she does...grrrr.... So finally yesterday I got enough courage to start trying the swap. I am NOT A MODDER....at all.....someone once praised my McGuiver handiwork over PAM crownguard hot glue fixes, employing also tissue paper and a hammer.....nuff said! Read threads about this (inc. the Gio and Lani ones). There only seems to be 2 after searching several times the forum. Got the pearl off easily with just my thumbnail!!! If it had been accidentally bumped sideways I'd have lost it...one to watch... Hairdryer softened the glue, and I managed to prise off the insert. In the process found it was already cracked at 1 through the hour marker. No chips hence it was never spotted, but it's completed cracked through... Cleaned off the old glue. And set about the correct 10 insert. (1) sanding - jeez. I only have basic sandpaper in the house, and was at it for a few minutes as a test. Nothing. Zero. Not even a little powder. (2) pearl - the wrong 10 bezel had a pearl that glowed better, but in daylight is a blue green colour. The correct 10 bezel pearl in daylight is white, but lume is dismal. So - what help do I need here??? How do you sand this bugger? It needs maybe 0.5mm - 0.75mm reducing in height. What can be used, as the paper I have did nothing? Any tips on sanding to get an even flat base so it will sit correctly and not low on one side? On the table, holding the insert in just fingers it's very hard to get any even pressure around the insert. So a risk it'll not be sanded flat... Also the pearl - is the blue green one correct to gen? (yes I know - where are the pics....maybe when I get home tonight). Have people used the white one with poor lume? Thanks all in advance for any help this novice, cack-handed, would be modder, can receive..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexaddict Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 No way sanding by hand, its anodized alloy and the surface is hardened. You need to use a dremel tool And that kind of tools Protect your eyes with glasses, and be carefull if you have long hairs after a few day practice, you will be able to do this : also this : even this : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted July 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 I like the shark pic........which toe did he get... Seriously - I'd read people saying they'd managed to sand by hand. Don't have a dremmel. And what do you use to hold the insert meanwhile? Damnation; I hadn't counted on this being so complicated........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexaddict Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 (edited) imho its very difficult to quite impossible to remove metal from an insert just by hand sanding. With a dremel, or similar hobbyist tool its very easy and its going very fast holding the insert with one hand and the tool with the other. Edited July 13, 2010 by Rolexaddict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted July 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Hmmm. The insert is ceramic, not metal. Hence people have said they've hand sanded. I'm just looking for more info - type of paper, better explanation of method (how to keep even pressure) etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Try a small hand file, the small 4-6 inch mini files will do. Put a small cloth down on the work table and have at it. Hold the insert down with one hand and file w/ the other. I also use a hand file for doing crown guards (followed by 320-400-600-1000 wet dry sandpaper and polish). A Dremel tool is too fast for me, too easy to have it get away from you and screw up what you're doing, from my point of view. I prefer slow and easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted July 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Oohhh kaaayyyyy..... Nipped out to buy a small metal file. All i could find was 14cm in triangular, which I think may serve. Plus some 1.5 grade (medium coarseness) metal sandpaper. So later I'll be having at it as were.....we'll see. Still not sure how to balance pressure and ensure it's flat. How about the pearl re. original thread? The gen has pure white or milky white with touch of blue/green? Gen pics I've found show both !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted July 13, 2010 Report Share Posted July 13, 2010 Oohhh kaaayyyyy..... Nipped out to buy a small metal file. All i could find was 14cm in triangular, which I think may serve. Plus some 1.5 grade (medium coarseness) metal sandpaper. So later I'll be having at it as were.....we'll see. Still not sure how to balance pressure and ensure it's flat. How about the pearl re. original thread? The gen has pure white or milky white with touch of blue/green? Gen pics I've found show both !! Only thing I can suggest would be to use some double-sided tape to fix the paper to a table top, and use some more tape to fix the 'marker side' of the insert to something else flat, like an audio cassette case (or similar size) to use as a sanding block... Best of luck with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted July 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Well......2 hours of sanding on medium grade metal sandpaper.....circular motions, crossing, figure of 8's. Jeez this insert is hard..... Managed to trim a little off so it no longer sits above the bezel edge and crystal. Infact it's flush. The insert that came fitted (wrong 10) has a simple tapered inner form. The correct 10 insert has a flat band on the outer edge. The metal bezel has a stepped channel around the outer edge, then a rising taper towards the crystal...so all different! Anyway... As the watch came (note crystal is about 0,6-0,7mm above the bezel insert, insert slightly recessed against bezel edge, and note the pearl colour and wrong curved top of triangle - gen seems to be straight????)... Now crappy phone camera pics from today after last night's adventures.... Like I say; it's sitting flush.... So....opinions? Should I go back to the wrong 10 insert? Keep sanding? (is the gen flush or the crystal higher and the insert slightly recessed in the metal bezel)? Change the pearl? The one on the watch now is much whiter. The one on the wrong 10 insert has slight green/blue tints... Would be great to get people's opinions. Leave alone as is, or do something else???? Thanx all.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 in the gen the crystal is slightly higher the the insert and the insert is slightly beneath the bezel. You could stop where you are or go the slightest hair more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plaifender Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 good work, I'd leave it as is.. as these differences of .5mm in bezel height, etc, don't matter structurally and are the kinds of things that feed our obsessive nature. The watch looks good and there's nothing that looks as if it's been poorly modified or worked on. Looks like it came right out of the rolex factory! Good job Scotty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Yah, it looks good. If you wanna get anal and sand a little more, then so be it. I dont know about the color of the pearl. its supposed to glow blue. If one glows blue, use that, even if its weak, unless you get relumed its going to be weak rep lume either way, right? I'd go with the white pearl, with the crappy blue lume rather than the green lume thats bluish green in the daylight. The bezel swap job came out good. Its not hard so to speak, its just a tad tedious, as is most watch tinkering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted July 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Thanks gents. The 2 pearls I have are both blue lume. One slight green/blue in daylight. The other white. i'm still debating on changing back to the green/blue one as the white is too bright compared to hour markers, and the other one glows better (better match to dial and hands). I'm debating over sanding more. It's really, really tedious. 2 hours to get where I was. However I may leave it a bit and come back. What I have noticed that's bugging is that the replacement insert 8sanded) is a hair thinner on outer dia. than the other one, leaving a fraction gap to the bezel inner edge. Most visible around 50, though I'm debating whether it's actually the bezel that isn't machined 100% on the inner edge side.... Yes - anal...... But it's bugging me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mastrmindalliance Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 Good job! This is the first time someone has actually posted to completion with the way they did it (that i've seen anyway) so thank-you! FYI, Mine has been zigg-relumed and the pearl is milky white in daylight. So I'm assuming this is correct to the gen. Thanks again Scotty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThinkBachs Posted July 14, 2010 Report Share Posted July 14, 2010 To those thinking of removing their insert, never pry, always turn it working back and forth to loosen it enough to spin freely- then lift it out. As far as the pearl goes, I'd ditch it. Cousins has a replacement pearl that is perfect except for the color. I'd then have that relumed to the right shade. I wouldn't bother having the pearl that comes with the rep relumed, it's a waste of time because it won't look right no matter who does it... IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotty Posted July 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2010 @ThinkBachs. I'd read from Lani I think how to remove the insert. Pry off pearl with thumbnail - it literally popped right off with little effort and no damage. Heat the bezel with a hairdryer. Takes a few minutes and you end up with a very hot metal watch in your hands... Insert a bent paperclip in the pearl hole, and prise/level up enough to insert a very fine screwdriver behind (0,8mm blade). From there (and you need 3 hands) - hold the watch, keep heating with the hairdryer, and shimmy the screwdriver around the bezel underneath the insert. Very gently. Comes off easily....no damage.... RE Pearl in Cousins. I've had a look round their site but have problems as it is reference number orientated. Anyone have the correct reference number for the pearl that would go better than the rep one? Thanx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.