Milling Bezels And Bezel Inserts

[HauteHippie]

Pulling this discussion into a new thread...

I've been thinking about Rolex bezels and bezel inserts lately. Namely 16610 Rolex inserts. I was thinking that for Franken 16610 subs, it'd be nice if the bezel were milled on a lathe to deepen the recess for the insert, rather than milling the insert itself. It would somehow add to the experience and to the "authenticity". Tribal has talked about this, and I think a couple people have at least thought about it.

Here are a couple issues I see. Comments please...

1. On a 16610 CN bezel (TTK/TWG) there does not appear to be enough material to remove before you'd cut into the slot for the retaining ring - making the bezel worthless. I haven't seen a MBW or TW bezel (yet).

2. Which lathe tool is best for the job? I've thought about getting a small metal lathe to play around with, but I'm not sure which tool would work best. I think it could be done on a wood lathe with a handheld tool of some sort. I was thinking of some kind of home brew tool with an abrasive tip that would be used to slow remove material at a low RPM. You don't want the bezel heating up. (For those that don't know, the main differences between a wood and metal lathe are runout (which doesn't matter for this job) and the tool rest. On a metal lathe the tools is clamped into place, while on a wood lathe there is just a tool rest and the tools are hand held.)

As an aside, has anyone tried milling the insert on a lathe? I'd be a little concerned about heat and warping.

Thanks!