aeromatic Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 (edited) I have tried rubbing the inserts in the past with car rubbing compound this has given good results but leaves the insert looking faded but glossy bleach does give a better result but i found it hard to control sometimes leaving it a bit longer in the bleach fades it too much this time i decided to use a different method im sure this has been done many times before, lets see if anyone can guess which method i used First i decided to do inserts that i already faded/aged to different degrees ! Insert 1 this insert has turned into a tropic dark brown although i dont think the photo shows this, in daylight/sun it looks brown Insert 2 this rafflestime insert turned in to this uexpected olive green matt finish some other photos which include some already faded inserts that have had this new treatment as well this red insert im thinking about fitting it to my blackbay homage Edited March 18, 2013 by aeromatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Thanks for sharing, that brown one is very cool, It looks great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Thanks for sharing, that brown one is very cool, It looks great! Thanks cc was you refering to the very faded brown or the darker one? here is the result of my 5513 insert which had a bluish tint and now has a faded tropical brown after the new treatment and some more photos if this is the one you like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 They are both super nice but I love the darker one, mmm chocolate!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 They are both super nice but I love the darker one, mmm chocolate!! I just redone the darker one(none 15min insert) and its now really chocolate the fonts have changed to a guilt/brown colour too i will post a pics when i replace my camera batteries i just love it now i will order some more to experiment and keep as spares ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Brown is the new black I saw this one on vrm yesterday for 990 euros, ouch! You came very close, for a fraction of the price, congrats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 18, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 (edited) I can replicate that look by fading the insert first then heating the insert thats why the insert looks dark i prefer the dark matt look but tropic brown haze this raffles insert was so glossy it shouted fake,with my method i can control the patination better from just taking away the glossy black to fading right down im glad you like it i may order another 6538 dial and see if heat treating it might turn it too to a tropic although adonised finishes can take a lot of abuse dials have to be treated with kids gloves i think, its a risk i dont mind taking Edited March 18, 2013 by aeromatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mil04 Posted March 18, 2013 Report Share Posted March 18, 2013 Great results on the dial! I wish I had you skills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2013 Its crazy i just did a brown insert and it turned a green colour just slighty lighter shade green than the insert in the first watch photo i was hoping that it would just take away the metalic look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) This is the result of the metalic brown insert i was hoping it would lessen the metalic look but turned this one also to green if anyone likes custom and can use the green insert pm and i will drop it in the post for you, it only fits on cartel 6538 cases it is larger than the 5513 inserts this is the result of the metalic coke insert i was not happy with the shiny metalic red finish so i was amazed at the matt finish this will be used for my black bay homage and here is the finished tropic insert on my 6538 i decided to reheat the insert to make it even more chocolate all i need to do now is find a way to tropic the dial and age the hands unfortunately the tropic colour can not be guaranteed as you can see two raffles 6538 inserts one a red triangle which turned green colour and the other raffles 6538 none 15 min insert turned tropic the only thing i can think is the factory colour process must be a different system and here is the black bay homage Edited March 20, 2013 by aeromatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2013 oooppps I have run out of inserts to experiment on ! i will order some more when our bank accounts are unfrozen all the islands banks have been closed since the 15th march so i can not order anything darn it great way to save money and starve at the same time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 (edited) one more fading experiment this is the black insert that came with my helenarou 6538 caseset lets see if this insert will change colour to a desired (tropic brown) fingers crossed it wont turn green here it is before the gas stove heating process and after heating on a gas stove the insert was held over the flame part of the stove ring not too close to burn it as this will stain the insert and has to be held with the top of the insert up (important) i placed it on a knife it has faded similar to the 990usd insert cc33 kindly posted but a darker looking tropic im thinking of sticking with this insert for my homage bay yes why not a none 15min insert gives a cleaner looking face ! Edited March 24, 2013 by aeromatic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 Holy cow, you are really getting the hang of this! The chocolate insert that you made and put on the 6538 is SICK! It really looks great, and the Black bay insert looks better than the one that come with a Black bay imo. You're on to something, if I had a black bay I'd prefer your insert to the gen and that's saying a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted March 24, 2013 Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I like the one on your Black Bay (last one) also the last one on your 6538 looks really, really good. I had the same problem with some of mine using bleach, some almost never turn at all, others turn within seconds. I have one on my Tudor 7924 that started out Greyish and now looks blue!Great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 Thank you cc33 appreciate your comments i dont mind failer as i concider this before i decide to experiment and i have ruined a lot of parts in the process Holy cow, you are really getting the hang of this! The chocolate insert that you made and put on the 6538 is SICK! It really looks great, and the Black bay insert looks better than the one that come with a Black bay imo. You're on to something, if I had a black bay I'd prefer your insert to the gen and that's saying a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 Thanks panerai153 my bay looks even better in the flesh i guess im not a photographer but i try my best actually im trying to find an insert to fade to light blue for my blue snowflake sub the colour is unpredictable i was lucky with the bay insert thanks again ! I like the one on your Black Bay (last one) also the last one on your 6538 looks really, really good. I had the same problem with some of mine using bleach, some almost never turn at all, others turn within seconds. I have one on my Tudor 7924 that started out Greyish and now looks blue! Great work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted March 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2013 I have found now with experimenting that if the desired effect is for an aged insert as my last photo 6538 where you can see discolouration it is best to rub the insert first with something like wire wool to roughen the surface a bit then when heated up on the gas flame this gives an authenic looking finish that looks 30-40 years old, my blackbay insert was heated up without any kind of fading and this gives a new look ! its amazing that a black insert can change to tropic brown just by heat alone and look lighter! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eray Posted May 6, 2013 Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 These are great. I'd never heard of heating them before. Nice work, and thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted May 6, 2013 Report Share Posted May 6, 2013 Did you ever try your heat process on a dial to turn it tropical? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 Did you ever try your heat process on a dial to turn it tropical? Hi Nanuq I am planning to try a tudor rose helenarou dial but my watchmaker friend said he will try to stop me hehe ! i belive i can get good result as my process you can check the dial at different stages the oven gives too much heat to fast and can lift the markers up off the dials as with the iserts its a risk with no guarantee it will turn tropical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted May 11, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2013 more gas heat treatment ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aeromatic Posted October 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 Did you ever try your heat process on a dial to turn it tropical? Yes ! result a big negative never ever heat a dial i have ruined a few the heat lifts up the painted finish causing bubbling !!!!! :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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