msp Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 Imho this watch deserves a thread since it's the only rep dial which has been modded to have a tropical look. I've done quite a bit of research on no crown guards Submariners lately. A thought was building a franken by using Phong's midcase, ETA 2846, Minq dial... Well maybe in sooner or further future. I ended up getting this a lot more inexpensive version of the 6538. A Phong franken would've easily set me 1800€ back if not even more. At first when it arrived yesterday I thought hmm cool watch but I'm not really feeling the love. I was sitting at the dining table and was opening the parcel when a light ray was shining inside.. And there I saw it. This was awesome, everything I was hoping for when I bought this watch. The tropical dial has got so many facets depending on different lighting and surrounding. It's simply astonishing. Ingredients: Cartel 6538 Sub with clone 2836 movement Sternkreuz Tropic shaved to correct height and fitted Athaya Brevet crown and tube (case redrilled to fit Athaya tube into the case) Lug holes drilled to accept gen spec spring bars Hands and dial relumed Dial aged and treated to a tropical brown Insert aged Case aged and polished Rivet bracelet Hope you liked it 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 Absolutely astounding! Is that Akira's handiwork? One of us is gonna have to get him drunk and figure out how he does this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msp Posted April 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 Absolutely astounding! Is that Akira's handiwork? One of us is gonna have to get him drunk and figure out how he does this! Yes it's Akira's work indeed! Haha good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 16, 2013 Report Share Posted April 16, 2013 Ditto Nanuq, but you need to beat that case & bracelet up a bit to match the dial/handset. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 I'm on it! Now where'd I leave that hammer.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Congrats, very sharp. I really like this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike on a bike Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Nice msp, wear in good health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justlounging Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 wow..now that's an insanely good looking tropical dial..very smart indeed.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 That's a great one. Piece of advice DON"T let nanug anywhere near it, he has a concealed hammer permit, Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a hammer and wack, crash bam, your beautiful new old watch is pasturized ,homogenized vandelized, but nor simonized!! nanug vintigizing service service strikes again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Mwahahahahaaaaaaaaa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 My Son, a student who will graduate from the University of Hawaii next month, said he saw a guy in an Atigi parka and Mukluks on Waikiki last week. He ran away.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Busted!!!! Hey if you're desperate to get your 6538 dial to go tropical, no effort is too great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rower Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 When I looked at the pictures I realized that something was just not right with this watch.... Then I figured it out. It wasn't on my wrist. Great watch, thank you for sharing the pictures and history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dieselpower Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Lovely stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 I don't know how akira does this but it's so appealing that I asked my dial maker if he can attemp something similar on my 3-6-9 dial that I'm currently having made. He responded by saying that the tropical effect or actually any of the effects of the old gilt dials were caused by the celulose based lacquer that was used. He said it turns orange/yellow and sometimes crackles or spider webs based on mainly uv exposure and a few other things (all of which are natural). We got to talking and he said that he uses a newer lacquer that isn't affected by uv, I wondered if we could find that old lacquer and use it so that I would get a natural age over the years exactly as if I had an original dial. He said he actually has it (zaponlack) but that it's alcohol based and has to be diluted with isopropanol, and is a very difficult and dangerous process. Instead he suggested that we try using a clear cellulose lacquer meant for guitars that's easier to work with and has the same characteristics of changing color and being brittle. I think I will go for it, why not, it won't look like yours off the bat but if I wear it enough over the years with exposure to uv it will change over time I hope, and take on a tropical look or the like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 That's an interesting theory cc33. I know my vintage guitars have a nice antique "honey" look that the newer ones lack. They used a nitrocellulose lacquer and wiped on many many thin layers. I read somewhere another theory that the paint in some dial batches was fortuitously (to us) flawed. The black is made of red+blue+yellow and over time the blue and yellow faded more than the red, leaving a brown tint to the dial. It seems plausible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 And you think he justs hammers things, hes also known for snatching dogs. So be mindfull when your walking your dogs. One second the dogs sniffing the bush and all of a sudden the bush has legs and arms and runs away with your dog. lol Hes waiting. Hey.... whatever it takes to accomplish the end result. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Yes on non gilt dials this is very possible but as I was explained the black underneath the lacquer on gilt dials is achieved using a galvanization process, I don't think there is any paint involved. But ya that's exactly what I'm hoping for, that honey look you are referring to. It changes the gilt to look orange and the dial to seem brown like this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 THE most gorgeous 6538 on the planet. But, I have a gilt dial that's gone tropical (1675) and a non-gilt that's also gone tropical (1665). Hmmmmmmmmmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 It's a diff kind of tropical it seems, mostly when the lacquer turned yellow it was the gilt writing and track that was affected turning it orange, which we see a lot, I guess the tropical ones have something extra special going on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 Nice, but still not the complete answer, I think. My 1675 is gilt, and has gone tropical, but the black of the dial is as brown as my non-gilt 1665, and here's the odd part: the lettering is definitely gilt but it's a bright brassy gilt, not the deep rich orange/honey gilt like my 6536. And take a close look, there are apparent "water drop" marks where it left "gilt droplets" on the brown background (this is why the dial was surrendered to the A.D.) It's almost like it leaked and the droplets affected the lacquer. But how would that reduce the opacity/tint of the background base paint? I definitely agree it would affect the lacquer's gloss finish. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 It's like the caramilk secret!! I guess there is some kind of paint or pigment behind the lacquer that changes color on certain dials. Still have a lot to learn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akira Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 I usually drive to the countryside, take the watch, pour a bit of gasoline on it, set it on fire and throw it into the biggest and deepest lake there is. Then I take out my COMEX diving suit and start the hunt. Bought it on VRF from some French guy at a bargain...Most of the time I'm wearing an old Noob Sub from Neil, so I don't stay in the water too long. Bezel is turning splendidly, but the lume sucks. It takes me 6-7 hours to locate the watch on the bottom of the lake, which apparently is the exact amount of time the dial needs to turn tropical...try it yourself if you don't believe me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 The secret is out!!!! I have the gasoline, now I just have to wait for the lake to thaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted April 17, 2013 Report Share Posted April 17, 2013 the paint in some dial batches was fortuitously (to us) flawed. Since it only happens to a relative few watches, that is likely the cause (defective mix). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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