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Review: FGD's and Rolli's magnificent 002/009 dial!


fitch

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Impressive collection!! and it sure looks promising :) I would do SS (but I only say this because I am currently wearing the PVD version :))

Hey Fitch! Is this what you had in mind?

CDCA1982-14BD-4500-8E4A-F8ED2931A2DB-347

13D61753-9E63-4FCE-8E5C-2A9801815DAD-347

(Looking solid on my Paci original hide khaki shark.)

This is now my second favorite build;)! I've still got a soft spot for my 203a...

Gentleman, buy this dial with confidence.

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if you have questions about this dial, send me a PM.

 

this dial has no points of criticism, about quality, exactness, precision, look.

 

to make this kind of quality dial, there are necessary many steps.

 

who makes the professional vector graphic in dxf file, that autocad can read it  ????

or who makes direct the vector graphic in autocad  ????

 

cnc machines can read autocad.

 

autocad is an engineering program which has all the control functions for the cnc machines.

 

which further steps are necessary to get this precision and look ????

 

which dial maker can make this high precision work in swiss oem standard and technology  ????

 

you need a high end equipment and cnc machine park which is more than several million euro expensive.

 

only this kind of dial maker can make this dial, only this kind of dial maker has the engineer and employees

with experiences.

 

look around on the watch brand market, you will see this kind of dial maker who works for the best watch brands on market.

it exist only a handful of this kind of dial maker in swizzerland with an top machine park to make all possibilities for dials.

 

the rest of dial maker are smaller companies which makes simple dial work or print work, and mostly for watches around the price range of 600,--  - 2000,-- euro.

 

every year is a basel trade fair and over the year many many small trade fairs in europe.

 

how many watches comes new from all watch brands   ???

 

that means every year = how many dials come new  ????

 

and from all dial maker is highest precision work required.

 

how many of you know exactly the making steps of a high end oem dial ????

 

i know it exactly, because i have studied the complete making including the vector graphic !!!!!!!!

 

in all processes are limits.  but you can get everything but then only with a large investment.

 

you can make a coinage tool which will be used for dials with a production number of minimum of 150 and more dials.

then this coinage stamp tool costs € 2000 - € 2500,--.

then you don't need the cnc machine for the recessed indices. 

but if you make only 10 or 20 dials, then it woud be not appropriate to invest this money for the coinage tool.

then the cnc machine makes the same quality work for the recessed indices.

the special brass alloy gets the polishing and then the glass bead blasting surface before it comes in the galvaic bath for the black color, which is only possible with a special brass alloy, and with a special chemical bath and the special brass alloy

you get the different dial colors like black, blue, champagne, copper, bronze, silver, green.

all these colors you already have seen in top watches.

 

and one of the important making step is the printing process.

here is the pad printing process required. important and one of the oem standards is the swiss berlac AG paint.

worldwide the only one manufacturer for paints based on pantone or ral color pallet.

and the only one and the best manufacturer for dial paints and for letterings.

why berlac  ???

it's the development on the viscosity and consistency.

for dials you need a perfect viscosity and consistency. and you would see the difference if you would use another paint.

my lettering is made only with berlac paint. this white is not a standard white, on black it would be too bright,

so.. it is a broken white, old chalk white mixed. that you get a perfect color balance between the indices color and the 

non-matched hands color.

 

never forget the quality of all materials for the dial.  it's more than important. the material decides on quality and on the look.

 

best materials are pricey, here was not the question, where we can economize.

oem quality never ask about the price range. it costs like it costs.

 

know how and skill and experiences ask never about when it is pricey.

 

and now we come to the tritium simulated lume material, 

it's a high grade-A super luminova special for me developed material, which looks like tritium with an after 10 years burn-out effect.

indices filled direct by rc tritec. 

preV handset got a tritium simulated super luminova grade-A material in non-matched color.

 

we have a dial made of 1,0 mm thick special brass alloy, movement feets placed by a special jig for unitas 6497 and then the feet welded,

in a special jig for unitas feets are milled 0,5 mm recessed indices with a cnc machine,

fine work brushing and surface polishing, fine glass bead blasting, galvanic bath black, a thin layer of zapon varnish around the dial

as protection against fingerprints and damage of the black galvanic surface.

 

i hope there is a small insight about the dial making.

 

we have used one of the best swiss dial maker and the best materials and finishing.

 

 

all the best

 

rolli

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  • 4 weeks later...

IMHO there is nothing to compare rep wise with these dials.... some may say its expensive but you need to consider the method and materials of these...

 

They are made to gen specs...

 

If you look at the first pic in Rolf's sales thread you can see that alone is worth the effort.... no rep can reproduce that finish that is created by the galvanic OEM dip or indeed the varnish and berlac ... it is a gorgeous dial..

 

You can arguably say it has flaws but you can see similar discussions in Risti over gen dials... that is because OP used so many variations and hand finishes at that time in its history that there are no rules...only guidelines and an average accepted look...

 

 

If you consider say buying an FGD standard dial and then reluming and varnishing etc you are pretty close to the cost of this dial...however what you are not close to is the gen look and finsih and the quality and build of the dial itself...

 

So say 2 of you decide you want one why not get together and take advantage of the discount... or even get a list going and do a group buy... the more the better the deal individually I am sure..

 

It might be worth the effort in trying for you guys that are interested but looking at cost... it also means that Rolf and Si will move on with more dials but if interest isnt there then why should they go to the extreme effort  and little reward to satisfy a craving that has been here since this place started...

 

I aint trying to sell it...for me persoanlly it sells itself... Is it gen? ..no...but is it the closest to gen that there is and ever probably will be then the answer is a definite yes...

 

 

I have had a few of the dials from Rolf and Si and I cannot tell you just how good they look and feel in the hand and how great they look under the crystal... nothing else touches it..

 

All you need is this and a few simple to source parts and you have a rep that equals the gen on the wrist and at a fraction of the gen cost if you can get one...

 

I can only applaud the time and effort spent by these guys to produce that.... the research alone is mind blowing let alone finding the professional Swiss dial makers to be prepared to make this  and in turn then the logistics of putting it all together and getting this final product...

 

 

Maybe most guys on here now dont understand or care about this stuff... but if I can say to those ...Give it a try mate...get that feeling of wearing something so damn close to gen and so historic... these dials are what PAMs are and were all about.... it oozes quality.. it aint like just posting a thread and asking a guy here 'whats the best' and 'where to buy it' and then selecting your order...this is another level of this hobby and this dial makes it so much easier to experience and enjoy..

 

If you take that step ...Then the personal journey involved in putting a watch together like this and getting yourself emmersed in the history of PAMs is so satisfying and enjoyable and the feeling the first time you put that watch on with a gorgeous Vero Squalo or Vero Cuoio original is absolutely out of this world and is what this hobby and enjoyment of PAMs is all about...

 

 

Give your own project a try no matter what you choose beit using this dial as a starting point or something else.... trust me you wont be disappointed  :)

 

 

 

And if you decide you want to try and are serious then if I can help at all I will just ask... ;)

 

 

(I aint no expert but I have some previous experience of getting PAM projects together and I might know something that might help even if its just support :) )

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Thanks R :)

 

You know more than most mate just what that feeling is like and the satisfaction it can bring (as well as the frustration and head scratching ! ;) ).. you have produced some amazing builds that i was fotunate enough to see and share..

 

And it is what pushes this hobby forward not only in terms of enjoyment but also in what the makers produce as well as guys like R and S.....the more we as collectors and enthusiasts push the boundaries the more the makers will...

 

Thats why there are so many great OTB reps now...it wasnt the makers that helped create that ...it was guys like Proj and Mike and the dealers like Eddie Lee and Little Hero even Jimmy Fu and many others ..it was these guys and guys like any of us here that made those changes and brought us what we have now...and it is only by keeping that ethos and creating our own projects that will drive the makers to keep up with us and give us more and better OTB reps... :)

 

:)

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i would suggest a h-maker 05K case type with non AR 005K sapphire

and  sead a-f serie polished crown-guard, sead said it is available again, also in titanium.

 

oem crown type from davidsen, modding with custom tube.

 

caseback from davidsen or jacobb.

 

maybe the pam members have other prossibilities as recommendation.

 

regards

 

rolli

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rolli, I have built almost exactly what you describe above, it is truly awesome!

H factory case

DSN crown and tube

Old A-F CG,( body is better than Sead's in my opinion!)

Noob crystal (I like the clarity and truly colorless AR, looks like non-AR.)

You have described the perfect specs for a great build!

Edited by Grimlocktime
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yes that's correct.

 

for me it is simple to take the sead crown-guards, sead have them available again.

 

the oem crown with double o-ring on the crown-neck ( also the davidsen oem version ) ) has for me the best windup feeling.

 

currently i have the 009a with an old school case,  

005K case with the necessary modifications for the 002a is in work by my watchmaker.

 

all the best

 

rolli

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  • 2 weeks later...

My dial arrived yesterday. I'm very lucky to know the manager of 9maiali here in Hong Kong and he has let me look at many Pre-A and Pre-V's under a loupe - all I can say is this dial is absolutely amazing and I can't wait to get it installed into a case.

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yes it is true and many thanks.

 

if you use a rolls royce maker, then you get a rols royce,

 

if not, you get all other lesser quality but no rolls royce.

 

i plead,   the best is just good enough

 

happy new year my friends

 

rolli

 

 

My dial arrived yesterday. I'm very lucky to know the manager of 9maiali here in Hong Kong and he has let me look at many Pre-A and Pre-V's under a loupe - all I can say is this dial is absolutely amazing and I can't wait to get it installed into a case.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 year later...

Just wanted to share my latest build to this classic thread.  Better late than never  :)

 

DF8F1B46-D5D4-4B6D-A9F4-31EFD32B1BDE_zps

 

Rolli/FGD 002/009 dial and hands

Hfact case

Sead CG

DSN preV crown and tube

Jakob caseback

Simona strap

Seagull movement cleaned and oiled by me.

 

 

This dial was much maligned when first introduced.  I wish I purchased more than one.

 

 

Thanks for looking.

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