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has anyone ever built one of these white 1016 explorers ?


kin tama

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Have not seen a vintage 1016 type watch with a white dial except in pictures but I have a modern style white dial Exp I with applied markers, glass crystal, no hole case, and Miyota clone.

Can not remember where it came from, it's been 6 or 7 years.

 

Yuki might be able to get a dial printed but it would probably take a couple months and cost extra.

I have had quite a few dials refinished in the USA by 4 or 5 different dial companies but none turned out any better than the average Yuki dial and most were not too hot. Kirk Rich Dial in LA Cal was the best but they are high $$...about $180 including return shipping for the last 'California' dial I had done (iirc on price). It was an old ratty 1680 dial that I had KRD turn into an OPD 'California' dial.

 

Almost all dial companies require the dial you send to be refinished as a 'rolex' dial to be a rolex dial to begin with...no blanks or brand name change. Submariner to OPD was Ok. No dials with applied markers changed to painted marker dials...one exception is if they can cover the marker foot holes with California type numbers etc without having to fill the holes.

Filling holes = a lot more $$.

You could probably get by with sending a Yuki etc 1016 dial for a 1560/70 and have it refinished in white. A dial with Eta dial feet might not pass. KRD can probably tint the white to make it look aged.

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Yeah, waterslide decal.  I have modified my "standard" Explorer drawing to match your picture and am printing a page of decals as I type...  I think I already have a white painted dial blank so I may have a sample (minus lume) this afternoon...

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A few years ago, there was someone on eBay listing a white 1016 dial for some ungodly amount of money--several thousand bucks, if I remember correctly.  The description was cleverly worded, but I'm certain that it was a refinished dial.

 

As for the genuine item, I've always wondered how it would have looked when it was new.  Off-white on white is a tough read!

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Thank you for the great respnses and clever ideas fellas...Im thinking an antique white with darker degraded lume on the indices and numbers...ill take a white dial and a complete case set if it works out justin...just shoot me a pp invoice to the usual address...kind regards kin tama

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I have ran into a slight snag.  I have the artwork done, prints out on plain paper, but when I print out on decal paper they look green!  The only thing I can think of is that my decal paper is "past it's use-by date" and I need to order some more.

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OK, figured out it was happening only when I increased printer resolution to "Photo" quality, when left normal it prints black.  I printed a page and, as per usual ink-jet, it is a bit fuzzy but might well work as a "proof of concept".  I have put a decal over a dinged up white blank and will throw some lume on it when it drys.  I'm going to see if my wife can maybe print me a page on her laser at work.  I have decided that I'm not buying any more printers in my quest to make dials...

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Well, it's far from perfect but my printer is not working well (been out in the shop too long I suspect) and I've never claimed to be a lume-pro.  Here's a "proof of concept" dial.  I would think that it would be a bit sharper printed with a hi-res laser printer.  But really, at actual size it probably would be quite acceptable "on the wrist"...

 

 

post-24124-0-11886100-1400352044_thumb.j

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Thanks!  I am going to have to order some "laser" decal paper and try to con my wife into printing some at work on her laser.  Depending on how they print it could make for a passable dial.  And, I gotta get a better way of tinting this Glow Inc. lume other than curry powder...

 

kin tama - it's your fault so stop whining...   ;)

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I think the next dial should be considerably better, this is about the best I can do with my worn out Alps printer.  Wife.gov has agreed to print me a page of them at work on her laser printer.  If they look OK I'll make some up...

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