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Assembling parts list for my first budget 6538 build.


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Thanks. Yes, you lume over the clear coat. I use an acrylic 'Glow Paint'. I tint it using a water based  kid's coloring set. It is the same type that RolexAddict uses. It gives a grainy look when dry, is not a strong glow, nor lasts long, probably much like a 60 year old gen would. The grainy look in my inserts is directly due to that Glow Paint. 

Me and my old eyes can do an OK job, but younger and steadier can do even better. I must have looked at thousands of pics of gilt dials, but never have seen a gen in person. But from what I've seen, the lume on the gen is not at all perfect, and the brass that shows through the pad paint or decal was bright and 'gilty' when it was new. I believe that the more subdued gilt, and even with some white showing, are all from aging. 

 

Here is a lume shot pic from panerai's watch that he took. It gives an idea of the strength of the lume. 

 

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So how did Rolex make these? They pad-printed black and everything leaving just the text plain and unpainted? How did they get the silver/white gilt then? (not accusing, just really curious...) For all this time, I assumed the gilt was what was pad-printed onto the already black-lacquered dial.

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The base plate is treated chemically and then enters a galvanizing bath. Once that is done, the only thing you can see is the matt black galvanized parts and the gilt parts which are just the base metal showing through. (No such thing as white or silver gilt) At that point the dial gets lacquered, once dry the depth rating is painted on top of the lacquer. Then a protective white enamel based paint is applied to the lume areas (this was done on the gens to protect the dial from the damaging effects of the lume. All that's left to do is lume it at and voila.

Pic 1: after galv

Pic 2: has been lacquered and had the depth rating painted on

Pic 3: enamel base lume applied

Pic 4: completed, lume applied and mounted in watch

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Oh, so would the "white" or "silver" gilt have just been paint? The thing I'm thinking of is like my gen 5513 dial, which has a silver underline and a silver underneath a white SWISS at the 6 o'clock position....

I have done some chemical etching/galvanizing in my day... I wonder how much work it would be to do one of these dials? Maybe I'll give it a shot... I presume you just pad print the text before putting it in to be galvanized? Sorry for taking us so far off topic, this is just really fascinating.

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"Oh, so would the "white" or "silver" gilt have just been paint? The thing I'm thinking of is like my gen 5513 dial, which has a silver underline and a silver underneath a white SWISS at the 6 o'clock position...."

Yes, white and silver gilt is just white or silver paint it is not true "gilt". The base plate has to be showing through for it to be gilt. Gen 5513 with silver underline (paint) and a silver swiss (paint again) is really cool but the silver and white "gilt" you refer to is just paint

It's hard to see but under extreme magnification, the gilt (base plate) is visually below the black galvanized areas (in relief)

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.........and Minh has multiple "levels" from $300 to over $1,000. They get more gilty with price, but still are not made with technique cc33 described.

Here is his $300 dial with some Big Dazza ageing texture. It's very good but it's sized for a gen case. This was my starting point for the first version of the Big Gonzo, then it went to The Zigmeister for a relume to the dial and hands for a more "creamy" look.

Before Ziggifying

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After Ziggifying

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That minh dial just costs 300$, well i Thanks its a really good option

Edited by quaresma7
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The first pic is not gen but made the same way, the underline, certified text and swiss is painted on top of the lacquer with paint. The gilt is below the lacquer.

Second pic shows a gen dial where the lacquer has been damaged, you can see the diff layers well.

Third shows how the gilt sits below the galvanized black layer and how the printed white paint sits on top of the lacquer.

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That minh dial just costs 300$, well i Thanks its a really good option

I have that Minh dial for sale in another thread, now that I've got the final dial installed.

It was initially the best dial I could find. I narrowed my search down to the InGod tropical vs the Minh, and ultimately went with the Minh. Compared side by side with a gen, the fonts and lettering are nearly identical.

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Pretty sure the white is printed to let the black show through. But hey.... I'm just a simple lad from Alaska so who knows?!

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Yep - freddy33: "Good point. If either dial has the Comex lettering painted (black, a la the gen) instead of simply letting the dial color through, I would go with that 1. Otherwise, I would still cast my vote for the white 1."

In any case, I did some investigating about the gilt dials and found the silver was a different paint on the dial. Those photos really show it - great references cc33!

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He's right it's in relief, the black part is the dial showing through

Looks in that pic that "COMEX" has different texture/colour than the surrounding dial.

Anyhow.. Never had the privilege of seeing a gen Comex dial in the flesh. 

 

One day i will have the spare $100k to confirm!  but I have yet to see non-raised Comex letters on a Rolex dial.

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