dbane883 Posted March 14, 2015 Report Posted March 14, 2015 If you've ever reshaped a mid case, one of the toughest mods to do properly is being able to cut bevels that have crisp/sharp edges. Here's an example of stock Yuki 5513 case lugs. Note how the edges are slightly rounded and the satin finishing on the top of the lugs have bled over to the bevel itself. Not cool: After spending some time on my lapping machine, here's what (I think) bevels on a 5513 should look like. Lugs have been slightly thinned, repolished, satinized, and bevels cut last: 4
ww12345 Posted March 14, 2015 Report Posted March 14, 2015 Nice! Now all we need to do is get you a bunch of lug profiles from various watches over the years...
droptopman Posted March 14, 2015 Report Posted March 14, 2015 Bevel master! Sent from my droptop using telepathy. 1
jmb Posted March 14, 2015 Report Posted March 14, 2015 Oh, hell yeah!!! I wonder if a brand new gen would be this crisp and defined?
dbane883 Posted March 14, 2015 Author Report Posted March 14, 2015 Oh, hell yeah!!! I wonder if a brand new gen would be this crisp and defined? For sure the bevels cut. 30+ years were not this sharp. The cases were held against a lapping wheel free hand, and then buffed on a polisher; which would result in slightly rounded edges. The bevels I cut here have not been touched on a buffing wheel and came straight off the lapping machine/bevel cutter. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
508-Fanatic Posted March 14, 2015 Report Posted March 14, 2015 Good to know! I might need another 5513 case if I screw-up milling out these lug-holes haha
omgiv Posted March 14, 2015 Report Posted March 14, 2015 That is truly some amazing work!!! You are doing things that many shops could only dream of doing. Major kudos!!!!
Mendota Explorer Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) There is a shop in LA that does a lot of restoration and service work for vintage pieces. Their trademark icing on the cake for clients is to put new bevels on the case before sending it back. Members over on TRF swear by them. I can't remember their name but your work is on par with them! Edited March 15, 2015 by Mendota Explorer
ww12345 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Is that ABC Watchwerks? I've heard good things about them...
krpster Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Nicely done. Great attention to the most minute detail. Looks like your playing around is paying off.
dieselpower Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Amazing stuff. Well done. I'm lapping it up ha ha ha Oh I'm such a card.... Seriously.... Respect.
ww12345 Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Amazing stuff. Well done. I'm lapping it up ha ha ha Oh I'm such a card.... *rimshot* Haha - took me a while to get this... Don't quit your day job! XD
Mendota Explorer Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Is that ABC Watchwerks? I've heard good things about them... Yes. ABC. Funny I couldn't remember such an easy name! Apparently they do such a great job with bevels that whenever someone gets a vintage piece back from the ABC spa and posts a pic, everyone all knows it came from ABC.
508-Fanatic Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 I noticed my case doesn't even have bevels... this is very disappointing to me indeed.
Seacraft Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 (edited) I noticed my case doesn't even have bevels... this is very disappointing to me indeed. Bevels (technically "chamfers") = vintage which is part of the appeal. Bevels vary by year to pretty much disappearing on newer pieces. The early vintage subs have the most bevel so a 6538/7922/6200/6542 have marvelous bevels - and Bane nails it here. Edited March 15, 2015 by Seacraft
508-Fanatic Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Bevels (technically "chamfers") = vintage which is part of the appeal. Bevels vary by year to pretty much disappearing on newer pieces. The early vintage subs have the most bevel so a 6538/7922/6200/6542 have marvelous bevels - and Bane nails it here. The case I have is supposed to be a PCG 5513 - '66 I've attached a pic. I think I'll need to take a stab at this lapping business to create some bevels / chamfers on it going by bane's amazing pictures / work as a guide. Any suggestions as to it are extremely appreciated
Seacraft Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 The case I have is supposed to be a PCG 5513 - '66 I've attached a pic. I think I'll need to take a stab at this lapping business to create some bevels / chamfers on it going by bane's amazing pictures / work as a guide. Any suggestions as to it are extremely appreciated Lapping is an art and requires a tremendously expensive machine $4-10K and a lot of experience. a 63 PCG (1966 is after pointed CGs) is going to have less chamfer/bevel than a 58' NCG sub. but more than a 79 5513. Search a bunch of photos - I like to check hqmilton.com as a good comparison site.
508-Fanatic Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 Lapping is an art and requires a tremendously expensive machine $4-10K and a lot of experience. a 63 PCG (1966 is after pointed CGs) is going to have less chamfer/bevel than a 58' NCG sub. but more than a 79 5513. Search a bunch of photos - I like to check hqmilton.com as a good comparison site. Thank you!
Mendota Explorer Posted March 15, 2015 Report Posted March 15, 2015 I think it was Civic over on Homage Forum who took his Silix case and produced amazing chamfers by hand on his 6200 build. Those cases and lugs are squared off and he produced really nice looking chamfers either with a dremel or by hand with a file. Maybe if we are really nice to Dbane and give him lots of beer and whiskey or wine (or cash) he will help us out with our own vintage case projects!
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