HauteHippie Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I'd like to organize a group AR coating run ASAP. I've previously posted some details and have received significant interest. Having recently been extremely busy at work, I've had to ignore some PMs regarding the AR run, but with a more favorable work schedule on the horizon, I'd like to get the ball rolling.... This coating lab is excellent. The owner is very willing to meet our needs and has a business model very well suited to our (relatively) low volume. He has already sent me samples, which I have posted on RWG. He has been very responsive and motivated, and is quoting me 1 week turn times (excluding transit times). Here are the details: The Coating - Optically clear with slight Blue/Purple hue - Approx. 1% reflectance of visible light on the coated side - Durability: This will be a DURABLE AR COATING. Let's put this in perspective: Our coating will meet military spec Mil-C-675 for durability. As such, it can be handled with bare hands and very easily cleaned, if required. However.... it WILL NOT withstand the "screwdriver test" as uncoated sapphire will. So... it is durable, but it can and will scratch if you're not careful!!! - Single sided OR Double sided coating is available. There will be no price difference, but before deciding to go with a double side coating please refer to gen forums and RWG posts where people are actually removing the outer AR coating on their watches for various reasons!!! The Pricing I think the pricing has improved since my initial post. They are very eager to work with us!! Here is the price schedule: - 25 crystals = $45 USD per crystal - 40 crystals = $30 USD per crystal - 50 crystals = $25 USD per crystal Prices include return shipping without insurance inside the CONUS. Insurance, international shipping (outside CONUS), etc will cost extra. How this will work Please post your intent to commit here. If you have any uncertainty about honoring your commitment, then do not post. If/when we have enough of a commitment to begin a run (40 crystals is a nice sweet spot), then I will provide an address (my address) to everyone participating. I will provide shipping instructions and you will ship your crystals to me. I will not be removing crystals from watches for anyone. I will package the crystals, label them, and then send them to the coating house as a single lot. The coating house will return them to me, and I will then ship them back to their owners. Payment: At this time I would like to avoid paypal. The easiest thing (for me) is probably going to be a bank check (either money order or cashier's check) that is mailed to me along with the crystals. So, that's about it... Hopefully the interest in this is still out there! Questions/comments, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuDro Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Does this apply to all sizes? For example, can I send you a crystal from a Navitimer, a SMP Chrono, and a PAM 048? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 ..damn.. i'm in europe Excellent prices Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 ..damn.. i'm in europe Excellent prices I had the exact same thought, followed by the realisation I don't have a crystal press. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovepanerai Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 my main challenge will be to get the crystals removed - I am very clumsy and don't even want to try to remove a movement. Once I have figured out how to do that I will commit thanks for all your efforts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 ..damn.. i'm in europe Excellent prices You'd have to deal with shipping costs and customs (though I don't know why it'd be a customs risk). But, if you want in, you're welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 my main challenge will be to get the crystals removed - I am very clumsy and don't even want to try to remove a movement. Once I have figured out how to do that I will commit thanks for all your efforts Perhaps there is someone who wants in on the coating run and would offer to remove crystals for those who can't do it? I simply don't want to deal with it, since I'll have enough to deal with as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 Does this apply to all sizes? For example, can I send you a crystal from a Navitimer, a SMP Chrono, and a PAM 048? Mixed size lots are fine. Send what you've got. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flavor flav Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 i will at LEAST send by bentley crystal. maybe my gen SMP and SMP GMT crystals as they came factory no AR coatings. maybe more i'll let you know how many later on. thanks for doing all the legwork! i'll take the double coats on all of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flavor flav Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 i forgot....my 2x VC overseas. gens have AR. put me down for 4 for sure. i may do more after i see these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjeffers58 Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I'm in, need to do the crystal on my PO since I only bought the Asian model. PM me with the details when you need the crystal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subzero1 Posted January 7, 2007 Report Share Posted January 7, 2007 I've got 5 for single sided AR coating - 2 with date windows, 3 without date windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Please post your quantities here so we can easily track when we get to 40. I'll be sending two of my own, so that means we need 38. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Are you going to be doing another run later or is this a one time thing? I have a press comming but it probably won't be till end of next week Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flavor flav Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 you shouldn't need a press to get most out.....in is another story! i've changed over 10 crystals with my palm and a hard table. that said....i am getting a press anyways looks like we have a total of 12 so far. 28 more to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 i gotta get down to the local watchsmith to see if he can pop out my crystals - is there anyone else in South Florida that does this? like another member? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Are you going to be doing another run later or is this a one time thing? I have a press comming but it probably won't be till end of next week We can do additional runs. Next week is no sweat. Which press did you get? BTW, I have one crystal up in Canada (along with the watch) that I'm going to ask The Zigmeister to ship down to me assuming we get 40 crystals lined up. That will take at least a week from then!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I went with the harbor freight one, crossing my fingers it will be decent and not destroy anything.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mezzanine Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I went with the harbor freight one, crossing my fingers it will be decent and not destroy anything.... I'm going to have a bunch- I'd meant to bump the old thread, but forgot about it... At least 5 I would imagine. Maybe a few more. Yikes. I'm obsessed with AR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I went with the harbor freight one, crossing my fingers it will be decent and not destroy anything.... If two pieces of poplar and a bar clamp (my crystal press) doesn't destroy anything, I doubt the HF press will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 What's the deal with crystals that are already AR? Is it possible to have that removed during this process? Also anyone got any info on how hard it is to buff off the second side if you don't like it? And what about adding a second side to a crystal that already has one side? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shultz Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I would be in for two ar coatings on 196 and Inge crystals. Is there a deadline for sending them in? I am in EU and I have to disassemble the crystals first.... Probably I would order a third ar coating but I need an info: It is a PAM239 with cyclops. I guess I will have to remove the cyclops first before the ar coating process can start? I want to be honestly: I am a bit worrying about broken crystals: I asked a german optician recently for ar coating. He told me that he asked some companies but they don't want to do that job because of a significant risk of damage by clamping the crystal for the coating process.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I would be in for two ar coatings on 196 and Inge crystals. Is there a deadline for sending them in? I am in EU and I have to disassemble the crystals first.... Probably I would order a third ar coating but I need an info: It is a PAM239 with cyclops. I guess I will have to remove the cyclops first before the ar coating process can start? I want to be honestly: I am a bit worrying about broken crystals: I asked a german optician recently for ar coating. He told me that he asked some companies but they don't want to do that job because of a significant risk of damage by clamping the crystal for the coating process.... I think once we have 40, I'll just cut it off and send everyone shipping instructions. It will then just be a matter of receiving all the crystals. Those mailing crystals from the EU would hopefully use some sort of expedited shipping method. As far as the cyclops goes, I had already asked my AR guy about this. He didn't mention any risk of the clamping mechanism cause a problem, but he wasn't willing to guarantee that the glue wouldn't pop under the high temperature vacuum inside the chamber. I will double check this though and post his response.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 What's the deal with crystals that are already AR? Is it possible to have that removed during this process? Also anyone got any info on how hard it is to buff off the second side if you don't like it? And what about adding a second side to a crystal that already has one side? My AR guy will strip existing AR coats at a cost of $100 per lot using an acid wash. But this extra cost would be yours to bear, unless there are others who would be willing to split the cost with you. Both crystals of mine have no existing AR, so I wouldn't be contributing to the $100. There should be no issue adding a second side to a crystal that already has one side, but I'll need to be aware of it so I can make him aware of it. I don't know what kind of AR coating your crystal will have, but it's probably a cheap one that can't be touched with bare hands - so care would have to be taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Crystals With Cyclops: The crystals are not clamped in the machine, so there should be no risk of damage due to pressure. However, this AR coating is a high temperature (600F / 315C degrees) process in a vacuum chamber. There *is* a risk that the glue joint could fail during the coating process. My AR company doesn't know how high this risk is, either. So this is something to be aware of!!! That said, anyone who does lose a cyclops during the coating process would have the opportunity to buy a replacement from me when the 7mm cyclopes are available early next month Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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