Valentine's DaYtejust ... or "why and how my wife has got a new watch"

[manodeoro]

All this has begun because my wife heard about my "Miss Bond" project a few months ago (my sons are faulty here ... they can't keep a secret).
Now she's impatiently waiting to see that watch, but I'm never satisfied of the dials I build for that project and always delay the finishing.

So I've had the idea, to smooth a little the waiting process, to design a simple build for her for Valentine's Day.

I started with what I must call an "overdecorated" project ... something really too "sweetened"



I showed that project to some friends and they asked me if I really wanted to produce what they called a "shamallow watch"

So I have decided to build something a little more ... "less"



THE BASE WATCH :

I started with a 36mm Datejust from Silix ... nothing really special about that watch except the nice sunburst effect on the dial

And please dont call me a Scrooge

This is, indeed, a cheap base watch, but the final result is much better IMHO
And she (my wife) will get a diamond (real) ring as a birthday present while we will be in Saigon next April





NEW BRACELET :

The Oyster bracelet that came with the watch was really not comfortable (at the least) even after a baby oil bath.

So I quickly swapped for a Jubilee bracelet which is much more soft on the wrist and had a real "jewellery" look to the watch.
I've had to bend a little the springbars so that they could fit in the holes inside the lugs, so that was not a 5 minutes swap but evrything went well at the end.



I've had the watch on my wrist for a few days just to be sure it was working OK and kept time well, then I begun modding it.



THE DIAL MOD :

I have kept my first idea of a gradient pink layout, kept the "red hearts" too ...
but the central "LOVE" writing had to go to the bin ... really bad taste it was ... sometimes I wonder "what's on my mind"

I did not took pics while modding the dial but it's really an easy and simple modd, as long as you keep the path and act patiently enough.
This method can be used for any other DJ and/or DD dial mod, as long as you want to get a "soft" and "non covering" color pattern.

PREPARING THE DECAL :
01 - scan the existing dial so that you can use it as a template
02 - open the scan with photoshop (or the gimp) and resize it to the dial's size
03 - create the pink gradient pattern with the air-brush tool on an specific sheet
04 - open a new sheet and place the "hearts" ... playing with different sizes and taking care not to place them over the printings of the dial
05 - create a tiff image with only the pink pattern and the hearts (not the dial used as a template) and print it on a clear decal sheet ... the difficulty here i to play with the color density because when put on the dial the pink pattern will be less dense ... so if not enough density when you print and the pink pattern wont be visible but if too much density and the sunburst effect on the dial will disappear
07 - spray 2 coats of matte varnish (waiting 24 hours between each) and let dry

PREPARATING THE DIAL :
08 - carefully release the bar indeces and the coronet ... warning !!! those parts are really tiny and have a tendency to satelize themselves ... and take care not snatching the tiny lume dots
09 - carefuly "clean" the holes on the dial, where you will insert the pins under the indexes and coronet when putting them back ... I use a really thin needle (used for sawing silk) with a handle made with painter's masking tape

PUTTING THE DECAL ON :
10 - moisten the decal sheet ith tepid water then put it on the dial ... there will be some "bubbles" where the decal covers the lume dots but we will take care of that later
11 - let dry for 24 hours so that the decal has perfectly stuck ... it's really important because we wont put any varnish now because it could hide the sunburst effect on the dial
12 - moisten the decal with "micro sol" (in fact I use white vinegar ... much cheaper and works perfectly) only where it covers the lume dots and xait for about 5 minutes ... then the decal is softened so you can press it around the lume dots with a moisten paper towel ... the decal should perfectly deforms arround the lume dots and ... no more bubbles
13 - let dry for 24 hours

PUTTING THE INDEXES AND CORONET BACK ON :
14 - get the "silk sawing" needle and carefully pit the decal where there is holes on the dial ... so that the pins under the indexes and coronet wont tear the decal
15 - put the indexes and coronet back and gently press on them so that the pins are perfectly pushed in ... get some eyewash and use it cause your eyes are probably aching now
16 - put the dial upside down on a soft fabric and put a really thin coat of hypo cement on the holes where the pins are inserte ... just to secure everything
17 - let dry for about 24 hours
THAT'S IT ... now you can put the dial on the movement, put the hands back, case everything and enjoy ... or offer of course, if it is a gift



UPGRADES SCHEDULED and/or CONSIDERED :

BEZEL ... scheduled :
After RWI shutdown I thought I would never get the nice engined urned bezel that ZuluGMT offered on sale (I didnt had his PP adress and he didnt had my shipping adress).
Fortunately RWI is back and since today the bezel is on his way to me.
So in a few days it will be there and will take the place of the flutted bezel.

ENDLINKS ... scheduled :
The endlinks that came with the Jubille bracelet are really bad, even after reworkong the polish/brushed effect.
So I will replace them really soon ... probably from Raffles

CROWN ... scheduled :
The crown is ... really not perfect ... like many crowns on Rep Datejust.
Too low on the case, inside chamfer to enough present, etc ...
I first thought about reworking the inside chamfer to make it look better but I finaly search for a much better "crown + tube" set ... possibly Gen if I can get a good offer (and it I can fi it)

CLASP ... considered :
It keeps well closed and is not too much ugly ... but a little ugly evertheless
So it will depend on how my better half keep loving her watch ... if her first entusiasm evolves into passion and if that watch keeps on her wrist then I'll opt for a clasp swap.

After that ... we will see if I stand there of go to something better ... the DG283 keeps time pretty well but it's a cheap movement, so possibly a 2843-2 and a new handset
All this will depend on how my beauty loves her new beauty

Of course all (constructive) opinions and (good) advices are welcomed so please feel free to post here

 

 

PICS :



Indeed ... so I here they are

Perhaps I put too many pics of the dial but I wanted to try to show how the pattern can change from "dark pink" to "almost invisible" just depending on the lighting

Edited February 19, 2018 by manodeoro

[kinkinza]

Real sweet of you to build this for her, hope she enjoys it!

 

P.S. glad you removed the "love" in the end, that detail was a little too much lol

[manodeoro]

Hey ... admins 

I would like to edit that topic to upload the pics again, but I cant find the EDIT button