TJGladeRaider Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 As we have all discussed many times, my idea of a wonderful vintage Rollie is a bit different than those who want to make them look old - I want mine to look like they did brand new, including lume that works. Therefore, I sent a bunch of watches off to Ziggy for his "ultimate" lume job, and had him install new gen crowns/tubes while he was about it. I'm a little anal about things, and having watches I really like that are useles at night annoys me - especially since I spend as much free time as possible running a powerboat at night, and there are no lights to read a watch by as you cruise the intercoastal waterway, or skate the waves thirty miles offshore in the middle of the night. It has been with much anticipation that I have been waiting to get my watches back, and when I came home last night, I found a package from Ziggy -- they had arrived. I had my hands full, as I had to get my boat ready to take out . . . it was Friday night, the weather was perfect, winds were minimal . . . anyway, I had a lot to do. I left my watch I was wearing one my dresser, and tossed the package from Ziggy in the truck. Once i got my boat launched, and tied off dockside, I finally had time to open my package. It was getting dark, and I knew I was going to be impressed -- nothing to do between me and casting off but select which of my newly arrived glowing torches that I was going to wear, right? Wrong. I opened the package and none of them was a torch - Hell, they weren't much different than they were when I had sent them. Oh well, lesson learned -- two lessons actually, the second being to experiment one watch at a time rather than spend a lot of money to be unimpressed. Still, the night was fabulous, so I put on a nylon windbreaker and took off to go cruising. Speaking of lights and glow, you ought to see the lights of the big hotels as you run down the coast at 60+ mph on a really dark night -- wind blowing tears from the corners of your eyes, knifing thru swells, thrumming of motors . . . it would be easy not to go home til the gas run out. In fact, I generally don't and for what a couple of hundred gallons of gas costs these days, well that's another reason why the wifey doesn't mind if I sit home at night playing with watches. When I finally did turn back, it was dark - blacker than a coal miner's ass crack, if ya know what I mean, but it was late enough that the damn Corinthians (a semi derogatory term for people who don't know [censored] about boats) had all gone home, which is a safety issue in more ways than one. Just try running the markers in the dark (you know, those telephone poles sticking up out of the water with unlit signs on them) and having some twit shine a spotlight in your face -- I kid you not, I have seen these freakin tourists try to use docking lights as headlights. Anyway, they are all gone within a few hours of total darkness. Yankee tourists are only on the water of they got last and didn't know how to get back on time. So there I was, blasting down the Intracoastal dodging the markers as only a smuggler (or MEO (Marine Enforcement Officer) is supposed to know how to do, when I decide to see what time it is. The way you do that on a boat at night is important, because you don't want to screw up your night vision and I have had plenty of practice with shitty lume watches. You take your mag light, put it against the watch crystal, turn it on for a few seconds, and then turn it off and read your watch. Evenb dead lume will glow perfectly well enough to see in total darkness for long enough to read it. I looked at the watch, and couldn't see [censored]. Literally There I was at 60+ MPH, blasting thru the dark with telephone poles sticking up at random intervals, when my Ziggy watch saw its first light -- about a zillion candlepower from a mag lite a few millimeters away. That watch, that had been in a perfectly dark mailer for almost a week, sucked that up like a dying man in the desert tossed into a lake. It was like I had a damn KC Daylighter on my wrist. I looked up and couldn't see [censored] in any direction except the watch face with 3:05 that seemed to be permanently branded into my corneas. Can you imagine running a high powered boat in the dark and having someone pull a bag over your head . . . it wasn't pretty. Every damn spotlight happy yankee at the yachtclub combined couldn't have blinded me so effectively. I shut down the throttles as fast as I could, but . . . When I finally could see well enough to stand back up, I realized the bad news that I had hit something in the dark that knocked me flat on my ass. The good news was that my ass was not wet . . . evidently, the boat wasn't sunk. She and I were pretty busted up, but she got me home without swimming . . . any landing you walk away from I guess. So, that's why I'm gonna have to sue Ziggy, once he gets done doing the rest of my watches. Good thing for Ziggy I have so many! BTW -- if you have rep Rollies, and don't do anything else, try having a gen crown/tube installed. That has got to be the best mod you'll ever pay for, the difference is . . . I almost said, "night and day." That's the lume job - the crown and tube job is just excellent. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Bill... You are INDEED... A Stinker... TT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
section8 Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 hahah, great story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotoman Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 you just required me to read the longest post i've read in days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltatahoe Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 great post bill; sorry to hear about your boat ziggy's work and the brightness of quality lume are both hard to appreciate until you've seen them first hand. deltatahoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Sorry to hear about your boat, but I am glad you're happy with the lume results. That dark mailer sucks up the photon's, but a charge from a flashlight sure gets it glowing like a beacon. RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Apparently my attention span is not long enough. I got to the end of the thread and thought he was unhappy with the lume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Nice and entertaining story. Makes me want to Ziggify my vintages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted March 4, 2007 Report Share Posted March 4, 2007 Great story! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Apparently my attention span is not long enough. I got to the end of the thread and thought he was unhappy with the lume. I kind of thought the same thing, but then I read it again...maybe my engrish to french transelator is not working today?? Is he happy, or not... RG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Ziggy- Actually I think he is extremely happy. It turns out that the minute there was any light from lights far away on the water his watches lit up. What he forgot to mention is that when he pulled the watches out of the package they were dark because it was dark out and so the watches hadn't seen the light of day or any other light for that matter for a week. Either that or he does think they suck. TJ- If I am reading your post right you neglected to mention that the reason you were initially disappointed when you pulled them out in the dark was that you forgot that it takes light to make light. Not because it was a crappy lume job. Do I have this right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted March 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Ziggy- Actually I think he is extremely happy. It turns out that the minute there was any light from lights far away on the water his watches lit up. What he forgot to mention is that when he pulled the watches out of the package they were dark because it was dark out and so the watches hadn't seen the light of day or any other light for that matter for a week. Either that or he does think they suck. TJ- If I am reading your post right you neglected to mention that the reason you were initially disappointed when you pulled them out in the dark was that you forgot that it takes light to make light. Not because it was a crappy lume job. Do I have this right? In the future, I shall take advantage of the bold, underline and italic functions! LOLLLLLLL "There I was at 60+ MPH, blasting thru the dark with telephone poles sticking up at random intervals, when my Ziggy watch saw its first light -- about a zillion candlepower from a mag lite a few millimeters away. That watch, that had been in a perfectly dark mailer for almost a week, sucked that up like a dying man in the desert tossed into a lake." What am I gonna do with you guys! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 What am I gonna do with you guys! Give 'em Dunce Caps Bill... TT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJGladeRaider Posted March 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 The thing I like best is, in daylight the watches look exactly like they did when I sent them. I'm sure the puffy lume, or vintage colored lume, is great stuff, but it doesn't do it for me. I wanted my watches to look just like they came from MBW, but glow like brand new. You cannot believe the way these things glow. I'm going to Jacksonville for a few days tomorrow; I'll get another batch of watches out at the end of the week. Lord how I love a crown that feels like the real thing! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 I kind of thought the same thing, but then I read it again...maybe my engrish to french transelator is not working today?? Je crois que tu va recevoir tous ses montres pour des relumages. (I think you're going to get all his watches in for reluming) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 It has been with much anticipation that I have been waiting to get my watches back, and when I came home last night, I found a package from Ziggy -- they had arrived. I finally had time to open my package. It was getting dark, and I knew I was going to be impressed -- Wrong. I opened the package and none of them was a torch - Hell, they weren't much different than they were when I had sent them. Oh well, lesson learned -- I looked at the watch, and couldn't see shit. Literally Bill That was as far as I got. Glad to hear you are happy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsons Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Great post, Bill! Excluding the boat incident (very sorry about that), it was one entertaining read. The OEM cown/tube addition is a pretty amazing improvement. All of the sudden, the watch doesn't feel so much like a rep! I'm with you on the aging of these watches....I like them to look on the new side as well. Heck, I have a 52 year old watch that does not look much different from the day it left the factory & others in the 20-40 age group with very little patina on the T-dials. Glad you are enjoying the new Zig torches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Good stuff, Bill. And yes indeed- Ziggy's lume work can indeed cause those torch lit indicies and hands to burn into one's retinas Sunglasses are recommended when checking the time As for the crown/tube... That is a MUST do on any Rolex watch. If anything, from a purely functional standpoint. The aesthetics and feel are just a nice by-product... I enjoyed the read... Hope your boat's okay after the collision! Best, R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek001 Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 What a great story, Bill. I feel as if I was out on the boat with you. I'd give anything to be able to go out on a boat at night like that, experience of a lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kollektor Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Thanks for the post. You've just convinced me to do my next lume job with The Zigmeister :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_uk Posted March 14, 2007 Report Share Posted March 14, 2007 Great post but where's the lume shots? P.S. don't take lume pics while driving the boat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TTK Posted March 15, 2007 Report Share Posted March 15, 2007 So Bill, how many k's this run........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.