eunomians Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Yes, I was one of those idiots who would go to the back of the Tourneau in Las Vegas and stare at the IWC Jones models; but, I would never buy one. Very lovely watch, but white is not my cup of tea. I can only tell you that black is where it's at - no matter what. So I picked up one of the fantasy black dial Jones watches for pennies on the dollar. Ohh dear, that very shiny dial and that ugly flat sapphire crystal had to go. The combination of sapphire and shiny dial made for an impossible to read dial. Besides, I am not a fan of the sapphire crystal on the art deco IWC Jones. It makes the watch look 'cold'. So, off with the sapphire... I slapped in a high dome acrylic crystal. I wanted to remove Mr. Jones's signature on the dial, but found that nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol and isopropyl alcohol did not want to remove it. I guess it looks fine as is. Then there was the issue of the forged Jones serials on the left side of the case. I stripped it off by sanding it lightly. It's gone now and I am relieved since the serial was idiotically "000/1000". Well, there you have it. Done. And mighty fine looking, too. Right up my alley. The watch looks very classically tasteful and has a vintage air to it. It now reminds me of some of the oversized vintage 1920's aviator watches that I own - just my style Have a look at the before & after pics. I hope that you can get a sense of the warmth that the acrylic domed crystal lends to the watch. Plus, the dial is now readable since only the dial is shiny! Before: After: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfreeman420 Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Very nice. Did IWC ever make this or something similiar with an acrylic crystal? Just wondering if this is done all for personal taste or because there wa a vintage model similiar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Whoa! That has just taken that rep to a whole different place. The dome gives a completely different feel to it, much more vintage and classic. Love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frontin Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 AWESOME!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltatahoe Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 wow -- really nice work euno -- it's now a one of a kind piece deltatahoe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellomen Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 That crystal looks great on this watch!! May i ask where you got the crystal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dluddy Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Looks great Euno. Much better than the stock rep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted May 23, 2007 Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Great mods, Euno! Amazing the difference a crystal can make!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eunomians Posted May 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2007 Glad you guys dig it! I'm really enjoying wearing this one. I got the crystal at a local watchmaking supply shop (one of the only ones around here that sells to the public). I have been going there for many years now when I need to buy a crystal. I just give them the bezel and they come back in few minutes with a crystal that fits. This time I did not ask what the size was, nor did I measure the bezel myself (sometimes they just hand me digital calipers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rxus Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Well it looks great, and it's soo true how the dome crystal gives it that vintage look. simply amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baltic Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Excellent work, you've really improved that watch no end! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wadan Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Euno the watch looks amazing , the crystal gave it whole new persona It takes an imagination of a watch genius to come with such an idea So let me suggest the next Mod ,,,, you repaint / Age the numbers to add some patina look and remove the IWC logo and replace it with : International Watch company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eunomians Posted May 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 Wadan, I dream of owning a vintage Portugese like the one in that pic. It's too bad that the rep dial markers do not come off without destroying the dial finish. I guess that's what happens when you make a dial out of plastic I think that what I might try to do is have a dial made to the same dimensions as the rep dial. This could seriously turn into an interesting long-term project. Cheers gentlemen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted May 26, 2007 Report Share Posted May 26, 2007 Way better than the original. Great work. Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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