reficul Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 As some of you know that I am in the process of modding my Pam Fiddy. One of the biggest problem that annoys me is the crazy deep blue AR that is presented in the sapphire crystal. The gen has an AR that is almost invisible to the eye. And it is ONLY visible at a corner, and it is very light and most of the time, it reflect a reddish purplish tone. Hence, if yours has no AR, you are very close to the gen. Here are my DIY equipment, all lined up at the sink: I read somewhere that you need some thinner and steel wool and alot of strength to remove the AR, which I did and tried. The results: A swollen thumb and a loss of 5 million calories. And thats not all, remains of the nenemis, code named "AR", about 40% is still presented in the crystal. And that is 30 mins worth of effort. And not forgetting my lungs are pretty filled up and equipped with acetone vapour (foolish of me as I didn't have a mask with me). And on a closer look, the sapphire crystal even has a few tiny hairline scratches (about 1-2mm in length, less than 5 microns deep)... damnit. I never thought that steel can actually chip off some of the sapphire to create such tiny scratches. Well, it is not really visible even if you scrutinize, but being a perfectionist in my work, I just hate the way it looks. :-( Hence I took a breather, (heartbroken too) and decided that I should try something else. And light shed on these: TADA! The holy sandpaper (fine grit) and the Autosol (Brasso works the same too) Squeeze some autosol on the crystal... Rub with the sandpaper with my sore thumb.... AND it works! Yes, I know that the steel wool with the acetone works too. But it took the hell out of me and furthermore, it leave some tiny scratches that I wasn't too pleased about. (Maybe my wool has tiny sapphire or diamond crust on it? or maybe my sapphire was a sapphire rep???) This method, using sandpaper and autosol works wonder and with the least effort, and time, the AR was called home to the Lords. (I heard my name too, with my heavily filled with acetone lungs) Hope this post of mine help those who wants to remove their AR too. Other suggestions (to make me look stupid) are welcome too! All the best with yours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pma45 Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 (edited) Just take your dremel, felt wheel and red rouge, its gone in 2 mins Edited July 24, 2007 by pma45 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sssurfer Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 Really thanks for sharing this, reficul! Nice writeup, btw And glad that your efforts paid back in the end. This suggests that Davidsen's AR coat is much thougher than usual rep AR coat, possibly similar to chieftang's coat. I missed whether the Autosol + sandpaper work also removed the scratches that you said. If yes, then it is likely that those scratches were on the AR coat rather than on the sapphire. Else, you just found a solution to polish sapphire and that would be astounding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 thank you for passing that on ... sssurfer and you were correct.. sorry i thought Davidsens was double sided AR ... yes metal polish works the best that's what mag polish is .. you can also get steel wool in different grits.. the only thing with uing a dremel would be to control the evenness of the strokes .. if you do end up eith fine sctaches the polishing wheel with fine grade metal polish or rouge will remove it (dremel) thanks again .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 Just take your dremel, felt wheel and red rouge, its gone in 2 mins Sometimes I really hate myself not having a dremel tool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 Really thanks for sharing this, reficul! Nice writeup, btw And glad that your efforts paid back in the end. This suggests that Davidsen's AR coat is much thougher than usual rep AR coat, possibly similar to chieftang's coat. I missed whether the Autosol + sandpaper work also removed the scratches that you said. If yes, then it is likely that those scratches were on the AR coat rather than on the sapphire. Else, you just found a solution to polish sapphire and that would be astounding. Definitely! the AR coat was really really tough! When I thought that the layer of the deep blue was gone, I found yet another layer of lighter blue layer! DOUBLE layer AR! What luck when I don't need double layer! Nah, the autosol + sandpaper didn't remove the scratches. Now I bought myself some diamond paste, I will try to work it out.... wait for a week or two for my new update! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 thank you for passing that on ... sssurfer and you were correct.. sorry i thought Davidsens was double sided AR ... yes metal polish works the best that's what mag polish is .. you can also get steel wool in different grits.. the only thing with uing a dremel would be to control the evenness of the strokes .. if you do end up eith fine sctaches the polishing wheel with fine grade metal polish or rouge will remove it (dremel) thanks again .... Yeah, its single sided, but DOUBLE layer AR it seems..... REALLY tough, I am not even kidding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 (edited) Yeah, its single sided, but DOUBLE layer AR it seems..... REALLY tough, I am not even kidding! did you loose your fingerprints over this what we won't do for our watches ... geezzz this is like group therapy .. lol ... Edited July 24, 2007 by lanikai Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 did you loose your fingerprints over this what we won't do for our watches ... geezzz thsi is like group therapy .. lol ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 did you loose your fingerprints over this what we won't do for our watches ... geezzz this is like group therapy .. lol ... I think its still intact and fine. But somehow, it just feel smooth.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 Good story but personally I would never have done this. The AR coating looks great on crystals and I don't care if it looks different from the Gen. This is a rep and I will take AR over no AR any day. It looks nicer on the watch. Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 24, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 Good story but personally I would never have done this. The AR coating looks great on crystals and I don't care if it looks different from the Gen. This is a rep and I will take AR over no AR any day. It looks nicer on the watch. Usil I beg to differ. I know the AR looks great on the rest of the Pams. But for this particular model where the inside is not completely flat, and when the blue hue starts to shows up, it makes the crystal looks really bad and exaggerate on the uneven-ness. But with the white light, with the AR gone, the outside white light reflection and the insde white reflection, doesn't make the uneven-ness of the crystal looks obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 I polished the outside of the crystal from myUltimate BCE, because the outside AR sucks, too blueish. After some polishing with metallwax it looks much better in my opinion.. The inside AR is still there.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweattdogg Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 I also think it looks much closer to the gen without, but that being said I wouldn't have gone to all the work to remove it. I'm glad you like the result in the end and hopefully you post somemore updates on your project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted July 24, 2007 Report Share Posted July 24, 2007 I polished the outside of the crystal from myUltimate BCE, because the outside AR sucks, too blueish. After some polishing with metallwax it looks much better in my opinion.. The inside AR is still there.. Could you post some pics, be interesting to see the difference? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 I also think it looks much closer to the gen without, but that being said I wouldn't have gone to all the work to remove it. I'm glad you like the result in the end and hopefully you post somemore updates on your project. Yip! you will be sure that I will. I have ordered many items (dial and custom made strap) for this Fiddy. Hope that all ends well. I will post my fully modded Ultimate DSN Fiddy when it is done. ;-) Cheers mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evildee Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Awesome! I can't wait to see it. What strap did you get? Custom Savage strap? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Awesome! I can't wait to see it. What strap did you get? Custom Savage strap? THAT IS SOOOOO SCARY!!!!! How did you know??????? I asked Scot to do a strap for me. I really like the style of the crazy horse version. I simply cannot wait to see it as well. And I will have to get those diamond paste to remove those tiny specs of scratches inside the crystal. And plus upgrade my dial .... PRESTO! I can almost see it all coming! LOL Can't wait to do all these.... maybe I should take leave from work. Or get medical leave due to my acetone lungs. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweattdogg Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Awesome. My fiddy is the prize of my collection. It is the E0117 case, non-AR Sapphire front/back, but the old 100% swiss movement. Mine had great lume from the start not SL, but good. I sent it to The Zigmeister to service and put the longer cannon in, and now from the wrist it looks great!! Your new strap sounds awesome. I love the crazy horse straps!! I may buy one if I like the look of yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 Could you post some pics, be interesting to see the difference? Ok, here we go.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted July 25, 2007 Report Share Posted July 25, 2007 When I thought that the layer of the deep blue was gone, I found yet another layer of lighter blue layer! DOUBLE layer AR! Maybe it's AR and a hard protective coating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted July 26, 2007 Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 Lacquer thinner and 2/0 steel wool is my method of choice. A fine grit wet/dry sandpaper would work also. If you scratch a crystal then it's definitely not sapphire. Always a risk when dealing with reps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 Lacquer thinner and 2/0 steel wool is my method of choice. A fine grit wet/dry sandpaper would work also. If you scratch a crystal then it's definitely not sapphire. Always a risk when dealing with reps. It is definitely sapphire... Just that I might use a little too much strength on it. How do I know its sapphire? it cannot be scratch when I try to knock it on other surface.... and when you knock it against your teeth, it has a distinctive pitch and it is the same as my gen. Yeah, it is always a risk when dealing with reps. I agree. The sandpaper works real fast. And I realised that the thinner didn't help though, and with the autosol, (additional grit) it works wonders. Really, I tried it on my other AR crystal and the job was done in less than 5 mins. It was the same type of AR too from DSN. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reficul Posted July 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2007 Lacquer thinner and 2/0 steel wool is my method of choice. A fine grit wet/dry sandpaper would work also. If you scratch a crystal then it's definitely not sapphire. Always a risk when dealing with reps. And forgot to add that, a sapphire does not "scratched" but it does gets chipped off and this makes the appearance very close to looking scratched. The remedy will be me using a diamond paste to try to work it back to its former glory... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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