Victoria Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Has it ever happened on RWG that a graphic designer and the membership spoke about producing a run of more accurate Panerai dials? I mean, I know it's not easy. The cutting has to be very precise. That "12" is pesky... But it seems to me if we wait for an accurate OP logo in say, a 005, with the right slant, or the right size, that we'll always be at the mercy of collectors. Obviously, part of the game is to sell inaccurate reps so the next (better, but not perfect) version will sell. So why not club our resources together, and make dials for the most popular PAMs (111, 112, 127)? Then a modder could install them, etc. Is this feasible at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fitmic Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 This is a great idea Victoria! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Sounds like a good idea. I admit, with enough reference material, it wouldn't be too hard for someone to photoshop a decent image of a dial for use, my concern, is how closely the factory would follow the guideline and instructions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptolomeo Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Good idea, Vic. I'm in for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbchubb Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 I have read similar ideas all over the various boards over the last years... Everytime DS released another version of his improved dials with less old but more new flaws... somehow it never happened... I remember that lello only a few days ago said that his printer would not have problems printing PAM dials... If there was a source for such highend mod parts... they would sell. People invest quite a bit of money in mods, AR, MBW, SWISS et al... I for one would buy a couple of good lugwires for Radiomir PAMs right away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dani Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Great idea i em in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoria Posted January 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 This is a great idea Victoria! Thanks, Fitmic, guys! This is merely an exploratory thread. I don't know who or what could do this. And also, I think it should be a pay-as-you-go venture, if it's done. Not for profit. I just think there should be more accurate rep dials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cskent69 Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Victoria, Please check this out... http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=66465 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 The idea is fantastic, but will factories do it? I'm not too sure... Factories which produce high end reps do so by purchasing the gen, and then replicating it from there, why is it that then they seem to screw up in such simple details that would have posed no challenge to replicate? Things like logos on the dial, or anywhere else for that matter, that is one of the most simplest things to copy, I know someone who has replicated 100% exactly, (he say's even the materials) Nike trainers (or kicks for you yanks ), he had to put a fair bit of work into it, sourcing the rubber and other materials Nike use, but he did it at the end of the day. For whatever reason, factories INTENTIONALLY do not produce 1:1 reps (in looks) though I think they very easily can. I also believe this is to keep us buying reps everytime an 'improved' version came out. What would the impact be if a watch factory produced the Holy Grail, a 1:1 Sub Imagine thousands were sold, all around the world. Do you think if Rolex came to know about this they would want to crackdown on these? I reckon they would, didn't something similar happen with Hublot? If this happens then it has a huge impact on the factories who produce replicas, the business gets shut down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoria Posted January 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Please check this out... http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showtopic=66465 Cskent69, I can't believe I missed your thread! Great minds think alike, eh? And fools rarely disagree. @Demon: Thanks too! In some twisted way, I think the merchants and we enjoy the lack of exact 1:1 replicas. How boring would this hobby get if we did have them? Just think of all the "Why is there no excitement anymore" threads we had mid-year in 2007, when the Fiddies, uPOs, and other "ultimate" watches were out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 I still think it's impossible with our resources. I wish it weren't, but I fear it may be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DemonSlayer Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 Yes Victoria, I agree with you there also. If such flawless replicas were produced in high numbers, we would just buy them and 'pack our bags' and leave We as a community get excited about discussing the latest reps out, or who has the most accurate sub/PAM 111h etc. I believe that the factories do have the ability to produce such reps, IF THEY WANTED TO. At the end of the day, they don't care a lot about the hobby side to it, about how we feel about the hobby, they're simply a business producing goods and we are their customers. Many of us will buy a watch, and when a more accurate version of that particular watch is released, something rages inside us that makes us want to buy the more accurate one To the factories it's all about quantity, how many watches they sell. It's not them who demand the high prices for the more accurate watches, it's the 'dealers'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tootall Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 (edited) Two words : Pad Printer That is pretty much all you will need. About a year or so ago, I looked into this very issue. I got a couple of responses, but nothing definite. The problem is that no one wants to take apart their 111H for scanning or any other gen for that matter. So we are stuck with pictures that may or may not be at a slant, have poor lighting, etc. Then there is the issue of which dial to reproduce. The reason I went after the 111H is because it seems the most popular. But hardly got any response so I dropped the issue. All you really need is a place that laser cuts, and a pad printer. You could make 1:1 dials all day long. I had 5 or 6 places ready and willing to do the cutting, as there were no logo or brands, just the numbers. And to buy a pad printer (a good one) is around $600. So for around $1000 you could have 100 or so 1:1 dials. So the issues are: 1. getting a good scan 2. which dial you want to produce 3. the start up money Edited January 28, 2008 by tootall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 I see it as more of a trademark infringement problem, than a graphic design problem. But if Lello's printer can get around that, then the future does indeed look bright! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 I'm afraid that some of you are making this sound a little simpler than it actually is. To achieve the kind of perfection that would be acceptable to our members here would require a lot of work and patience. When printing small text on objects like dials it is very very difficult to replicate from an original with 100% results. Sure, it would be a fairly elementary process to duplicate text and cutouts in an electronic vector file, its dealing with problems like "ink spread", that will cause the tiny letters to appear thicker. So you would have to "choke" the artwork, but by how much? What would likely end up happening is somebody getting stuck with a bunch of dials that nobody wants because "Luminor" is ever so slightly bolder or lighter than the gen. Detailed printing work like this is a fine art, make no mistake about it, and should not be attempted by the "Do-it-your-selfer". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 I'm afraid that some of you are making this sound a little simpler than it actually is. To achieve the kind of perfection that would be acceptable to our members here would require a lot of work and patience. When printing small text on objects like dials it is very very difficult to replicate from an original with 100% results. Sure, it would be a fairly elementary process to duplicate text and cutouts in an electronic vector file, its dealing with problems like "ink spread", that will cause the tiny letters to appear thicker. So you would have to "choke" the artwork, but by how much? What would likely end up happening is somebody getting stuck with a bunch of dials that nobody wants because "Luminor" is ever so slightly bolder or lighter than the gen. Detailed printing work like this is a fine art, make no mistake about it, and should not be attempted by the "Do-it-your-selfer". If the thickness and accuracy of the date wheel printing is any indicator.... we've got that part down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Datewheel fonts are in some cases five times the size of some of the fonts on a dial. The smaller you go, the harder it gets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavidoc Posted February 7, 2008 Report Share Posted February 7, 2008 So the issues are: 1. getting a good scan 2. which dial you want to produce 3. the start up money What he said. I deal with factories in China that do silk screening on handheld video game consoles and the text is very tiny and precise. It's a matter of finding a factory or a source willing to do the work which requires legwork and money up front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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