freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Not perfect, but I think this insert's pluses outweigh its minuses a bit more than MY's insert The pluses Numbers are more correctly 3-Dimensional (the BIGGEST plus in my book)Non-serifed font & color are more accurateOverall presentation of watch is more gen-like The minuses Dots are located in the center of the insert (they are aligned closer to the inside circumference on the gen)Font color is too white/bright for a 50+ year old plastic insert (but very close to the original color when these watches were new)The tops of the triangles inside the 4s should be flattenedThe 12 on the insert is off-center (too far left)Insert is a bit too tall (plastic slightly too thick) As usual, 1 major step forward, a few minor steps backward. Comments? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I like the Pepsi Perspex...that is the one I am eyeing in my planning. The white is a bit bright on the printing compared with the dial...that's probably the biggest standout issue. Where did this one come from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elepaolo Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I only can say I'd buy it in a minute ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 I like the Pepsi Perspex...Where did this one come from? It is just plastic, not Perspex. But, unless you have seen & handled the gen, they are difficult to tell apart. I got it from Eric Chow's ebay page, but the picture is NOT the insert you will receive. As you can see, the dots on the pictured insert are closer to the inside of the insert (like the gen, which is why I ordered them), while the dots on mine (I bought 2 & both are the same) are almost, vertically, dead center. When I pointed this out to Eric, he said 'The pictures in the auction was old one & I did not notice about the position in the dots. Sorry for my mistakes & if you don't like the one you brought, you can send it back to me & I'll refund to you.' As you can see, I kept them (1 for the phase 1 watch & the other for phase 2). While I thought his refund offer was reasonable, the fact that he never corrected his auction pictures demonstrates that he is knowingly selling parts that do NOT match his descriptions. So keep this in mind if what you get looks like something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Just between you, me and the fencepost... I liked the original insert better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 It is just plastic, not Perspex. I figured that...but Pepsi Perspex sounds much more catchy. As much as I like the colour combo more personally...I do agree with Bob that the old insert matches your particular specimen more. It was one of the signature elements that really made yours unique. The warmer colours of the other insert match the gilt work nicely. I would like to make an aged, vintage Plastic Pepsi 6542. That is unfortunate about the dot placement. Given the price of the inserts, you would think he would be more accurate in his posting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Just between you, me and the fencepost... I liked the original insert better. I have been sitting on that same fencepost for awhile now. But, ultimately, I decided that the OEM version, even with all of its warts, makes the watch look more gen than the service version, even though MY's insert is a more accurate copy of that later service version. As much as I like the colour combo more personally...I do agree with Bob that the old insert matches your particular specimen more. It was one of the signature elements that really made yours unique. The warmer colours of the other insert match the gilt work nicely. I would like to make an aged, vintage Plastic Pepsi 6542. That is unfortunate about the dot placement. Given the price of the inserts, you would think he would be more accurate in his posting. For reference, here are a few of the gens I have been modeling my projects after. Most 6542 inserts, at least the originals that came with the watch, look like this I think you can see the similarity between these inserts & the new 1 on my watch. If they had only gotten the dots placed lower, I think it would just about pass. But, even as it is, I think the watch presents better with the new insert. Here is the previous insert And the new Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Is there any way to tint the underside of the insert to warm up the white on yours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Is there any way to tint the underside of the insert to warm up the white on yours? I have been trying to figure that out. The numbers are actually indented/embedded into the plastic material instead of simply being painted on (like MY's insert), which is how they get that 3-D effect like the gen. And without digging the material out of the indents (which is way beyond my abilities), I cannot see how you could do it. I have considered applying iodine, which is 1 of my vintagizing tools of choice, but there is no way to keep the iodine from spreading (it spreads uncontrollably) outside of the numbers. So I decided to just leave it as-is. As you can see from the Maron pic, there are a handful of mint 6542s that still have very white numbers. So, while the bright white is likely to raise some eyebrows among the ultra WIS types, it is clearly not an immediate disqualification either. And the more I look at the watch with Eric's insert, the more gen-like it looks. Here is a new pic taken under more controlled lighting conditions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Either way you go...the watch is beautiful...it's varying shades of beauty. It's funny with vintage watches, that with 40-60 years of servicing options...various generation of gen and aftermarket parts...anything really could go!! Is the font "heavier" or thicker on the new insert...or is that just the angle of the photos? The dots and printing look "fatter" on the newer insert. It could just be the colour too. I would take either insert in a flash to be honest. Perspex, Bakelite, Plexi, Recycled Yoghurt Pots...I'm not picky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 My biggest gripe is how thick/fat the numerals are on the new insert. It overpowers the dial, even though it may be "indented" at the back. The original insert had thinner fonts and the aged color blended just right with the gilt and delicate dial features. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Is the font "heavier" or thicker on the new insert...or is that just the angle of the photos? The dots and printing look "fatter" on the newer insert. It could just be the colour too. Yes, the font is slightly heavier on the new insert. But, also, the paint used to make the numbers on some of the gens has tended to bleed (widen) over time, which makes them appear even heavier than the fonts on the new insert. Here is an example of a gen with numbers that have bled or widened over time The dots are definitely larger on Eric's insert, which, along with their higher vertical positioning, is inaccurate. If only they had gotten the dots right. But, still, this is another 1 of those strange cases where the whole exceeds the sum of the individual parts. Meaning, while I can easily pick out inaccuracies, the insert, as a whole, when viewed on the watch, just seems to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Meaning, while I can easily pick out inaccuracies, the insert, as a whole, when viewed on the watch, just seems to work. And that's what matters!! I have a shiny nickel with your name on it for your MY insert. Just kidding...still out of my price range right now!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 The original insert had thinner fonts and the aged color blended just right with the gilt and delicate dial features. I have to agree with the man. The old one looks, well.. a lot better. The new one ALERTS my eye. However, keep in mind my knowledge compared to you guys (a drop compared to your pool) Its just my 2c, but end of the day... my eye would've been right. However I can't post this without saying that the watch is magnificently interesting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Looking good, my friend The color of the numerals on the last photo looks much more in keeping with the color of the dial markers. Is that how it appears to the naked eye, compared say, to the first photo, where the numerals appeared much lighter? It sure is a fantastic project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Yes. I took the 2nd picture because that more accurately depicts the insert's colors (including the fonts). The 1st set of pics was taken outside in very bright sunlight, which washed alot of the color out. In indoor lighting, the fonts on the new insert are actually a closer match to the color of the lume on the dial & hands than the old insert, which was a bit darker & yellowish. Also, when looking at the 1st set of (outdoor) pics, keep in mind that the left side of the insert was out of focus, which makes the fonts look wider/thicker than the right side, which was the part of the insert I had in focus. So I would only use the fonts on the right side of the insert in those 1st pics to compare to the gens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Yes. I took the 2nd picture because that more accurately depicts the insert's colors (including the fonts). The 1st set of pics was taken outside in the sun, which brightened the colors. In indoor lighting, the fonts on the new insert are actually a closer match to the color of the lume on the dial & hands than the old insert, which was a bit darker & yellowish. Also, when looking at the 1st set of (outdoor) pics, keep in mind that the left side of the insert was out of focus, which makes the fonts look wider/thicker than the right side, which was the part of the insert I had in focus. So I would only use the fonts on the right side of the insert in those 1st pics to compare to the gens. Thanks for the clarification, it really does look great Out of curiosity, is this kind of bezel ever available in solid black? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Out of curiosity, is this kind of bezel ever available in solid black? No. Rolex never, to the best of my knowledge, produced a watch in a blackened case (with matching bezel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 No. Rolex never, to the best of my knowledge, produced a watch in a blackened case (with matching bezel). Sorry, I was meaning the insert, rather than a PVD bezel itself Is this kind of bezel insert 'colored' by having the back surface painted with the appropriate color rather than the actual plastic being colored? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Yes & no. Like the gen, the insert is essentially a clear piece of plastic with the colors & numbers added through the backside. As I mentioned, the numbers are set deep into the plastic & then the blue/red is painted on top of the entire backside of the insert. Then, they overcoat the blue/red paint with a darker layer of paint, which seals the colored layer making it opaque I suppose you could sand off the 2 colored layers of paint (polishing the roughened texture left by the sanding) & then repaint it. What are you ultimately trying to do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Yes & no. Like the gen, the insert is essentially a clear piece of plastic with the colors & numbers added through the backside. As I mentioned, the numbers are set deep into the plastic & then the blue/red is painted on top of the entire backside of the insert. Then, they overcoat the blue/red paint with a darker layer of paint, which seals the colored layer making it opaque I suppose you could sand off the 2 colored layers of paint (polishing the roughened texture left by the sanding) & then repaint it. What are you ultimately trying to do? Thanks for explaining It was just an idea I had, as if it would have been possible to strip the blue and red away, then repaint it black. I really like how the insert is looking, and it looks like it adds another quality to the tactile nature of the watch, but with the GMT inserts, I prefer the all black, as that way, when the bezel is rotated, it is only the numbers 'that change', the overall color and balance of the insert stays the same, where with the coke/pepsi variants, once they're set to another timezone, the off-set of the color halves is quite noticeable. Just a crazy idea I was mulling over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Some yellow gold versions of early GMTs had all-black inserts (with gilt numbers), so you could probably get away with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Some yellow gold versions of early GMTs had all-black inserts (with gilt numbers), so you could probably get away with it. I'm not normally one for gold, but, I have to admit, I do like the sound of that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Thanks for explaining It was just an idea I had... Just a crazy idea I was mulling over You and your crazy wach modding ideas. Just kidding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmg Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Freddy, I like the pepsi tones better on the newer insert but the numbers are too fresh looking IMO. Just a thought but do you think it might be possible to polish down the insert on a buffing wheel to take some of the height off or is that too risky? I see you have the new dial mounted as well, very nice! It looks great and seems to fit perfectly, is this a MY redial or stock aftermarket? I thought the aftermarket dials were all too small for the Silix cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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