kingkitesurf Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Who is willing to share the secret of making the hour markers on the vintage MBW sea-dweller dial look old... The silkish, moonlandscape look... I tried to post in watchrepair&upgrading but no reactions....Anybody? Please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetsons Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 (edited) I gave the same mod some thought but after examining photos of very well cared for gens, the MBW dial is actually very good as is. I diverted the funds to the OEM T-39, insert & crown/tube. Those three mods combined make the watch one very special piece. Gen 1665 vs MBW: MBW 1665: Jet Edited August 10, 2006 by Jetsons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbait Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 Who is willing to share the secret of making the hour markers on the vintage MBW sea-dweller dial look old... The silkish, moonlandscape look... I tried to post in watchrepair&upgrading but no reactions....Anybody? Please? I was told, by a fellow who did this type of mod, that he put the dial and hands in a tank (A fish tank?) and then some incense sticks. He let the smoke from the incense darken the dial/hands. I have never tried to do this and am just repeating what he told me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linder Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 The poor virgin dials suffering like a pair of young lungs.. makes me quite sad actually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avitt Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 If you're looking for something like this, I can give some advice: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linder Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 30 years outside in the rain with the crown unscrewed? or was it 30 years in the ocean with the crown unscrewed? Holy smokes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 Slightly domed white markers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingkitesurf Posted August 10, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 They all look nice and all look different so there must be different methods to go for... Question is eventually who is willing to share his method (I understand some of you have gone through huge aging processes themaselves mentaly as well due to the risks of messing up their beloved reps )... But if you decide to share some info here in the open or through PM I would highly appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest avitt Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 They all look nice and all look different so there must be different methods to go for... Question is eventually who is willing to share his method (I understand some of you have gone through huge aging processes themaselves mentaly as well due to the risks of messing up their beloved reps )... But if you decide to share some info here in the open or through PM I would highly appreciate it. My technique, suggested by board member Tribal, was to use "Night Color" paint by Revell (not available in the US, I had to order from the UK), applied with a pointy toothpick. I thinned the paint a bit with water, and practiced for several nights by making small round and rectangular shapes on paper. I made one practice run with an inexpensive Asian DRSD. To cover the round marker, I suggest applying a controlled amount of paint in the middle of the marker, and then working out towards the edge, in a circular motion. For rectangles and triangles, apply the paint in the middle, and work it out towards the edges and corners. The "Night Glow" paint has a nice off-white color, which you might like. I embellished it by mixing in a few drops of Yellow Ochre acrylic paint. This gave the color that you see in the picture. The paint dries with a nice, grainy dome, which has a slight luminescent effect...just as you would expect on a vintage watch. On my particular dial, there was some damage that I wanted to repair (rub marks in the center, and scratch down to base metal at the calendar window). To take care of these, I coated the entire dial with a few coats of clear varnish. This caused the painted markers to yellow quite a bit more. I don't like it as much as the picture you see above, but it is still acceptable. Let me know if you have any questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tribal Posted August 10, 2006 Report Share Posted August 10, 2006 Slightly domed white markers... ARGH, thats my favorite Dial,no yellow markers and nice domed... RG Tribal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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