Howdy folks, FeloniousMonk here! Do you have a Pam 382 'Bronzo' that looks a little too new? Are Paneristi questioning you as to why your supposed 3 to 4 year old bronze watch looks factory fresh? Wish your 382 matched the sea-weathered bronze railing on your 1947 Chris Craft Deluxe Runabout? Then brother, you've got some real first-world problems! But don't fret, you're in the right place. Welcome to...
Ever since FeloniousMonk first laid eyes on the Panerai 382 'Bronzo', he lusted after one like a teenaged boy catching his first glimpse of nipple in his sister's Victoria's Secret catalog. The smooth lines of the Luminor 1950 case, the subtle hint of olive in the muted green dial, the flash of light reflected off the raised, polished markers on the Submersible's bezel all add to the allure of the watch. But perhaps the most unique attribute of the 382 is the way bronze weathers and ages from humidity in the air and the acids of the skin. Each mark on the case telling a story, testifying how it's owner rubbed and burnished the ancient metal over years of faithful service. You see, bronze, having been discovered some 6500 years ago, is a remarkable alloy of copper and tin (earlier arsenic). It is harder than wrought iron and is corrosion resistant. It oxidizes superficially. That is, a protective layer of oxidation is formed (copper oxide) with the underlying metal protected from further corrosion. It is this copper oxide that gives bronze it's beautiful patina.
A little while back, a fellow rep enthusiast (who's name unfortunately eludes) posted this picture of his exquisitely patinaed 382. Most would have to agree that this is a stunning watch. It looks like a million bucks and gives the impression that it has served its owner for years (despite being only a month or so old). This was the look that FeloniousMonk was going for.
Now, the above watch was as fine an example of a rep 382 as any (a KW v1 sourced by Lucy, for anyone wondering). However, it lacked character. The inspiration watch looked like it belonged to an adventurer. Some fellow who had sailed to Turkey and encountered bandits whilst trading in raw meerschaum. Or perhaps it belonged to a rugged roughneck, toiling away on some remote oil rig on the hostile sea. This was a watch that was three dimensional whereas FeloniousMonk's watch lacked this dimensionality. Trouble was, FeloniousMonk has a regular job and mundane responsibilities that preclude him from being an adventurer or a roughneck. The trick would be to chemically mimic the changes that bronze undergoes over a period of years, in a matter of minutes. But how can one artificially accelerate the patination of bronze?
Liver of sulfur is, “a mixture of potassium sulfides which has traditionally been used to darken or 'antique' silver and bronzes.†You can read all about it here. Now just a quick disclaimer about this stuff. It is rather toxic. It is foul and nasty and smells like Satan’s taint after the, “5775th Annual Hell’s Charity Benefit 400K Marathon and Fun Run.†It smells like someone dug up in the middle of August a 160 year old mass grave filled entirely with rotten eggs and spoiled cottage cheese. It smells like a sun ripened, dead roadside skunk who hadn’t bathed in months. That is to say, it stinks. Do not breathe in the fumes and for Heaven’s sake don’t ingest it. Gloves are a good idea too.
Liver of sulfur is best used in dilute solution (the manufacturer recommends one teaspoon of the “XL Extended Life Gel†to 12 ounces of hot water) in a gradual, painted-on application. Mind you, that’s not the method FeloniousMonk used. You see, there’s the right way, there’s the wrong way, and then there’s the FeloniousMonk way. This tutorial will be a lesson in what works well and what works not-so-well.
It was determined, through the use of a handy dandy dry pressure testing machine, that the 382 to be patinated was not water resistant. Therefore, it was decided to brush the liver of sulfur solution onto the case rather than submerge the Submersible, as others had done.
Fine tipped brushes were secured from an arts and crafts store. The work area was covered with paper towels to assist in clean-up and gloves were used to protect FeloniousMonk’s delicate, aristocrat-soft hands.
FeloniousMonk chose to laugh in the face of the ‘recommended’ concentration and go with a more generous ratio of the caustic solution. If a little is good, then more must be better. Approximately one half teaspoon of the gel was added to maybe two ounces of hot water.
In hindsight, it would have been much easier to apply the liver of sulfur solution in a far more gradual, dilute manner. Brushing a very dilute solution repeatedly over the case to allow the patina to slowly develop would have allowed for greater control. However, that was not the method employed, so the excess patina needed to be rubbed off the high points of the case and bezel. For this, a jeweler’s rouge cloth was used. A rouge cloth is similar to a Cape Cod cloth, in that the cloth is treated with a polishing compound. With polishing, the rubbing and handling that would occur in regular use over a period of years or decades could be replicated in a matter of minutes.
You might be thinking to yourself, “FeloniousMonk sure did clean and polish the bejeezus out of that watch, but surely he must know what he’s doing.†And you’d be wrong, dead wrong. With exactly zero prior Bronzo patination experience, FeloniousMonk was learning as he went along. Liver of sulfur was applied again, and polished off again. This was repeated until the desired look was approximated. Additionally, the watch was ‘handled’ for a period of about a week, to allow the natural oils in the skin as well as the humidity in the air to dull the visual impact of the cleaning and polishing. Through trial and error, a balance was achieved.
The beauty of bronze is that via its interaction with the environment, it possesses an almost organic, living quality. It changes; like a chameleon blending in with its background. The watch you see here now will be slightly different, if imperceptibly so, tomorrow.
Now what of the buckle? Prior to receiving his 382, FeloniousMonk purchased a buckle on Fleabay. The buckle was advertised as genuine bronze, and 26mm. Surely this would be the perfect compliment to any Pam Bronzo rep...
Just like the 382 case, the bronze buckle was given the liver of sulfur treatment. However, the effect was not only disappointing, it was basically nil...
FeloniousMonk's Adventures in Bronzo Patination!!!
Ever since FeloniousMonk first laid eyes on the Panerai 382 'Bronzo', he lusted after one like a teenaged boy catching his first glimpse of nipple in his sister's Victoria's Secret catalog. The smooth lines of the Luminor 1950 case, the subtle hint of olive in the muted green dial, the flash of light reflected off the raised, polished markers on the Submersible's bezel all add to the allure of the watch. But perhaps the most unique attribute of the 382 is the way bronze weathers and ages from humidity in the air and the acids of the skin. Each mark on the case telling a story, testifying how it's owner rubbed and burnished the ancient metal over years of faithful service. You see, bronze, having been discovered some 6500 years ago, is a remarkable alloy of copper and tin (earlier arsenic). It is harder than wrought iron and is corrosion resistant. It oxidizes superficially. That is, a protective layer of oxidation is formed (copper oxide) with the underlying metal protected from further corrosion. It is this copper oxide that gives bronze it's beautiful patina.
This watch served as inspiration...
A little while back, a fellow rep enthusiast (who's name unfortunately eludes) posted this picture of his exquisitely patinaed 382. Most would have to agree that this is a stunning watch. It looks like a million bucks and gives the impression that it has served its owner for years (despite being only a month or so old). This was the look that FeloniousMonk was going for.
But this was reality...
Now, the above watch was as fine an example of a rep 382 as any (a KW v1 sourced by Lucy, for anyone wondering). However, it lacked character. The inspiration watch looked like it belonged to an adventurer. Some fellow who had sailed to Turkey and encountered bandits whilst trading in raw meerschaum. Or perhaps it belonged to a rugged roughneck, toiling away on some remote oil rig on the hostile sea. This was a watch that was three dimensional whereas FeloniousMonk's watch lacked this dimensionality. Trouble was, FeloniousMonk has a regular job and mundane responsibilities that preclude him from being an adventurer or a roughneck. The trick would be to chemically mimic the changes that bronze undergoes over a period of years, in a matter of minutes. But how can one artificially accelerate the patination of bronze?
With this stuff right here...
Liver of sulfur is, “a mixture of potassium sulfides which has traditionally been used to darken or 'antique' silver and bronzes.†You can read all about it here. Now just a quick disclaimer about this stuff. It is rather toxic. It is foul and nasty and smells like Satan’s taint after the, “5775th Annual Hell’s Charity Benefit 400K Marathon and Fun Run.†It smells like someone dug up in the middle of August a 160 year old mass grave filled entirely with rotten eggs and spoiled cottage cheese. It smells like a sun ripened, dead roadside skunk who hadn’t bathed in months. That is to say, it stinks. Do not breathe in the fumes and for Heaven’s sake don’t ingest it. Gloves are a good idea too.
Liver of sulfur is best used in dilute solution (the manufacturer recommends one teaspoon of the “XL Extended Life Gel†to 12 ounces of hot water) in a gradual, painted-on application. Mind you, that’s not the method FeloniousMonk used. You see, there’s the right way, there’s the wrong way, and then there’s the FeloniousMonk way. This tutorial will be a lesson in what works well and what works not-so-well.
Supplies were gathered…
It was determined, through the use of a handy dandy dry pressure testing machine, that the 382 to be patinated was not water resistant. Therefore, it was decided to brush the liver of sulfur solution onto the case rather than submerge the Submersible, as others had done.
Fine tipped brushes were secured from an arts and crafts store. The work area was covered with paper towels to assist in clean-up and gloves were used to protect FeloniousMonk’s delicate, aristocrat-soft hands.
One last look at the virgin 382 case…
FeloniousMonk chose to laugh in the face of the ‘recommended’ concentration and go with a more generous ratio of the caustic solution. If a little is good, then more must be better. Approximately one half teaspoon of the gel was added to maybe two ounces of hot water.
The solution was prepared…
And applied…
And applied…
In hindsight, it would have been much easier to apply the liver of sulfur solution in a far more gradual, dilute manner. Brushing a very dilute solution repeatedly over the case to allow the patina to slowly develop would have allowed for greater control. However, that was not the method employed, so the excess patina needed to be rubbed off the high points of the case and bezel. For this, a jeweler’s rouge cloth was used. A rouge cloth is similar to a Cape Cod cloth, in that the cloth is treated with a polishing compound. With polishing, the rubbing and handling that would occur in regular use over a period of years or decades could be replicated in a matter of minutes.
Looking cleaner…
You might be thinking to yourself, “FeloniousMonk sure did clean and polish the bejeezus out of that watch, but surely he must know what he’s doing.†And you’d be wrong, dead wrong. With exactly zero prior Bronzo patination experience, FeloniousMonk was learning as he went along. Liver of sulfur was applied again, and polished off again. This was repeated until the desired look was approximated. Additionally, the watch was ‘handled’ for a period of about a week, to allow the natural oils in the skin as well as the humidity in the air to dull the visual impact of the cleaning and polishing. Through trial and error, a balance was achieved.
The final result...??
The beauty of bronze is that via its interaction with the environment, it possesses an almost organic, living quality. It changes; like a chameleon blending in with its background. The watch you see here now will be slightly different, if imperceptibly so, tomorrow.
The glamour shot...
Now what of the buckle? Prior to receiving his 382, FeloniousMonk purchased a buckle on Fleabay. The buckle was advertised as genuine bronze, and 26mm. Surely this would be the perfect compliment to any Pam Bronzo rep...
Just like the 382 case, the bronze buckle was given the liver of sulfur treatment. However, the effect was not only disappointing, it was basically nil...
