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Bamford, reinvented

Blueadrian

Renowned Member
24/7/19
687
161
43
UK
Hi everybody, I wanted to turn a Bamford that I bought for my wife and she never liked, into a Smurf.

I installed an insert in blue and then ordered a blue dial from raffles.

Ken sent me a lovely blue dial and handset and I set out to install it myself.

After researching on the forum, I took a Bamford apart and removed the movement, hands, and dial. Very proud of myself at this point.

This is when it went wrong, the golden fitAnd neither did the hands.

I then went on to put a Bamford dial and hands back on the watch. Unfortunately the hands are simply spinning round and round so clearly I haven’t put on properly. And pushing them further on I’ve bent them, and when I straighten them they don’t really look straight.

The hands that were sent by Raffles are not as deep if that makes sense. He said the dial was for a 2824 and it fitted the holes but the date wheel was way off.

Disaster.

Now I want to make a shark out of it anyway.

Any advice? Also anyone want the raffles blue dial and hands. I have it in UK.


Love Rolex, Omega and Tudor.
Based in UK
 

p0pperini

patr0n h0arder
Gold Patron
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29/1/19
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:ttiwwop:

My guess is that the current date wheel will have an overlay stuck on it, because the Bamford dial and Raffles dial have different date window positions. You can carefully remove the overlay using a razor or scalpel - and hope that the numbers underneath look okay. They should be in the correct position for the window on the Raffles dial. But this is all moot given you've changed your mind anyway!

The hands were spinning round on the pinions probably because they weren't seated correctly. But it sounds like you'll be needing to carefully try to get them properly straight again. Maybe one of the resident experts like KJ2020 will have a cunning suggestion. My "fixes" normally involve a vice and a big hammer, but that might not be appropriate here.

If they're too wonky to straighten, a new set of hands costs next to nothing - you can buy a bumper box of mixed Mercedes Sub hands on eBay or Aliexpress which will last a lifetime (unless your modding experiments regularly involve a vice and a hammer).
 

Blueadrian

Renowned Member
24/7/19
687
161
43
UK
Ha ha, thanks [mention]p0pperini [/mention] I am concerned the difference in the depth of the hands though. I will put photos up tomorrow. See who can help.


Love Rolex, Omega and Tudor.
Based in UK
 

Blueadrian

Renowned Member
24/7/19
687
161
43
UK
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p0pperini

patr0n h0arder
Gold Patron
Certified
29/1/19
8,895
29,415
113
UK
It looks great with the blue insert and strap. I have another variation made by member RikRacy over at RWG, who put a black insert in. It looks really classy so I persuaded him to sell it to me!

I’m not sure what you think the problem with the hands is. It’s hard to say for sure from a couple of pics, but it does look like your hour hand might be a bit wonky - the Mercedes circle doesn’t look quite parallel with the dial surface. Apart from that (which might be an optical illusion), they look fine.
 

Blueadrian

Renowned Member
24/7/19
687
161
43
UK
I think I need a watchmaker to sort it. Does anyone know someone in UK who is good with a sub?


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Blueadrian

Renowned Member
24/7/19
687
161
43
UK
Hi. I got it from a member who is no longer in the forum.

Ask a TD, I’m sure they will source one. I’d ask [mention]KSwatches [/mention] as I am in UK.


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