Aging the dial lume?

[lolimsoasd]

Hello, I've got maybe a very simple question for you guys.

I have used my Tudor 7928 for a while now, with yuki's dial. I love the watch, BUT the dial looks brand new, and I've been thinking about aging it with the Bonesy watercolour method. But I would also like to make the dial lume look more vintage-ish.


The yuki dial looks like this:
As you can see, the edges of the lume are really sharp.

I would love to make it look like more genuine old dial like this:

How can this be achieved?

Thanks in advance, and please move this thread if it is in the wrong subforum

 

[d4m.test]

Hi, You need to get at least one, better more "training dials", get the compound from ebay, watch vids like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lhx2kPwSWE and experiment around. Me too, I love the "3d effect" and doing it myself, mainly by mixing acrylic white with Nescafé, water, brown etc. Oiler and toothpics come in handy to do the rest (holding the dial and applying) and best is to get a standing lupe so You can work below. Rodico for cleaning dust particles (read which one is best) and a dust aircan like for cleaning pc´s is a must too.
There are better methods and also ready-made vintage lume, but I try to keep things very low budget and this is what best worked for me. Have fun personalizing Yours.
Looks like this when You´re not a pro
before

this one just finished on Monday

Than have fun

 

[Mendota]

This is great. I just posted a question about this in a different thread but this really answers a lot of my questions about it! I can't wait to try this!

 

[lolimsoasd]

Hi, You need to get at least one, better more "training dials", get the compound from ebay, watch vids like this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lhx2kPwSWE and experiment around. Me too, I love the "3d effect" and doing it myself, mainly by mixing acrylic white with Nescafé, water, brown etc. Oiler and toothpics come in handy to do the rest (holding the dial and applying) and best is to get a standing lupe so You can work below. Rodico for cleaning dust particles (read which one is best) and a dust aircan like for cleaning pc´s is a must too.
There are better methods and also ready-made vintage lume, but I try to keep things very low budget and this is what best worked for me. Have fun personalizing Yours.
Looks like this when You´re not a pro
before

Thanks a lot again for the 100% quality reply! I have contacted cwazy about this and I think I'll send my dial for him to relume.. I don't want to ruin my own haha.

 

[d4m.test]

Thanks a lot again for the 100% quality reply! I have contacted cwazy about this and I think I'll send my dial for him to relume.. I don't want to ruin my own haha.

Cwazy is in Conus and to my knowledge "retired" from lume. Kenny does a similar job in the EU

 

[lolimsoasd]

Cwazy is in Conus and to my knowledge "retired" from lume. Kenny does a similar job in the EU

and again 10 points for you. Is Kenny here on RWI?

 

[Mendota]

[MENTION=72466]Daywatch[/MENTION] - I want to do two things. I want to add texture to the entire dial surface and I also want to add depth and grittiness to the lume markers, like aged tritium would look. Do you spray the matte spray last or do you spray it first and then do the lume plots last?

 

[SUMIKITO]

I always wondered how a dial would look if left under the sun for a couple of months. The sun seems to age everything left under it in a very natural way. But you would have to remove the hands off from the watch first, because when it stops, and left under the sun, the hands will create a shadow on the 'aging' process. ........Maybe I should try this one day, on a spare 1680 or similar...............hmmmmmmm. .....[you would have to 'anchor' the watch outside, because a crow could take it away !] ......up on the roof or chimney perhaps........... http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...002e4b019f892a733f1/1417388040490/upload.jpeg

 

[DR3M3L]

and again 10 points for you. Is Kenny here on RWI?

KeNnY is active over on RWG.bz, his work is true art mate..

 

[d4m.test]

@Daywatch - I want to do two things. I want to add texture to the entire dial surface and I also want to add depth and grittiness to the lume markers, like aged tritium would look. Do you spray the matte spray last or do you spray it first and then do the lume plots last?

Hi, I always wanted to try this aging "Bonesy-style" is the best method I think and better than spraying. I would first varnish the dial and last put the lume dots (if You use the acrylic as I did above when dry it will be grainy and soak in any liquid). What I think might work well (untried) is to later apply matte womens nail polish either pure or mixed wih mercury/iod (as its reddish) on the dots.

 

[d4m.test]

I always wondered how a dial would look if left under the sun for a couple of months. The sun seems to age everything left under it in a very natural way. But you would have to remove the hands off from the watch first, because when it stops, and left under the sun, the hands will create a shadow on the 'aging' process. ........Maybe I should try this one day, on a spare 1680 or similar...............hmmmmmmm. .....[you would have to 'anchor' the watch outside, because a crow could take it away !] ......up on the roof or chimney perhaps........... http://static1.squarespace.com/stat...002e4b019f892a733f1/1417388040490/upload.jpeg

You will need loads, and I mean loads - of patience (I´d estimate 2-3 Years for an insert) . Someday I will try with a dial, for now I left this insert pictured below from cousins.uk 3 months on the window bench (February - April) and than another 3 exposed outside in the glaring sun and moonlight allday/allnight May-June-July. Finally it was 45 minutes in bleach. For me the only method that works is caustic soda (although that one suddenly works "too much"- not used on this insert). Except for a very light discouloration between 30 and 35 nothing happened, nada, it´s just not as brilliant as it was before.

what 3 months on a window bench turned to the sun and another 3 months outside 24/7 in the glaring sun do to an insert

 

[jackflash]

Yuki insert sanded with 2000 grade wet & dry sandpaper (wet). Then bleached for 2mins. Yuki dial, plots soften slightly with water using watch oiler, then left to dry, giving them a slightly uneven finish. Dial lightly dusted with matt varnish. Here's the result.

 

[lolimsoasd]

Yuki insert sanded with 2000 grade wet & dry sandpaper (wet). Then bleached for 2mins. Yuki dial, plots soften slightly with water using watch oiler, then left to dry, giving them them a slightly uneven finish. Dial lightly dusted with matt varnish. Here's the result.

Wow.. this is sexy... Would you do this for mine dial as well?

 

[jackflash]

Wow.. this is sexy... Would you do this for mine dial as well?

Thanks I just mod my I own watches. I'd hate to mess up anyone else's pride and joy.

 

[Mendota]

[MENTION=52250]jackflash[/MENTION] - would this work with a Puretime 1680 dial? My lume markers are flat and shiny but I like the shade. So you just use the oiler with drops of water to roughen up the surface, and then the matte spray adds the texture?

This is getting really inspiring. [emoji2]

 

[jackflash]

[MENTION=52250]jackflash[/MENTION] - would this work with a Puretime 1680 dial? My lume markers are flat and shiny but I like the shade. So you just use the oiler with drops of water to roughen up the surface, and then the matte spray adds the texture?

This is getting really inspiring. [emoji2]

No, unfortunately not. You probably won't see a difference. The Yuki plots have an additional lume applied to them after the dial is printed..

Another route on your PT dial would be to add drops of tea, rather than pure water. Then place the dial under a Halogen lamp to heat until the dots just start smoking. Then, a light dusting of matt spray to add the texture. Here's the result on a 1665 Singer dial,

And an Ingod44 5517 dial

And a couple of 5513 dials with just a dusting of matt spray. The meters first (Yuki) less than the serif feet first (Singer).

 

[Mendota]

No, unfortunately not. You probably won't see a difference. The Yuki plots have an additional lume applied to them after the dial is printed..

Another route on your PT dial would be to add drops of tea, rather than pure water. Then place the dial under a Halogen lamp to heat until the dots just start smoking. Then, a light dusting of matt spray to add the texture. Here's the result on a 1665 Singer dial,

And an Ingod44 5517 dial

And a couple of 5513 dials with just a dusting of matt spray. The meters first (Yuki) less than the serif feet first (Singer).

Wow! That is exactly what I want mine to look like. Seriously, those dials are absolutely perfect. I want that identical result. [emoji2]

 

[jackflash]

Wow! That is exactly what I want mine to look like. Seriously, those dials are absolutely perfect. I want that identical result. [emoji2]

Thanks. Not difficult to do. really.. Maybe practice on an old dial first though. Good luck!

 

[Mendota]

Thanks. Not difficult to do. really.. Maybe practice on an old dial first though. Good luck!

Yes, I plan to pick up a few cheap dials to experiment on with different techniques. So just to confirm, those dials above are aged using the halogen light/tea method and then a spritz or so of matte spray?

Thanks for the help. I feel empowered.

 

[jackflash]

Yes, I plan to pick up a few cheap dials to experiment on with different techniques. So just to confirm, those dials above are aged using the halogen light/tea method and then a spritz or so of matte spray?

Thanks for the help. I feel empowered.

Yeap, to varying degrees. Easy really. Go for it! However, remember less is more