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Albino GMT - New Sighting!

KJ2020

Time Traveler
Supporter
12/3/18
34,540
66,374
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Albino GMT - New Sighting!

Greeting fellow watchaholics, this project has been on my plate for so long, I’m so happy to have it completed. I bought the donor dial rep about 18 months ago. It’s a VRF “Oreo” GMT. I have other plans for it as well!

16707221973110.jpg


So the first step is removing the black surround hour markers. Standard stuff but it quickly turned into much more work than I expected. The white dial had tiny marker holes so that means drilling bigger holes, and the markers I wanted to use ended up looking rather dingy on the shock white background. So that means re-luming.

I drilled one slightly larger hole for the 6 9 12 markers, this makes it easier to set them and gives some room to pivot them for straightness without going so far that the glue escapes out to the side. The round markers needed bigger holes for the new marker posts, so those were drilled in two stages just to be ultra careful. This is not a difficult task but you have to watch for metal stringers as they can scratch the dial if you let them drag across it.

3F8E1i.jpeg


3F8S0t.jpeg


3F8xtE.jpeg


Next up is re-luming the markers. I stripped out all the old lume with acetone. I tried several different ways of making the lume ultra white including mixing some paint into the lume mix. That didn’t work well, it ended up non-uniform. What worked best was starting with a base coat of Testor’s gloss white enamel mixed with thinner. The thinner makes it run smoothly to all the edges then evaporates out. It’s such a nice result I actually toyed with the notion of adding a few more coats and the hell with the lume, hah!

3F8P48.jpeg


3F88SP.jpeg


3F8kP1.jpeg


Top pic is paint fill, bottom pic is lume added

3F8stI.jpeg


After the lume dries you can very carefully wipe away the excess on the borders with a soft cloth and some ISO alcohol

3F8teW.jpeg


3F8GPF.jpeg


Then you just use tiny dabs of glue to mount the markers on. I use BSI 30 min slow cure epoxy. After it cures, I go back and drop a dab on the backside of the dial. Then when that cures, I grind off any hardened blobs and sand it all smooth so nothing comes in contact with the datewheel.

3F8pHL.jpeg


Next up, the dial gets a bath. Yes! I discovered this one day while tinkering with a junk Hulk dial. I figured if you can wash a painted car you should be able to wash a painted dial. I’ve done this on many dials since then, including a gen. Obviously do this on a junk dial first, not on a matte dial, and not with water based lume. I use a high quality very soft artist brush and Dawn dishwashing liquid.

3F8w0j.jpeg


3F8uEc.jpeg


Rinse under the faucet, a quick blow dry and it’s immaculate. This is my default dial cleaning method now. Occasionally if you aren’t fast enough with the air puffer, you’ll get a tiny spot or two. Just rinse again, maybe a little extra brushing and blow again.

3F8N4b.jpeg


3F8Rgp.jpeg


Finally, we can get to the install

3F8TgK.jpeg


3F8BrS.jpeg


Hands on

3F8b52.jpeg


And boom, we got an Albino GMT, woohoo!

3F8JNn.jpeg


This is in a ROF case, everything is stock. The insert is paint modded. Here are some pics is different lighting environments.

3F8QEQ.jpeg


3F8CyR.jpeg


3F8dmv.jpeg


3Fr3To.jpeg


3F87HX.jpeg


3F8Me4.jpeg


I’ve often wondered why Rolex won’t make another white dial GMT, it’s such a nice combo.

Thanks for looking!
 
Last edited:

raizer

Getting To Know The Place
11/2/15
75
7
8
Simply wow.. The work some of the members here do is mind boggling to me. Thanks for sharing this process for our enjoyment!!
 

JordanEleven

I'm Pretty Popular
Supporter
Certified
12/5/20
1,031
569
113
Greetings fellow watchaholics, this project has been on my plate for so long, I’m so happy to have it completed. I bought the donor dial rep about 18 months ago. It’s a VRF “Oreo” GMT. I have other plans for it as well!

16707221973110.jpg


So the first step is removing the black surround hour markers. Standard stuff but it quickly turned into much more work than I expected. The white dial had tiny marker holes so that means drilling bigger holes, and the markers I wanted to use ended up looking rather dingy on the shock white background. So that means re-luming.

I drilled one slightly larger hole for the 6 9 12 markers, this makes it easier to set them and gives some room to pivot them for straightness without going so far that the glue escapes out to the side. The round markers needed bigger holes for the new marker posts, so those were drilled in two stages just to be ultra careful. This is not a difficult task but you have to watch for metal stringers as they can scratch the dial if you let them drag across it.

3F8E1i.jpeg


3F8S0t.jpeg


3F8xtE.jpeg


Next up is re-luming the markers. I stripped out all the old lume with acetone. I tried several different ways of making the lume ultra white including mixing some paint into the lume mix. That didn’t work well, it ended up non-uniform. What worked best was starting with a base coat of Testor’s gloss white enamel mixed with thinner. The thinner makes it run smoothly to all the edges then evaporates out. It’s such a nice result I actually toyed with the notion of adding a few more coats and the hell with the lume, hah!

3F8P48.jpeg


3F88SP.jpeg


3F8kP1.jpeg


Top pic is paint fill, bottom pic is lume added

3F8stI.jpeg


After the lume dries you can very carefully wipe away the excess on the borders with a soft cloth and some ISO alcohol

3F8teW.jpeg


3F8GPF.jpeg


Then you just use tiny dabs of glue to mount the markers on. I use BSI 30 min slow cure epoxy. After it cures, I go back and drop a dab on the backside of the dial. Then when that cures, I grind off any hardened blobs and sand it all smooth so nothing comes in contact with the datewheel.

3F8pHL.jpeg


Next up, the dial gets a bath. Yes! I discovered this one day while tinkering with a junk Hulk dial. I figured if you can wash a painted car you should be able to wash a painted dial. I’ve done this on many dials since then, including a gen. Obviously do this on a junk dial first, not on a matte dial, and not with water based lume. I use a high quality very soft artist brush and Dawn dishwashing liquid.

3F8w0j.jpeg


3F8uEc.jpeg


Rinse under the faucet, a quick blow dry and it’s immaculate. This is my default dial cleaning method now. Occasionally if you aren’t fast enough with the air puffer, you’ll get a tiny spot or two. Just rinse again, maybe a little extra brushing and blow again.

3F8N4b.jpeg


3F8Rgp.jpeg


Finally, we can get to the install

3F8TgK.jpeg


3F8BrS.jpeg


Hands on

3F8b52.jpeg


And boom, we got an Albino GMT, woohoo!

3F8JNn.jpeg


This is in a ROF case, everything is stock. The insert is paint modded. Here are some pics is different lighting environments.

3F8QEQ.jpeg


3F8CyR.jpeg


3F8dmv.jpeg


3Fr3To.jpeg


3F87HX.jpeg


3F8Me4.jpeg


I’ve often wondered why Rolex won’t make another white dial GMT, it’s such a nice combo.

Thanks for looking!
Where Rolex does not arrive, you arrive Lord! wonderful work, congratulations
 
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Procurator

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Wonderful work mate.
Just wondering, if black & white insert wouldn't play better. 🤔
 
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Procurator

Strawcruncher
Certified
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Plenty of options available with a white dial for sure bro. I did the whole gamut with a 5 digit Polar Explorer dial, I also have this 6 digit GMT in the queue. Probably will use all black hands.
5 digit versions
I definitely love the red accent of the GMT hand against the white dial & rest of the black hands!

Was thinking more in line of Omega's GMT with tt insert.
3Fl6At.png

Maybe it would be too much and the platinum within the BLK does work best 🤔

But certainly a very fun project, you have an eye of a designer and see what goes together and what is just that but too far.
 
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Ah0rsey

18 hands high, bushy mane.
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Makes the “efforts” of some large modding companies look positively amateur and therefore completely overpriced. I only wish I had the skill, time and patience to be able to mod watches to this calibre ( no pun intended ) 👍
 

p0pperini

patr0n h0arder
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An absolute masterclass as always K... Thanks for taking the time to so clearly document your super-skilled work, and invaluable tips. Always a total inspiration! Oh, and the final product looks awesome too. Bravo! ❤️
 
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