BCE custom brushed finish! -updated w bracelet SEL mod-

[azgjav]

hated the all polished finish on my swiss BCE cause first, it's too blingy, and second, the polishing is far from perfect, the surfaces are uneven and the polish is a lil dull on some spots. it's more obvious on the bracelet and clasp. that's one of the reasons why the BCE doesn't get much wrist time and even if it does, it's usually on the gen croc strap.

previously, i owned a 1997 blackbird w full brushed finish. i've sold it to get the skyracer. imho, the blackbird is the has the ultimate understated toolwatch look w the clean dial and brushed finish, a look i miss after i sold it.

then i saw the new blackbird w the brushed lugtops and bracelet tops and polished sides. awesome. so out comes the scotchbrite pad and masking tape. 20min later, this is what i get:

a really simple mod to do which changes the look of the BCE. highly recommended if u don't like the bling of the BCE.

 

[NAVIGATER]

You did a nice work on this watch!!!

Greetings Navi :wink:

 

[takashi]

Kudos to azgjav! Very creative ideas from him Nice result. Perhaps the repmakers can make this in Ti "hmmm"" fantasy.

 

[Yannou]

I'm a newbie but what did you use to brush your watch ? sorry about this maybe stupid question but..

 

[takashi]

3M scot brite.

 

[rek001]

Wow, beautiful!
I would not have the courage to do that to my watch, I'd be afraid of making the brush strokes crooked or wavy.

 

[supermanx]

I can't belive you destroyed it you monster... Just kidding, looks surprisingly good.

 

[kresog]

Very, very nice... Tempting... Maybe I will try the same with my BCE

 

[machine]

cool job!
ive done the same with my navi's ss band and it came out much better than expected.am considering the case too.was it a pain to get around the pushers and the crown? or did u remove them?

 

[Importr]

Yeah good job!

I'd already done my BCE strap but was in doubt as to whether to remove the whole bezel (if possible) and brush the entire case.

The idea of just doing the lug tops is a good way to get around that though, and blend in with the SELs.

Nice one!

 

[machine]

Yeah good job!

I'd already done my BCE strap but was in doubt as to whether to remove the whole bezel (if possible) and brush the entire case.

The idea of just doing the lug tops is a good way to get around that though, and blend in with the SELs.

Nice one!

importr what are SELs?

 

[azgjav]

haha, thanks for all the comments.

i've tried to remove the bezel but cldn't..so i used tape to mask the bezel's polished sides and the sides of the case and used the 3m scotchbrite (spot on, tak!) pad to go around the top of the lugs. i did the same to the crown guards and pusherguards by masking the pushers and taking out the crown. i used the bezel as a guide to do the circular brush strokes arnd the lugs and it worked wonderfully, no messups at all.

bracelet was brushed using the same way cept i used bluetack to keep the bracelet flat on the table and brushed away from my body to keep the strokes even and straight.

maybe i found the whole process easier as i've had practice doing the refinishing work on the blackbird before selling it.


anyway, i reviewed the photos and realised that the SEL (solid end links, those end pieces of the bracelet) are shaped differently from the gen; the 2 pseudo midlinks on the SEL are supp to be slightly recessed instead of just 4 plain engraved lines..so out came the file and that was fixed in a jiffy. now the bracelet looks way better. will update w photos tml.

on a side note, i believe that the bracelet is made of a softer metal compared to the case. brushing and filing it was extremely easy and the sheen is a lil duller on the bracelet than on the case.

 

[azgjav]

here're the photos of the new bracelet mod.

before:

after:

before:

after:

before:

after:

 

[justasucker]

Great job. My question is this.... not knowing the exact shape of the lugs, how do the lugs look on the sides, meaning between the lugs. I know from doing Subs, Movado's, Vintage Daytona's and being so picky that I actually put the band around something round then brushed. Was the breit no problem doing flat or did you have to work between the links as well?

Thank you.. great pics

 

[azgjav]

Great job. My question is this.... not knowing the exact shape of the lugs, how do the lugs look on the sides, meaning between the lugs. I know from doing Subs, Movado's, Vintage Daytona's and being so picky that I actually put the band around something round then brushed. Was the breit no problem doing flat or did you have to work between the links as well?

Thank you.. great pics

oh yeah, u'll have to do it between the links as well..and u can use the bluetack, roll it up into a ball and wrap the bracelet arnd it.

 

[takashi]

^^ Magic of bluetak

 

[Importr]

Brilliant SEL mod! Now that you pointed this out, it does look waaay better than before!

For the shiny bit in between the links I used two methods:

1) Wrap the strap around a bottle, tie the two ends tightly together with fishing line or wire. Rub the pad over the entire strap

2) fold 1 pair of links back to back, and rub the exposed end over the abrasive pad, which is flat on the table. Going in one direction. Repeat for the other end of the links, with the 3rd set of links and so on...

Then finish with the overall flat-on-table-brushing-method, over the tops of the links

...and here's a quick shot of my strap. I'm still really trying to find the courage to brush my case, as I feel that its too new & unmarked to alter! :shock: