Date Wheel idea.

[Luthier]

As we all know, 2836-2 and 2824-2 movements are 25,6mm in diameter. So, if the watch is 40-42mm, DW window is at the edge of the dial, and it does look good. But, if the watch is 44mm or bigger - DW will be about 4-5mm from the edge, and it doesn't look nice. Sooo... what, if I'll glue a thin layer of plastic, with precise diameter of the datewheel, and about 0,2mm thin ON the datewheel, as a spacer, and them manufacture bigger diameter datewheel, and glue it on this spacer?
Numbers will be bigger, and farther from the center, right? And the date change will work with no problem, right? Yes, the dial should be in the slightly different configuration, I get it, but it's the question of the dial's design. OK, here's the sketch. Red is existing DW, blue is the spacer, and dark red - new DW.
This idea is not for replicas, but for the watches I'm working on right now.

 

[Strodda]

I would think that would work. Even though the spacer would be very thin, you might need to raise the dial a tiny tiny bit as well so the new DWO doesnt scrape the back of the dial. There have been times when I relumed a watch and just the slightest residue on the back of the dial(from gluing hour markers back on) would make the DW not turn and click smoothly. I would have to sand the back of the dial to get rid of the tiniest amount of anything.

 

[Luthier]

Dial could be this configuration - lower part deep enough for hours hand, and minutes and seconds hands will be above upper part of the dial.

 

[ThinkBachs]

On the other hand this would probably work very well for those watches with "sunken date wheels." Should be easy enough to find a company out there that could do micro raised printing on plastic sheets with u-cut or they-cut... Another option would be to order plastic sheets and use an Alps. Off the top of my head, the cutting out would be a pain in the butt.

 

[trksh-bzr]

Fransisco made a solution to sunken 7750 datewheel, quite similar to this thought.

 

[Luthier]

On the other hand this would probably work very well for those watches with "sunken date wheels." Should be easy enough to find a company out there that could do micro raised printing on plastic sheets with u-cut or they-cut... Another option would be to order plastic sheets and use an Alps. Off the top of my head, the cutting out would be a pain in the butt.

Cutting would be done by stamp. So, it would be perfectly precise cut.

 

[Luthier]

Fransisco made a solution to sunken 7750 datewheel, quite similar to this thought.

The point of my idea is - to make numbers bigger, and farther from the center.

 

[trksh-bzr]

The point of my idea is - to make numbers bigger, and farther from the center.

I'm just saying, it should be possible to getit to work...

 

[Luthier]

I hope so, mate, I hope so... I designed a few 44mm watches, and I want slightly bigger date numbers, and DW window close to the edge.

 

[SSTEEL]

Should be doable G, and as mentioned, you may need to raise the dial itself ever so slightly to accommodate.

 

[Cynikal.Mindset]

the ploprof uses a slightly larger datewheel overlay than the stock one if memory serves me correctly, so yes this works no problem