Tutorial: removing PLOPROF bezel insert and resolve greyish markers issue. Mike00 RG

[onzenuub]

As ya know i was the first one who did this job. Most risky tuto i ever did. Since the insert in saphire and these inserts are not listed as spare parts i took the risk of loosing my watch.



I finally had the cojones to remove the bezel insert of my beloved V2 PLOPROF.
Member ThinkBachs also removed it couple days ago by a simular method.

Remember: This is not a difficult mod but sure a tricky one!

For the noobs...The fact why we geeks wanting to remove the V2 insert is because the numbers are to grey compared to GEN. The factory placed the Lume directly on the bezel and not on the backside on the INSERT as it should be. This is why the markers tunrned out to be to grey. The V1 insert is closer to GEN compared to the V2 because they placed the lume on the back of the insert as GEN, that way the numbers are looking more crisp white. So for you V1 guys IMO this mod is useless, unless you want to improve the Lume on it. Just enjoy your V1 as it is I would say.
The goal of this mod is ending up with crisp white mumbers on your V2 insert.

Here a 2 pics from PLOPROFMAN. He owns a V2 and owned a GEN in the past.
You can tell the difference.​

This is a risky job, so beware ! You can mess it up bigtime (scratching/breaking the insert).
No aftermarket inserts available gentlemen!!. I messed up mine just a little by scratching it

, But there's nothing we geeks can't fix.​

Things you need:

* Cojones

* Halogen lamp
* tape (very important, preventing scratches!)
* Patience as usual
* peanut butter, yes I'm serious...
* cleaning cloth
* scissor
* Blue lume or white painting if you dont care about the lume​

HERE WE GO!​

Step 1: Heating up the insert. ​

Do this for about 2 minutes under a halogen lamp. No need to remove the movement.​

Step 2: Removing the insert.​

Cutt some tape, roll it up and place it on the insert. ​

NOTE: the first times I worked the insert I did not used tape ending up with some scratches on the backside of the insert. I pressed to hard to maintain grip using my fingers and some minor scratches were the result.

After placing the tape try to turn the insert while sitting in the bezel.
The V2's have a bezel lock as we know so the bezel will stay in place.
The v1's on the other hand are a PITA, difficult to keep the bezel in place, cause the mofu will turn also when working the insert. I have a V2 so don't have the answer for you V1 guys about this. Need to find out yourself I guess.

After turning it around you will notice it will loosen up. Eventually it will come of and you can turn the watch upside down and it will fall out.

Beware with this procedure!!! try to press it very gently when working the insert, It's sapphire and will break easily. No aftermarket inserts available guys! This is why you absolutely need the tape and the balls !!!! If you don't use tape by nature you press to hard on the crystal to keep grip on it and you will ending up breaking or scratching it probably.​

Step 3: Enjoying the fact it came of :​

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On the first pic from ThinkBachs his V1 you can see the lume is placed on the insert instead of the bezel like my V2 ​

V1​

V2​

Step 4: Cleaning the bezel and insert (glue/lume residues) ​

This one made me worry a bit, the glue residue is mostly sticked to the insert unfortunately. We need to remove it for the relume.
Why this worried me? Because when you use the normal used agressive chemicals to remove the glue, the black paint will come of while wiping, ending up with a smooth clean sapphire insert and we don't want that to happen do we.. ​

I wondered which product will not harm the paint, after some research I found it.... Peanut butter!!! After wiping the insert gentely with a soft cloth with some PB the glue just drippes of. No worries about paint coming of using this method.
Just to notify you, if you look on the web they also say orangejuice products will work, don't use it, it will remove the glue but also the paint!
Alcohol I've tried in the start but without any result.​

So...stick with the PB you geeks, no need to look further.

Step 5: Will be placing white matt enamel paint directly on the backside of the insert, I have choosen for no lume on the insert.​

Step 6: Glue the insert back on the bezel. With an end result just looking like GEN!​

GEN:​

MY V2 END RESULT​

Conclussion:

I am very happy I have done this mod. The watch is way more close to GEN, the greyish markers are a big tell IMO. Have seen 2 GEN's sofar and the markers on the GEN insert are white and not grey, especially when looking from the side. The GEN stays white from a sideview, the V2 out of the box is unfortunately grey and from a sideview it even becomes more greyish. Another improvement is that I have lifted the insert a little as GEN. From a sideview you can see the bevelled edge now. The fact I have choosen for no lume doesn't bother me at all. I am wearing my watches during daytime and when the lume activates it's in my watchbox again anyway. Offcourse you can order lume like member U-1 did, but then again you're risking to dissolving the black paint. I was not willing to take that risk. ​

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Now...I ended up with a little issue as mentioned before. While working the insert (at first before using tape) it scratched a litlle. This is why the tape is very important. You don't need much pressure while working the insert, so no scratches if I had tried this way before...

I have repainted the scratches on the insert and it worked out fine. From the outside no more scratches visable.

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Hope you enjoyed and good luck doing this yourself!​

Cheers, Mikeymike.​