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Patek Worldtime 5131g THE DC PROJECT

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_DC_

So I've mentioned a few times that I want to"mod" my Patek Worldtime to make the dial a bit closer to gen. So today I started the work and decided to document it in a new thread.

 

There's a real chance I'll cock this up, so stay tuned for a laugh hahaha!!

 

The plan is to take this...

 

BA16149A-74F5-4C37-8FF5-3433301E42EF_zpsxevucfq0.jpg

 

... and get it looking a bit closer to this...

 

C9B66A13-752E-4177-A2C2-26A91733087B_zpsgwiz0n7t.jpg

 

So how will I do it?! Well obviously the hands need to be white, that's simple enough, but the challenge is the cloisonné dial. It's basically a semi translucent almost glass like enamel painted onto the dial and baked. So how to get this effect with basic paints?!?

 

Well the first thing I noticed was that even on this white gold version the centre part of the dial is gold. So I decided to start by removing this part of the rep and making it gold. Then, I plan to paint it by hand with a mix of clear and gloss acrylic paints to give the glassy translucent appearance.

 

That's the plan, so let's get started!!

 

Here she is waiting for her makeover...

 

09A0348D-431A-46DB-B286-60C3C02094B9_zps60m64env.jpg

 

First things first, off with the strap and out with the movement...

 

85BD6E24-4942-4A8B-97D3-39D1DD08AD54_zpsvfovvv5y.jpg

 

FD7F7E0D-925A-40A6-A22A-9F626AB2E942_zpsb02aopzd.jpg

 

74D8504E-729C-42D4-B4BD-8B0E140EBFFD_zpske3sf27f.jpg

 

3137EC45-E6DD-4D26-A963-44EC9EC74254_zpshi5nnhnh.jpg

 

D59CEBA8-FCE4-4C2F-946F-2173188D7C71_zpstappacgi.jpg

 

And out she comes...

 

68874F2B-5FE6-4F1A-911D-7C297FA9562D_zps6eivhif6.jpg

 

So you can see here the dial is made up of several layers, the mid and city ring parts are mounted on a clear plastic dial which allows the 24hr ring to be visible bellow. It's all got to come off, hands first (using the screwdriver and clear plastic bag trick)...

 

B5ACBEB4-9DF3-4A45-95D2-6EEC4A1774A2_zpskjmmftxs.jpg

 

Off comes the top dial...

 

32F912C9-618D-4BF5-9216-4EC0D9551E25_zpsormw192v.jpg

 

Then the mid dial needs to come off. It's glued and has two pins which secure into the clear plastic dial, a quick push with a pointy screwdriver from the rear and a case knife to prise it off (using the same clear plastic trick as for the hands) did the trick nicely...

 

4A337118-A659-4670-BC92-6CD6A786CFCB_zpsfqraqyrp.jpg

 

Et voila...

 

35DBAADF-529B-4729-99B0-09818E7294F7_zpsltd4p5de.jpg

 

So now to spray the mid dial gold. I'm using Tamiya model spray for this...

 

831DCE36-00F5-442E-9ED4-75037C2C20DC_zpsfgfk0imt.jpg

 

It initially looked a bit thick but soon settled down once I got it back indoors to dry out...

 

603D4110-729B-4AFF-AAD0-C7171BA5B137_zpsz0pckf25.jpg

 

49F74CAA-D82A-4648-BCD1-34CAE69C54B0_zps1kcxw7lk.jpg

 

I did the hands in the same way although these will need another coat I suspect...

 

C8810A21-CE65-4E0F-81B3-12E9C7E045EC_zpsjm6cclob.jpg

 

So that's where I'm at for now. Next up? Paint the dial using a very very small brush and these Tamiya Clear paints, possibly mixed with non clear in areas where I don't want as much translucency...

 

31FBC4E9-F543-4BD2-B91D-EC88682B8545_zpsvqdbhgyt.jpg

 

Wish me luck!!!

 

DC

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Mr. Genesis

Good luck DC! I'm sure it will be very interesting, can't wait to see the result. :)

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WatchaholicMallorca

Unbelievable ! The whole opperation you have going on there wouldn't be out of place in a Willy Wonka factory, I dont have the steady hands or patience to even attempt something like that, but bravo! :notworthy:

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jakethemouse

Subscribed. This is exciting, cant wait to see it in its final form.

 

Great start already.

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dudermania

Quite an initiative mate. Let us know how it turns out!

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Wriggles

So far so good. I hope you were good at art in school :lol:

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2hot2trot

What a fantastic informative review DC. Can't wait for the next stage. Good luck mate.

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Gazzla

In before Africa looks like pizza. Good luck. :D

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Stuvetjee

That is soo sick DC! Such a awesome project! :drool:

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Kwt

Good luck mate - great read so far.

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Phantomtech

This is fascinating! I will be following this closely, not that I will ever be able to do this on my own only because this is the most awesome Patek project yet in the rep world.

 

Wish you luck!

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Spackjarrow

Interesting!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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KeNnY

Nice buddy ! :) Good luck and looking forward for the ending work ! :)

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Genius

Can't wait to see how the hand painted dial comes out, hope you end up happy with the end result

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GenTLe

Brave man...

Hope you'll not end up in buying a gen "world" to replace that one :D

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Left Coast Guy

Holy shit, that looks like one of the more daring mod attempts!

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Godfathar

All I can say is "Balls of steel"

 

Only the part where you were prying the world map off the plastic dial would have made me throw in the towel and off to Kenny it goes hahahahahahaha

 

Looking forward to seeing the rest of the project materialize mate.

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Spackjarrow
Brave man...

Hope you'll not end up in buying a gen "world" to replace that one :D

Lol

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_DC_

Ok, so it's gone quite well actually, possibly still a bit of tidying up to do, might give it a dip in clear once it's all dry to give an even shine but I quite like the look, it feels like what a hand painted enamel cloisonne dial should look like.

 

Prepared for painting...

 

1FDD503D-EC1B-4378-8FA1-EDBA8ED3136D_zpsqw6aqfed.jpg

 

And away we go...

 

DE23DF0A-7C00-449C-8BB9-D548D91D2B04_zpsfzrdboof.jpg

 

21948A6B-CD1D-4BBF-86F0-9FC0CE58E990_zpsc1fjagbd.jpg

 

30A58767-CFED-4B82-A4B0-6DB654CB160C_zpszskmcdka.jpg

 

1E461D7C-0093-4AF5-A863-CE8ED45D894D_zps2eojkicm.jpg

 

Then to start that all important blue sea...

 

4C596AF8-0718-4E1B-ABFD-26B273C5863C_zpsdyj5uu3t.jpg

 

B15A3C57-855A-4800-8275-FC46230259C5_zpsymojtt5l.jpg

 

After a bit more tying up around the shores and the edges...

 

D32B402D-2633-468E-8B8C-CE7A2CB27C25_zpslkx05lpl.jpg

 

And in the sunlight...

 

D58484C5-D1D7-4AF6-9CF7-83379ECA42BB_zpsmkaixmhs.jpg

 

Would I get a job at Patek? Probably not, but it looks a lot more realistic than the horrible printed dial... can't wait to get it all back together!!!

 

DC

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Godfathar

Unbelievable!!!

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Mr. Genesis

Wow! It looks amazing! Great job DC!

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dudermania

Dude - you're frikkin amazing! Thats an amazing effort. You've got a watch that is highly personalised by you! Really inspirational! Can't wait to see you putting it all back together.

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Genius

Definite improvement over the old dial! Inspired decision to do that

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Wriggles

Fuckin A ! :clap:

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mauricio612

just wow, subscribed

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