NCRich 13,714 Posted October 21, 2016 So I think I'm done playing with the 6204. I've done the following: New Tropic 21 plexi faded the bezel aged the dial and hands brassed the bezel with torch Drilled the lugs added 2mm bars Reshaped and polished case So on to the pics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BM284 1,505 Posted October 21, 2016 Very nice - I like the white face, nicely aged, not OTT - great job Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmshen 0 Posted October 21, 2016 As always, your jobs look great! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GC 4,379 Posted October 21, 2016 You nailed it... Perfect aging! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Member X 91 Posted October 21, 2016 +1 to the above - looks nicely natural rather than a forced patina I'm guessing this is repping some ultra-rare Gen?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GC 4,379 Posted October 21, 2016 +1 to the above - looks nicely natural rather than a forced patina I'm guessing this is repping some ultra-rare Gen?? Yeah, there are circa 4 in the world, or something similar. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,714 Posted October 21, 2016 +1 to the above - looks nicely natural rather than a forced patina I'm guessing this is repping some ultra-rare Gen?? Thank you guys. Yes this an ultra rare early rolex. More than likely a prototype rather than production. Only one or two known to exist. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Moondustesp 134 Posted October 21, 2016 Looks great love the dial well done Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MAJ75 920 Posted October 21, 2016 Lovely job mate, see the real "Oreo Cookie" below for comparison....... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatarms 7,698 Posted October 21, 2016 Very nice job there. Did you fade the bezel by sanding or bleach? Mine arrived a few days ago and I haven't gotten around to it yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,714 Posted October 21, 2016 Very nice job there. Did you fade the bezel by sanding or bleach? Mine arrived a few days ago and I haven't gotten around to it yet. I faded it with bleach, in direct sunlight for 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes. The sunlight is necessary. Then evened out the patina by scuffing lightly with a scotchbrite pad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Member X 91 Posted October 21, 2016 I'm guessing you won't be too worried about being 'called out,' Rich lol I have to say that I'm not a fan of white dial watches generally but this does looks sweet EDIT: Am I correct in thinking the Gen in the picture above (thanks for posting it, MAJ!) has the seconds hand with the circle on the very end, rather than the standard Mercedes handset? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,714 Posted October 21, 2016 I'm guessing you won't be too worried about being 'called out,' Rich lol I have to say that I'm not a fan of white dial watches generally but this does looks sweet EDIT: Am I correct in thinking the Gen in the picture above (thanks for posting it, MAJ!) has the seconds hand with the circle on the very end, rather than the standard Mercedes handset? Yes, another pic. I was using this as a template. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jd1566 8 Posted October 24, 2016 Very nice job on the watch! Curious about the dial aging.. Baked in an oven perhaps? Can you give your secret formula, time and temperature? Dial really looks good, am mightily impressed! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Simms 1 Posted October 24, 2016 Knocked it out of the park! Congrats Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,714 Posted October 24, 2016 Very nice job on the watch! Curious about the dial aging.. Baked in an oven perhaps? Can you give your secret formula, time and temperature? Dial really looks good, am mightily impressed! I'm not a fan of aging things in a oven. I'm not really a fan of anything that you can't do over. I believe this dial has a mylar/vinyl sort of covering on the dial. It isn't really painted white. I think if you put this in the oven you would end up with a goopy mess. For this I got the dial absolutely level on some rodico. I work under a hot halogen light so things dry fast. I applied a coating of very strong coffee to the dial and let it dry. This won't look all that great at first since it will tend to concentrate the color on the edges. They make these pointy q-tips that women use in manicures. I dip those in a little water and try to remove what I don't like or move the color around a bit. This is also great on a black sub dial to give you just a little aging. If it dries too dark on the lume or the writing you can lightly remove some tint with the q-tip. So much better than an oven. In this case its just one color. If you want more complicated I also have a rather inexpensive set of watercolors ($10) and an assortment of brushes. These are good because not only do they give you color they give you texture. You can apply that color thinly, let dry, then remove/move it around with the q-tip. It really is a bit trial and error and really less is more. Those tiny little pinpoint brushes give you a lot of control. You can even apply a little more coffee to certain areas to enhance the darkening. If you are working with say a black sub dial you can use the watercolors to create whatever color lume you want. It can also give you the effect of puffy lume. If you want more puff you can mix in some baby powder with the watercolor. Its great because the vintage really isn't supposed to have working lume. So watercolors are great. The key point is that up to this now you can take the dial and stick it under the faucet and BAM it is like new again. You haven't ruined it. This is really important in giving you the control you need. (especially if this is your first try at aging a dial of a certain type). If you want to set it permanently then you can put a coat of waterbased satin spray poly on it and it is permanent. The satin poly can also be used to give it some texture if that is what you are after. I didn't set the colors with this white dial. Nothing is going to change it under the crystal. Hope this helps. Aging watches is a lot like coloring books for adults. Edit: I got this watch from Marvellous Replica. He wanted to see the finished product so I showed him this thread. His comment: Hi Rich, Got a question. Is that watch from me? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fatarms 7,698 Posted October 24, 2016 I guess you did a pretty good job then. That's actually pretty funny. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piccolo 657 Posted October 26, 2016 Another great build! Nice one! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
551three 0 Posted December 21, 2016 Very nice job there. Did you fade the bezel by sanding or bleach? Mine arrived a few days ago and I haven't gotten around to it yet. I faded it with bleach, in direct sunlight for 30 minutes, checking every 10 minutes. The sunlight is necessary. Then evened out the patina by scuffing lightly with a scotchbrite pad. Nice detailed explanation, interesting ideas and techniques . Does the uv exposure change the color of the fade? Intensity? When bleaching ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites