repmaster1234 49 Posted November 30, 2018 It feels wrong for me to make a completed project post during such a sensitive time for the community, but I decided that if my post could at least brighten someone's day, it was worth making. So @paccbet, I hope this good news during this tough week makes things a little bit better for you. People who know me know that I love a weird project. I like to challenge myself and my preconceptions when it comes to modifying watches. So when Paccbet came to me with a picture of this watch, my interest was evidently piqued: The watch is the Gate/Silix cheapie Airking that everyone knows and loves. The story is that Mr. P somehow managed to wipe the printing straight off. He initially wanted me to try to redo the printing for him, but I gave him a better offer - to totally re-conceptualize the watch. He obliged and sent the watch for me to play with for the next couple of months. I knew I wanted to do something gilt, but with a dial that had silver indices and hands, I was in for a doozy. I thought about it long and hard, and came up with this plan of attack - Remove the indices and coronet Sand the sunburst from the dial, revealing the brass plate Put on a gilt decal Paint the indices and coronet gold with Testors metallic paint Replace the indices and coronet Reshape the tips of the hands to match the pointed vintage style Sand the hands to the bare brass and polish the surface Relume everything I was a bit worried about the gold painted parts looking "cheap", but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I wanted the watch as a whole to have the sort of over polished, estate sale, grampy's old beat up watch vibe that you see so often when these come up on eBay, and the gold painted indices ended up looking sort of oxidized, so I think it works as a whole. No this isn't gen-spec in any respect, but it was originally a $40 watch, what more can you ask for? I'll be sad to let this one go, but I hope that I made this into a watch that @paccbet can be proud to wear every once in a while. And of course, for the one and only @McGilli Thanks for reading Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glaude 1,615 Posted November 30, 2018 First of all : 9 minutes ago, repmaster1234 said: I decided that if my post could at least brighten someone's day, it was worth making And I'm totally on board with that idea ! As, pretty much everyone else will, I'm sure ! This is an absolutely fantastic make over of this watch, beautiful results ! Just the right amount of vintage for me, done with taste and clean ! + Excellent pics ! Bravo ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blueoysterboy 17 Posted November 30, 2018 Wow, Lovely watch. Airkings have that oddly colored second hand. Did you consider doing that mod? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ape 2 Posted November 30, 2018 This is absolutely gorgeous. You are a talent sir! Who cares about gen spec, it’s about design. Like hot rods and custom bikes. Very impressed Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luxuracer 14 Posted November 30, 2018 An amazing transformation ... @repmaster1234 It's incredible how you changed a 'cheap' watch into a classic vintage specimen. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McGilli 1 Posted November 30, 2018 @repmaster1234 1. We are Elgin brothers I see. I will remember that for future reference. 2. Excellent photos - it really sells the watch - nice work there. 3. I'm super impressed - And I don't even like Rolex so I'm looking at it just as a watch and looking at it as a creative person. I don't have that patience. I have the attention to detail - in my mind - but I have a hard time waiting to get things done. Imagining the entire process you went through, impressive. 4. I've given up wearing Rolex etc for now. But - I think I'd be more inclined to wear a damaged/distressed Rolex like that (I don't care if it's a real model or not) - as opposed to a new shiny one that IMO is too attention catching and I don't like to try and pull off. 5, The eccentricity in me says 10/10. Couldn't be better. Thanks for tagging me, I'd get lume tattooed into me if I could. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
onionbag 1 Posted November 30, 2018 Well done fella. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paccbet 7,176 Posted November 30, 2018 Damn this went beyond what I envisioned to what’s gonna happen to the watch. I just needed a tiny fix just so I can wear it again but clearly your proposition was a better solution! Thank you @repmaster1234 for going the extra mile! 10 hours ago, repmaster1234 said: I hope that I made this into a watch that @paccbet can be proud to wear every once in a while. Wrong. I’m gonna wear it all the time Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
deju 1,873 Posted November 30, 2018 That looks ace! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NCRich 13,746 Posted November 30, 2018 That's really, really nice. Great work! Although I'm trying to figure out how @paccbet managed to destroy the dial in the first place. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paccbet 7,176 Posted November 30, 2018 21 minutes ago, NCRich said: That's really, really nice. Great work! Although I'm trying to figure out how @paccbet managed to destroy the dial in the first place. Shhh....... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GingerApple 7,285 Posted November 30, 2018 @repmaster1234 I've got a load of shitty, old watches that need things doing to them. If I send them all across to you, could you have them ready by Xmas? Amazing work!!!! Take a bow!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
repmaster1234 49 Posted November 30, 2018 Thank you all for the kind words, I am humbled. 2 hours ago, paccbet said: Wrong. I’m gonna wear it all the time That makes me so happy to hear! I'll be shipping it to you tomorrow, hopefully you can understand my desire to wear it for one day before saying goodbye I mean, I'll be um, "checking the timing." Yeah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bobandshawn 5 Posted November 30, 2018 Nice. I can never get all the indices back on the dial without effing something up... B Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
paccbet 7,176 Posted November 30, 2018 5 hours ago, repmaster1234 said: Thank you all for the kind words, I am humbled. That makes me so happy to hear! I'll be shipping it to you tomorrow, hopefully you can understand my desire to wear it for one day before saying goodbye I mean, I'll be um, "checking the timing." Yeah. Take all the time you need, you definitely deserve it brother Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jasonbaylee 192 Posted November 30, 2018 Incredulous workmanship Applause "There are more than 1 road to Rome...." Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luxuracer 14 Posted November 30, 2018 36 minutes ago, paccbet said: 5 hours ago, repmaster1234 said: Thank you all for the kind words, I am humbled. That makes me so happy to hear! I'll be shipping it to you tomorrow, hopefully you can understand my desire to wear it for one day before saying goodbye I mean, I'll be um, "checking the timing." Yeah. Take all the time you need, you definitely deserve it brother Keep it until ... next year ... Rep Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buglicker 0 Posted November 30, 2018 Looks great, one of my favourite watches is a bastardised DHgate Air-King... Wish I could make my own dials! 17 hours ago, McGilli said: I'd get lume tattooed into me if I could. @McGilli you can, sort of... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
McGilli 1 Posted November 30, 2018 12 minutes ago, Buglicker said: you can, sort of... UV ink.... Damn... Of course. Thanks for posting.... Pictures for though indeed... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Luxuracer 14 Posted November 30, 2018 16 minutes ago, Buglicker said: @McGilli you can, sort of... Thanks for the info ... @Buglicker @McGilli ... Let's do it. I am thinking of update/touch-up my tats. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Balance 0 Posted November 30, 2018 Sublime - Absolutely marvelous work. This type of work makes me want to experiment and up my game with watch repair / modding. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Logixa 8 Posted December 9, 2018 Nicely done. Payment sent if 40 bucks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BabaNJ 38 Posted December 10, 2018 On 30/11/2018 at 07:13, NCRich said: That's really, really nice. Great work! Although I'm trying to figure out how @paccbet managed to destroy the dial in the first place. Same way i did.... Trying to remove a piece of lint off this gen dial. @repmaster1234 this a top notch work. I am gravitating to more vintage builds and this one is inspirational. Salute Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
repmaster1234 49 Posted December 10, 2018 @BabaNJ That hurts to think about wiping the printing off a gen dial. Thank you for the compliments, I love your work as well Share this post Link to post Share on other sites