Dialing with postscript.

I mentioned in my intro and in the chat on sunday I was one of Apple's postscript gurus. I created a lot of the tests (written in postscript for the apple color laser printer.) One of my tasks was to test differnt paper sizes and paper types such as the transperency films. I also tested the toner transfer paper that can be used to create printed circut boards.

This paper was also used to create decals. And could be used to create the rainbow apple logo. Laser toner is fine plastic particles that melt under heat and pressure. Foils can also be used in the sandwich. Similar paper can be used to create one off tee shirts.

Since I was collecting these chronographs I though I might try a hand at some redialing. I semt my Tissot out for a redial and some other watches and was not all that thrilled with the results.



So I set out to create my own program for making watch dials. The limitation was that the printer only did like 300 dpi. Still it was good enough to get some decent results.

This dial was done on a junk watch. I was experimenting with simulating lume, with a similar color. I was also testing color calibration.



Here is the shot of the backside. I do not know if I have the back or not. It is probably the back in in a box somewhere. Also not sure why there is only one hand. I have quite a hand collection, perhaps there were not chronograph hands that fit.

Here is a shot of the back, It is a bit of a rust bucket special. This movement was high on the to do list when I sort of burned out on watches and started getting involved with pipe organs.



The next watch was an everyday watch that I wore quite a bit at apple. I do not have a shot of the movement. I suspect it is the same caliber as I was favoring that one. Can not remember if it is venus or valjoux. Not as easy to locate the marks as it is on an Omega.



I did not lume the hands or digits as lume was hard to come by in the 1990s. This was also high on my to do list should I ever find a suitable material.

-j

Interesting! Were you printing a decal that was then laid over the original metal dial?
How did you get started with pipe organs?

Index at 6 and 12 is Venus I thought

Yes. It is too hard to transfer direct. The sunk in sub dials also sometimes need a separate decal,

Decals are actually fairly easy to make. Basically one starts with water soluable glue on a water reistant strong paper base (like butcher paper) or the oven proof paper used in high end cooking. This is called dry waxed paper. Piano rolls are also cut on this. The tough fibers are hard to punch through as they have to survive and keep the bones from ripping through.

The simplest glue is pure geletain used in cooking. this is left to dry on the paper. The image is then printed in normal direction. Then layers of water resistant varnish are painted over the printing. Lots of layers of varnish I used a spray can which give the sort of mottled look. The whole thing is soaked in water which re activates the glue. One can get the prepaired paper which is what I was testing. Later I got some of the paper for myself.


Not really on topic here. I think it was a latent interest from childhood. My dad had an interest and I inherited it. I expect sometime in the near future I will post some of the story in the OT thread. I did post a summery in my intro thread.

-j

I got out more of the Esembl-O-Graph books. So The 'junk movement is venus.'

Much easier these days to find the maker/caliber with online sites. I have been using the Ranfft charts which seem pretty comprehensive.

I should also note which I forgot to mention. When I do a redial, I leave the makers name off as this makes the result more of what now seems to be called a franken (we used to call them marriages.)

I did use the frankenstein reference back in the 1990s to one of my pocket watches. I think it is an Elgin. I doubt if two parts came from the same watch. Curiously I was an early steampunk in the 1980s so Frankenstein is one of my favorite books. Of course Victor's creation has no name, which is an importent part in his identity crisis. I guess franken sounds better than zombie watch or watches of the un-dead.

-j

I found a version of the program I used to generate the dials on the Venus 170 watches. What is interesting is that I had set a maker name on some of the examples. I still have the ORATOR landeron dial un-repainted. The sub dials also have the telephone marks I do not recall this other than the thread here. I must have simply copied the marks from the dial. I may also have got this from the book _Chronographs Wristwatches to stop time_, Gerd-R Lang/Richard Meis.

I can not upload a PDF so I did a screen capture of the zoomed output. The green background was an attempt to simulate the loom. As the sub dials were sunk, these were applied in a separate step.
The Venus 170 watches that were re-dialed do not seem to have been cleaned. The hands are also loose as I did not have hand pushers at the time. This could be some of the reason the project was abandoned.

The process involved a 600dpi laser printer with the plastic toner. The images were rendered onto special decal paper.

Were I doing this again, I would mill the image onto a highly polished copper or even steel blank. Then use a pad printer to transfer the image do the dial disk. Might also be possible to laser cut the dial image onto an acrylic blank.

Such a software tool does give one options. At least for creating custom fantasy watches for one's own enjoyment.

-j

An update: I still have a lot of this material. Since I have been working with the landeron rabbits I thought I might use some if it again to restore a watch hand. I no longer have a toner based laser printer.

Sadly when checking links for the 'Rabbits' thread I see that the company that made these kits is shutting down. While my results were mixed, this was a great way to create simple (or even in a way complex) dials.

I still have plenty of material and some printed dial chapter rings. So I may try it again just to finish that stuff off.

The better way for dial restoration would be to make a pad printer. Bit more work, but the results should be a bit better. The downside of the laser transfer is the resolution of the printer.