Forums Latest Members
  1. pedrocarlone Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    I would never consider having a dial repainted but I am open to cleaning a dial up by removing the old varnish and having it revarnished. This is a very common practice in the art world and is not seen as materially changing a painting and does not affect value. In fact, it is often encouraged for older pieces. Do you feel the same rule applies to watches? Initially I was worried that these dials had been transfer printed but all these dials dating from the 1940s appear to have been screen printed. I would not suggest removing the varnish from a transfer printed dial.

    These are my attempts at cleaning some dials before and after. They have not been revarnished yet and I would welcome any hints or suggestions for this step.
     
    06960084-F596-41B9-AA25-EFACEAE996A2.jpeg EE3F6E84-CB84-4FDE-942A-C8EC1124E263.jpeg
    Edited Feb 2, 2018
    mikechi22 likes this.
  2. pedrocarlone Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    This
     
    7B569BC2-0EE2-4B3A-B6DA-8336944D1490.jpeg 26C8F148-E76B-4375-95C7-9F1EAD6FCDAC.png
    mikechi22 likes this.
  3. pedrocarlone Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    Last one
     
    9F45706D-D6BF-499D-A36B-5CDC4AE5CAE3.jpeg B294C69F-0E59-470E-BB9D-2375DBAEBF20.png
    mikechi22, Syrte, Toishome and 7 others like this.
  4. pedrocarlone Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    The materials used were a boiling water dip for 60 seconds, earbuds and toothpicks. I try to avoid chemicals but have had results from very dilute washing up liquid with boiling water. Also as you can see, the top two dials appear to be dented. These were caused by the previous owner attempting to remove the dial without removing the fixing screws at the side of the movement. I read somewhere that these can be removed or improved by an eraser tipped pencil pushing out the indentation.
    You may also note a change in the colour of the dial. I believe that this is due to the reflection of light which would have previously been diffused by the original varnish. The appearance should more closely resemble the original once varnish is reapplied. Any suggestions for revarnishing techniques would be welcome.
     
    Edited Feb 2, 2018
  5. bama2141 Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    560
    Likes
    1,239
    Very nice results! This would make a watch far more wearable for me than the discolored, moldy appearing original state. Could you provide a bit more detail as to how and when you use the earbuds and toothpicks?

    Well done!
     
    pedrocarlone likes this.
  6. Larry S Color Commentator for the Hyperbole. Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    12,468
    Likes
    49,489
    This is a timely post!
     
    nonuffinkbloke likes this.
  7. apm1 Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    197
    Likes
    354
    Thanks, very interesting..
     
    pedrocarlone likes this.
  8. WhatYourWatchSay Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    1,392
    Likes
    921
    nonuffinkbloke likes this.
  9. pedrocarlone Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    You use the earbuds to rub off the remaining varnish once you see it starting to detach from the dial in the water. You take the dial out of the water and pat it dry. Make sure the buds are moist. The toothpicks are used for the bits of varnish that are in the crevaces of the numbers and logo. Also for some stubborn dirt marks you can use a soft white eraser but it leaves behind a slight residue so be sure to wipe that off again with a damp bud. Also try to make sure the toothpicks are wet as that softens them a bit.
     
    Edited Feb 2, 2018
  10. any4xx Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    256
    Likes
    290
    You’re much more brave than I.
     
  11. pedrocarlone Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    These dials were so far gone it was either giving it a try or a redial.
     
    any4xx likes this.
  12. any4xx Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    256
    Likes
    290
    Aah. Makes sense then. I need to grab up a few beater watches to play with. I’d love to disassemble and reassemble one, but I’d sure not want to practice on anything worth more than about a hundred bucks.
     
  13. TexOmega Feb 2, 2018

    Posts
    7,258
    Likes
    54,174
    Nice results. You've got a pair of dangling hang-lows .....don't trip.
     
    pedrocarlone likes this.
  14. gemstar Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    256
    Likes
    435
    I usually use..[​IMG] Especially for Omega's::screwloose::
     
    Franzjoni and pedrocarlone like this.
  15. pedrocarlone Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    So I tried my technique again on another dial. This time it was a bit of a disaster. The “omega” logo and “swiss made” lettering slipped off. They seem to have been transfers like you used to get on airfix model plane kits. I couldnt understand why the numbers and minute track were still intact so decided to look at the dial under 60x magnification (i was an idiot and should have really done this beforehand). It would appear that this dial had been embossed by a template and printed/painted with the minutes and hours . Youll notice that in the process of cleaning the bottom of number “12” was lost. This was due to the embossing not being deep enough and the paint not adhering sufficently. Maybe this info would be of interest to someone.

    I’d also like to recommend the tool I used to see at this magnification. It was a currency detector microscope and they only cost about £5 on amazon just do a search. They are pretty cheaply made being an all plastic construction but its a useful tool to have.
     
    618CDFF5-F7C4-48AE-920A-87B1A85EC7C1.png 744D78B2-28ED-40D4-B31B-2833E339C74E.jpeg 4932D7AC-7334-4FBA-80BA-E7ABE72723FF.jpeg B192FA6F-26A3-4BDC-89B9-A47A3D69269A.jpeg
  16. turbo_muc Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    386
    Likes
    1,511
    Really nicely done... I prefer clean vintage dials to too much patina
     
  17. GuiltyBoomerang Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    1,727
    Likes
    5,927
    I feel sad that a "Non-Magnetic" dial is no more...
     
  18. pedrocarlone Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    Is “non magnetic” on a dial anything special?
     
  19. michael22 Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    1,790
    Likes
    1,897
    That last one isn't bad enough for me to want it cleaned.
    Boiling water sounds severe.

    I tried cleaning an old Mondiane dial that was green with filth. I started with baby oil, that achieved nothing. Then I went to water; it took off all printing & only half the filth. I left it at that.
     
  20. pedrocarlone Feb 19, 2018

    Posts
    230
    Likes
    157
    Oh the pics dont do it justice. The varnish was flaking off the dial in bits and if I hadnt removed it it would have clogged up the mechanism eventually.
     
    michael22 likes this.