To relume a watchco or not?

sonicosa · Jun 22, 2020

JwRosenthal
I have a friend who has experimented with an “homage” watch with glass bezel- it required him taking the insert out, carefully removing the white lume and reapplying the backing lume with new color-he broke the insert on the first go and had to order another. In the end it looked pretty good- but I don’t think he would ever want to try that again.

Didn’t happen to be one of the Seiko SNZH models did it? I have one that I’ve modded, and saw someone on WUS managed to lume the numbers on the bezel through the process you’re describing. The result was pretty great, but I figured I’d wind up cracking or breaking the insert if I tried.

Edit - I guess not since your friend’s watch already had lume on the bezel numbers... duh

Peter_from_NL · Jun 22, 2020

sonicosa
Turn it a few clicks, take a break, sip your beverage, come back and turn it some more 😁

Hahahaha. Don’t we love auto correct. RELUMING and not RESUMING.......

JwRosenthal · Jun 22, 2020

10thSquare
I have to say that I prefer to have a watch that looks like it just came fresh from the store in 1960-something. I'd stick with the existing lume. You can always change it down the line if you don't like it.

I guess this is kind of my thing too. And as someone who has owned a few classics long enough to have watched the Tritium yellow with age- I hate it. I remember them being close to white- factory fresh looking... they are “degrading” now...maybe I’m projecting onto my watches. 👎

JwRosenthal · Jun 22, 2020

Arno (NL)
Hahahaha. Don’t we love auto correct. RELUMING and not RESUMING.......

I think it was a Ticino actually, so not fair to call it an “homage” as it is a real brand making very nice watches “in the style of” and self branded. He was lucky enough to be able to get a second bezel insert from them for a discontinued model- but I could hear him scream from my house 8 miles away as it was when he tried to press it back in that it broke.
The lume is on the back of the insert on all of these so the process is pretty invasive and risk of damage is involved. Unless you have a back-up or two on hand, I wouldn’t try it.

jeppehh · Jun 23, 2020

Thank you all for the feedback! 👍

It has helped a lot and a lot of the comments resonate with me.

I've decided to keep it factory fresh for the following reasons:
- Reluming would likely make the bezel look slightly out of place, as a lot of you noted
- I like my watches to be 'honest' and I'm worried that I won't actually appreciate the 'patina' if I know it's not real.
- I've previously only bought vintage watches, so maybe I'll like the fresh look in hand. It seems like a lot of you do
- I can always relume it later if the above doesn't hold true.

I'll share a picture, when it's built.

gostang9 · Jun 23, 2020

Personally, I love the colour of yellow... popping out from behind a dial. I would definitely prefer a re-lumed Watchco vs a proper clinically white version, but that's just me.

Love yellow lume on my vintage watches, like this devil diver:

Love it on this beautifully re-lumed modern Speedy dial:

Heck, I love the colour combination so much, I had to find a modern SUV with similar appearance feature: 😲

speedytoronto · Jun 23, 2020

jeppehh
The reason I'm getting this is that I need a more moden watch for water sports and all my vintage watches are not water compatible. So maybe I should just enjoy the vintage lume on my vintage watches and leave this one as it's was intended.

This. Modern/new build diver for active water duty and enjoy your vintage watches for their aesthetics in safe conditions.

IMHO that relumed image you showed looks so over done. Back it off at least 50% and maybe there’s something there. But again, I wouldn’t bother and it won’t match the bezel or dial.

perks713 · Jun 23, 2020

Skip the relume, sell the watch, and buy the 60th anniversary 300 that’s on the sales forum right now. 😀

JwRosenthal · Jun 23, 2020

perks713
Skip the relume, sell the watch, and buy the 60th anniversary 300 that’s on the sales forum right now. 😀

Now that’s one hell of an idea!

eugeneandresson · Jun 23, 2020

I’m fairly certain vintage ones, when new, did not have white lume (based on vintage adverts, it looks the same colors as Speedies of that era, so a canary/off-yellow). As such, I would most certainly relume it as the stark whiteness of the luminova dials are a modern thing. But get the bezel done too should you go this route...the bezel marks at every 5 minutes were colored to match the dial, as can be clearly seen here...

jeppehh · Jun 24, 2020

perks713
Skip the relume, sell the watch, and buy the 60th anniversary 300 that’s on the sales forum right now. 😀

Wonderful watch. But I think I would be a little hesitant to bang that thing around.

eugeneandresson
But get the bezel done too should you go this route.

From what I could understand the bezel is tricky to relume. I believe that the relume is basically just a paint over of the superluminova, as it is challenging to scrape it off the dial. I don't think that approach would work on the bezel. Not saying it can't be done, but probably tricky and time consuming.

I am still leaning toward keeping it as is. If I want a true vintage feel I will be patient and keep looking for a nice 165.024.

perks713 · Jun 24, 2020

You can always relume it later, I’d probably leave it as is, see how it wears and how you feel about it in a few months.

levkov · Jun 24, 2020

While i consider myself a hardcore vintage & "originality first" fan, I've once cought myself playing with the idea of having a Speedmaster Broad Arrow (ref. 3594.50) relumed with a vintage looking orangey lume.. i think it would look fab!
Same applies to the Watchco SM300, i think it would look lovely - if of course is done professionally.
My problem is - considering my tight budget - there's about a 100 watches (99 of which are probably vintage) that I'd buy before i'd get around to spend my money on either a Broad Arrow or a WatchCo Seamaster, so it renders my idea invalid.. but if you have it anyway, i'd say go for it!

padders · Jun 24, 2020

jeppehh
Wonderful watch. But I think I would be a little hesitant to bang that thing around.

Look at it this way, once you have got the Watchco looking the way you want it might have cost over £3K at that point, the Trilogy SM300, still under 5 year warranty with a reliable and accurate modern movement might only set you back ~£3,500-4K if you are patient. Unless you really like the Watchco look, I would be instead looking at the Trilogy watches (the Railmaster is great too and cheaper still) or even a nice 2254 which while clearly influenced by the 166.0024 isn't pretending to be something it isn't.

I don't dislike the Watchco as a concept, I know some do, but I think if you are going to do one, do it as cheap as possible and live with the compromises on look that the modern parts bring. Once you are spending hundreds or thousands to make it look like something else, it makes less sense to me.

pascs · Jun 24, 2020

I created something a little different, modern and vintage...... a fun project

565 movement, genuine SM300 dial and hands and custom case. I already had a 552 Watchco and wanted to use my 565 movement and dial in something a little different, and way cheaper than buying a SM300 case 😁

killer67 · Jun 24, 2020

pascs
I created something a little different, modern and vintage...... a fun project

565 movement, genuine SM300 dial and hands and custom case. I already had a 552 Watchco and wanted to use my 565 movement and dial in something a little different, and way cheaper than buying a SM300 case 😁

Is that a CNC’d case? What bezel and crown?

jeppehh · Jun 24, 2020

padders
Once you are spending hundreds or thousands to make it look like something else, it makes less sense to me.

I'm completely with you. This is also where my mind ended after my reflections from the discussions in this thread.

I will keep it original and if I fall out of love with it, or fall more in love with something else, I can do a swap.

tritto · Jun 24, 2020

I'd be happy to wear that WatchCo as is or relumed. What I want to know is where are people getting the parts for these builds? The was a guy who was convinced that Omega would recase a correct movement and created a long thread about his plan to submit a 552(?) for recasting as a Seamaster. I never did hear how that ended.

jeppehh · Jun 24, 2020

tritto
What I want to know is where are people getting the parts for these builds?

The parts are still available from Omega. So someone with a parts accounts should be able to order them.

I'm getting my kit from my watchmaker who will also be building it.

pascs · Jun 24, 2020

K killer67
Is that a CNC’d case? What bezel and crown?

The case is from a readily available watch which is popular with watch modders, it just happens to accept the 565 movement and dial, with the addition of a custom spacer to locate the movement. The stem lines up correctly and uses a 565 stem and the crown from the case. Its a fairly straight forward and cheap option for an everyday watch with 300m pressure rating (I've only tested it to 6 bar but that is more than enough for everyday use 😁). Its just a fun project while I was working on other modded watches 👍

To relume a watchco or not?

sonicosa

Peter_from_NL

JwRosenthal

JwRosenthal

jeppehh

gostang9

speedytoronto

perks713

JwRosenthal

eugeneandresson

jeppehh

perks713

levkov

padders

pascs

killer67

jeppehh

tritto

jeppehh

pascs

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