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Zenith El Primero Ref.A386 - dial/hands improvement

  1. abcoro Feb 14, 2014

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    Hello gentlemen,

    Just wanted to share some pics of a little A386 project I've been working on recently...

    Troublesome dial and hands...some donor indices were needed, repainting hands completely and reluming both dial and hands... IMG_0983.jpg IMG_0986.jpg IMG_0988.jpg IMG_1007.jpg IMG_1009.jpg IMG_1011.jpg IMG_1012.jpg IMG_1016.jpg IMG_1020.jpg IMG_9607.jpg IMG_9616.jpg IMG_9603.jpg

    Thanks,
    abel.
     
    IMG_1013.jpg IMG_9611.jpg
  2. Zuke Feb 14, 2014

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    Looks great!
     
  3. ulackfocus Feb 14, 2014

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    Nice job. :thumbsup:
     
  4. haga888 Feb 14, 2014

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    Great job!
     
  5. woodwkr2 Feb 14, 2014

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    Beauty.

    That's quite a nice dial holder you're working with there too. (*Tool envy!)

    How did you go about attaching the new dial indices? I've tried that trick on two dials-- once with a bit of loc tite and once with friction fit--and both times I've failed miserably.
     
  6. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Feb 14, 2014

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    Abel, The dialwork is excellent - a real resurrection. Some very fine details on the case as well - are there "before" shots ?
     
    cozzani1978 likes this.
  7. Interstatetime Feb 14, 2014

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    Abel...the master....the artist. Bravo!

    JohnCote
     
  8. papaebetu Feb 14, 2014

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    Thanks to exist Abel !

    GIGI
     
  9. abcoro Feb 15, 2014

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    Hey Lou,

    I'll need to search the pictures from the case "before" it was done some time ago. Dial and hands I did this past week...to be continued...
     
  10. andy_s Feb 15, 2014

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    Abel - speechless again, well done.
     
  11. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Feb 15, 2014

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    Thanks for sharing this. I do admire your work. Personally, I would prefer less yellow in the lume on this model, but it does look pleasant and striking. An aesthetic question: when choosing the lume color in this case, were you striving for the original appearance, an "aged" look, or just a pleasing color combination? I imagine this choice might be difficult when one is restoring the hands and case to a new or nearly new appearance.
     
    Furze likes this.
  12. abcoro Feb 15, 2014

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    Thank you for your compliment. Lume color is always a difficult issue, whenever I do a relume I try to match the original color, so the lume that's on the dial before I remove it. Yo can always get an idea of the original color if it didn't suffer too much form moisture and humidity during it's life by scraping off the top layer...I do get your point, this lume appears to have a little more intensity then we're used to see. I can also share that it is actually also more pronounced in the pictures...I will try to shoot a picture in daylight to show the difference. Recently I also relumed an A3817 where lume color was a bit more greenish...also there I tried to match it's initial lume color...
     
  13. abcoro Feb 16, 2014

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    Hello Lou,

    Here are two "before" pictures...and some more "after" pictures...

    Best,
    abel.
    IMG_4505.jpg IMG_4507.jpg IMG_9601.jpg IMG_9603.jpg IMG_9604.jpg IMG_9605.jpg IMG_9608.jpg IMG_9609.jpg
     
    IMG_9602.jpg IMG_9606.jpg
    luzer likes this.
  14. haga888 Feb 16, 2014

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    Wow, you managed to "unpolish" it. Fantastic work!
     
  15. ulackfocus Feb 16, 2014

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    It's been "derounded". ;)
     
  16. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Feb 16, 2014

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    Thank you, Abel. It is the old predicament - the perennial push-pull between restoring definition and losing volume. This is where artistry and judgement come in. I don't see how it could have been solved better. Masterful!
     
  17. pitpro Likes the game. Feb 16, 2014

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    This is amazing work!
    You are an artist.
     
  18. MMMD unaffiliated curmudgeonly absurdist & polyologist Feb 16, 2014

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    Terrific work. Thanks for the insight about lume color selection.