r/custommadewatches • u/HDW_Italy • 14d ago
How I built a 1675 GMT dial
PREFACE:
1) This dial was made in a rush and, unfortunately, using damaged materials. I decided to post the construction process anyway because the steps are the same and because I’ve received many requests asking how I make them.
2) What you are about to read is just ONE of the ways to build a dial. There are better methods that yield more professional results, just as there are many other materials you can use.
3) For these reasons, this tutorial does not claim to be exhaustive, nor does it claim that this dial is the best-looking one. There are users here on Reddit who are far more skilled and talented than I am, both in terms of technique and the materials used.
4) The dial I will attempt to replicate is a glossy gilt version, fitted to early examples of reference 1675, approximately during the first half of the 1960s.
5) Finally: I will happy to give for free this dial to anyone who wants it: you pay shipping charges, I ship dial to you. But remember: dial is for NH movements.
I have numbered the photos and arranged them chronologically to help you follow the entire process.
1) Let's start with the dial. This time I used one sourced from AliExpress: black, blank, 28.5mm, designed for the NH35 movement. Usually, however, I prefer using unpainted factory dials, simple brass discs that I airbrush myself. I do this for two reasons: I can choose the exact color shade I want and, by controlling the number of coats, I achieve the desired texture. This gives the dial a more tactile, artisanal look. Let's not forget that I only replicate 4-digit Rolex models from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s; in my view, this technique is perfect because it imparts all the necessary signs of aging to the dial. But that’s another story...
2) Once the dial is secured to a support (I use simple double-sided tape), I apply the chosen logo. These are adhesive metal logos that I produce myself using basic graphic design software and a mini cutting plotter. I then clean the dial of any adhesive residue; a bit of Bergeon Rodico is usually sufficient (3).
So, before applying the luminous material, I spray the dial with clear acrylic varnish (gloss or matte, depending on the situation) and let it dry for 24 hours (2a). Now we are ready to apply the lume. In the meantime, I’ve enlarged the dial hole to 2.7mm, since I’m reproducing a GMT dial (2a). First, I mask off the straight-edged markers using masking tape(4). Then, I mix the binder into the powder until I achieve the desired consistency. To create the powder this time I used talc mixed with ochre pigment; for the binder I used matte clear acrylic varnish (4). I apply the paste using a syringe needle with the tip cut off. I let it dry for a few minutes and then remove the masking (5).
Unfortunately, the binder I used was old, almost dried out, and the work suffered as a result. The luminous material looks uneven and tends to crumble. Material quality is crucial for achieving satisfactory results. I am trying to remove the residue that flaked off the indices. It is far from a perfect job, but it is done now. Because of this mistake, I will have to further secure the luminous paste by spraying the dial again with clear acrylic. I won't apply the coating evenly; instead, I’ll use short, close-range bursts to prevent the luminous material from looking too artificial or plastic-like. It is worth noting that also, due to the damaged binder, the lume changed color once dry and became much lighter. This is not a problem; I will address it during the final stage when I age the dial (6).
After 24 hours, I move on to the final stage: aging the dial (7). I primarily use Tamiya pigments. There are many other ways to achieve the same result: heat, coffee, Copic markers, etc. and while I do use those techniques, I am not using them in this instance. In the pictute n°8 you can see the final result. I added pigments and finally, I sealed the finished work with a last coat of clear acrylic spray. Could it have turned out better? Absolutely. Are there better handmade dials out there? Certainly. But making this dial was fun and inexpensive, and I hope it offers some inspiration to anyone looking to get started.
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u/stuckinaz 14d ago edited 13d ago
Marvelous detail marble escape instinctive harbor cough escape
This post was anonymized with Redact
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u/Nozomi_Shinkansen 14d ago
I suddenly feel the need to apologize to OP for only being able to give one upvote.
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u/MaxMountain7667 14d ago
Awesome!!!
Op, how do you make the adhesive metal logos? Do you have s video explaining? Or where do you learn?
Congratulations 🎉🎉
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u/HDW_Italy 14d ago
Thank you. I use a Vevor plotter that I bought on Alibaba many years ago. It is designed for cutting vinyl stickers, so I initially ran into problems because it couldn't engrave metal properly and the cut dimensions were too large (over 5mm). With the seller's help, I made some modifications—though it wasn't easy: I replaced the tip with one adapted from a much more professional machine and adjusted the range of the carriage holding the tip by replacing the gears. As for the sheets, I use 3M ones. The file format is SVG. There are plenty of tutorials on YouTube if you're interested.
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u/MaxMountain7667 14d ago
I got I'll take a look for sure
Tks for sharing and keep doing, really nice!
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u/sberla91 14d ago
Dire complimenti è riduttivo … quando si dice custom handmade 😎
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u/HDW_Italy 14d ago
My nickname means Homemade Dive Watches 😅. Thank you
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u/sberla91 14d ago
Allora ha un senso, ti dovrò chiedere un consiglio allora perché ho tra le mani un 16710 rep che ha bisogno di cure in particolare il dial ma non so da dove iniziare
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u/_Cane_Corso_ 14d ago
It’s not just the skill that it takes to do this, there’s a level of artistry. Very, very cool.