44mm Nav B, Prematurely aged !!! lots of pics

[gasgasbones]

I am still loving my new 44mm but it was just a bit too shiny and new looking for my liking.... The white of the dial and hands was just too blinding for an old style fliegeruhr like this. (imho)

I saw a thread somewere were the owner of a watch had "aged" it somehow and thought I would give it a go on this one.

Let me know what you think, good or bad. the magic substance i have used on the dial is totaly reversable ( I think so :think: ) so I can go back if i want to :-d

I also thought about giving it a light bead blast !!!!!!
Back in the day, were watches of this style brushed, polished or matt :think::think: The rivets on the strap were bead blasted by myself so this is the effect it would have on the watch ??? what do you recon ???

Dont hold back chaps, tel me what you think good or bad.

Carl


http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/gasgasbones/zdfgzxdfg.jpg
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http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/gasgasbones/tuiotuio.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/gasgasbones/sdfgser.jpg
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/gasgasbones/e6tiioo.jpg
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http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/gasgasbones/dfggsdfg.jpg

[mamas]

Hi Carl, if i am honest i think that a perfectly good watch has been ruined by this treatment. If you cant get the dial back to how it was, i would do so, or maybe ask Mr Steinhart to send / sell you another.
Obvioulsy it is your watch, and if you like it like this you should keep it as you wish, but you asked for honest opinions and you got mine:-):-)

BTW.. really nice strap.

[gasgasbones]

Hi Mamas,

I appreciate your honesty, ive got broad shoulders and can take the enevitable flack coming my way :-)
I really love this watch and the size, crown everything is just right for me. The only thing i didnt like was the briliant white of the dial and hands, thats not in anyway a bad reflection of the watch it just looked tooooo new for me, I like old used stuff :-!

I totaly understand that this is not everyones cup of tea, the pics to be fair are not the best and the effect is much more subtle in person. I will live with it for now and see how i feel. the effect can be reversed as the medium used is water soluble.

I will go put my tin hat on for the incoming flack :-d

Carl

Ps, thanks for the strap compliment :-!

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g153/gasgasbones/incoming.jpg

[ht8306]

Hi Gasgasbones,

I think the ageing looks good. Cool watch with a good looking strap. Congrats.

[Riker]

:think:

Can't say I am a huge fan mate. IMO, these watches look best as they are when delivered, nice & crisp, or with a little bit of wear after time, but not this. I would prefer for the ageing process to happen over time & naturally.

Anyway, it isn't my watch so do with it as you will & continue to enjoy it, no matter what you do to it :-d:-d

I'll echo that the strap is a beauty ;-)

[HilltopMichael]

I saw an aged Steinhart manual wind flieger here about six months ago - that's what got get interested in these watches - and I love the Debaufre Nav-B LE that I got as a result of seeing that first picture.

The sepia toned pictures don't really tell me much, as most objects could look old tinted like that. The color pictures give me a better idea of what your watch probably looks like.

I don't think you're quite there yet. I think it would look better if the white areas were tinted with a bit more orange. It also looks like you only aged the hands and the triangle - all of the white areas should be aged to the same degree. I do think the aged look can look very nice on a vintage styled watch.

Sandblasting the case will also make it look similar to the originals, although I'm not sure if I'd do that. The case becomes so much darker as a result. I do have a sandblasted watch that I love, but it's used as a tool watch - in part because of the case finish. I don't think that I'd wear a flieger as a tool watch and I think the brushed finish looks fine as it is.

[wellx3]

gas, i think you are well on the way...the band looks vintage, the hands look aged, you just need to leave it out overnight in the rain and wear it using your chainsaw to bring the case to the same level as the rest or you can keep it as is. old and new as a compliment to each other ... remember the "SHOTGUN JEANS" on the market a few years back that were so expensive? and in contrast your favorite well worn jeans? i suspect that you will work on this until it suits you just right. you are a brave man my friend, good luck...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUnvR_bDxKM&feature=related

[jaoben]

I like where you are going with this.

the strap is great!

however try going for a more "patinated" look for the markers which has more of a yellow/orange/tan hue to it.

goodluck!

[EvilGringo]

Where did you get that strap? Was it already aged like that or did you make it like that?
I love the look!

[Riker]

Having mellowed in my toughts on this after good nights sleep, I can see where some yellowing of the hands & markers could show a reasonably good aged look. So in that respect I am looking forward to see how this turns out Carl. But I still prefer the new crisp look & naturally occurring ageing.

As has been mentioned previously, you are a brave man. ;-)

[gasgasbones]

Thanks for your comments chaps.. there is a mix of both + and -

I have re-worked the dial and hands and have more satisfactory result imho. I washed off the old stuff and started again.

My son does a lot of drawing etc and has these realy fine artists pens of differant shades etc. I picked out the Ivory pen and gently applied it to the white bits. I think its given it a nice yellowy oldy look and am now satisfied with the results.

I meant to tag the pics her but i started a new thread by mistake :-|

EvilGringo.. the strap was made by myself from some old leather, I bead blasted the rivets and scuffed them up a tad :-!

Carl