DIY Watch dial material question

[bradmcm]

Hi, I am getting married and I thought it be a good idea to create custom watches for my fiancee and I.

I have pretty much sourced all the materials from ofrei.com and ebay ,at least for the mens watch. I plan on using a ETA 6498 or 6497 skeleton movement. I plan on having a couple of viewing ports on the front of the dial and an exhibition back on the case.

I don't want to use some generic dial, I would prefer to build my own. I have done an exhausting internet seach and have had little luck finding places that create custom dials from scratch - at least in volumes under 500. I have found many places that print dials with logos but I want to avoid those due to the fact they look cheap and I want this watch to be an heirloom piece. I really like the classy yet cutting edge (best way to secribe it) dial designs that many newer swiss watch makers employ.

I want to create a layered dial similar to this:

Note the rased chrono markers the hands sweep under.

Another example of the look that I am going for was actually posted here in another thread, by a startup company called Egard:



Note the clean layered lines.


So, now that you have somewhat of an idea of what I am shooting for, perhaps you can help with with materials. What sort of material would you suggest? Laminating plastics together? Enamel? Also, do you guys know where I can buy thin pieces of material? Place to buy markers?

Any help would be appreciated.

[pithy]

Hi, I am getting married and I thought it be a good idea to create custom watches for my fiancee and I. . . . . . . . . . . Any help would be appreciated.

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!

It's great that you want to memorialize your engagement and wedding in a horological fashion. After all, we're big fans of watches around here. I don't know if I can be of that much service with your watch building project but I would like to share the benefits of my very painfully earned insight into relationships.

Is your lady truly excited about bespoke, similar themed watches? Or is she trying to live up your expectations? Have you assumed that because you love all things mechanical, utilitarian and incidentally watches that she shares your passion?

These are the three rules of gift giving:

1. You will never be able to exactly predict her heart’s desire.
2. The item and the status associated with it must be significant and obvious to her friends.
3. The more painful the sacrifice incurred in procuring it – the greater the joy upon receipt.

Pretty simple. Make sure to memorize and apply these for all time (eternity) or until your second child is born.

And if we ever meet you walking down the street wearing matching “She’s Mine”/”He’s Mine” sweatshirts we won’t care what kind of watch you’re wearing.

Good luck!

p


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p.s. I was just kidding. I'd be thrilled if my lady gave me a watch and I'm sure she will be.

[bradmcm]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials!

It's great that you want to memorialize your engagement and wedding in a horological fashion. After all, we're big fans of watches around here. I don't know if I can be of that much service with your watch building project but I would like to share the benefits of my very painfully earned insight into relationships.

Is your lady truly excited about bespoke, similar themed watches? Or is she trying to live up your expectations? Have you assumed that because you love all things mechanical, utilitarian and incidentally watches that she shares your passion?

These are the three rules of gift giving:

1. You will never be able to exactly predict her heart’s desire.
2. The item and the status associated with it must be significant and obvious to her friends.
3. The more painful the sacrifice incurred in procuring it – the greater the joy upon receipt.

Pretty simple. Make sure to memorize and apply these for all time (eternity) or until your second child is born.

And if we ever meet you walking down the street wearing matching “She’s Mine”/”He’s Mine” sweatshirts we won’t care what kind of watch you’re wearing.

Good luck!

p


-------


p.s. I was just kidding. I'd be thrilled if my lady gave me a watch and I'm sure she will be.

Thanks!, Thanks for the best wishes and the super nice post!. Yeah, her tastes are different but luckily for me she isn't really a watch freak, so she inst that picky. At this point, I haven't really figured out what I will do for her movement. I want to get the dials designed and I will build her watch around that concept. I am a little guilty about making this more about me, than about both of us hehe.


And for others that are interested about dial materials, after more searching, I found something promising:

Gray Sheet ABS .020 (5) (pls91002) Plastruct Model Scratch Building Plastic Sheets Rods Tubes Strips

This place has all sorts of various ultra thin plastics. It also has ultra thin carbon fibre.

Check out all the stuff under plastics:

Model Scratch Building Plastic Supplies

It also has very thin sheets of brass and other metals.

Very cool find.

[pithy]

You are a good sport!

Since these are going to be heirlooms you may wish to construct the dials from material that have longevity and will resist UV exposure. I suggest brass dial blanks. These need to have the dial feet securely attached to them. The dial must be thin enough that the hour wheel will protrude far enough through it so that the hour hand will not rub against it. So three dimensional decoration is problematic.

p

[James Roettger]

You could have the dial hand engraved. Stainless and titanium are permanent as well as yellow or white gold which in thin sheet doesn't require much material cost. You can also have it machine engraved on metal like stainless see link Gravograph-UK-M20 PIX-mechanical machine-engraving pictures - YouTube Attached is also a hand engraved titanium dial I made that is permanent with images of my daughters engraved.

[AbslomRob]

I wonder if the newer "3d Printing" option might make a good start? There are online places like "Shapeways" that you can upload designs to, and they can "print" them in steel or silver. Not sure about the resolution though; I'm seeing .5mm for "steel". Anyone looked into this before?

[pithy]

I wonder if the newer "3d Printing" option might make a good start? There are online places like "Shapeways" that you can upload designs to, and they can "print" them in steel or silver. Not sure about the resolution though; I'm seeing .5mm for "steel". Anyone looked into this before?

Interesting idea. Stainless steel production is only $8.00/cc - that's right - per mm² and sterling silver is only $20.

p

[clintwillis]

You are a good sport!

Since these are going to be heirlooms you may wish to construct the dials from material that have longevity and will resist UV exposure. I suggest brass dial blanks. These need to have the dial feet securely attached to them. The dial must be thin enough that the hour wheel will protrude far enough through it so that the hour hand will not rub against it. So three dimensional decoration is problematic.

p

If you plan on using 6497/6498 you could alleviate the dimensional issue with a tall cannon pinion and wheel set. Depending on the case and such you are using.

[pithy]

If you plan on using 6497/6498 you could alleviate the dimensional issue with a tall cannon pinion and wheel set. Depending on the case and such you are using.

and the seconds hands?

[clintwillis]

and the seconds hands?

Good question -_-