Making Custom Dials Part 1

[@liamterlouw]

Yesssss! Do more of thissss :))

[@soulside]

How do you go about removing the painted logo on an existing dial without damaging the dial face? I have a really cool San Martin dial I want to re-use. Sorry if you already answered this in another video in the series.

[@WatchComplications]

in short, you don't, haha

[@carlad2640]

You can remove it if it's not printed on the dial, not sure how though.

[@WatchComplications]

@@carlad2640even if it’s an applied logo you are dealing with adhesive or soldering with feet holes.

[@isaacnoel4022]

With the 3d printed dials you could use a glow in the dark plastic, if you haven't tried that already that it.

[@WatchComplications]

I have not tried any glow in the dark material. Could also just use regular lume on a 3d printed dial.

[@isaacnoel4022]

Also just had a thought, if you wanted a glassy look to the plastic, instead of the 3d printed look, could take a torch to lightly melt the plastic, maybe even some burnt texture kind of like a Creme brulee. I really want to try making a dial but I need to learn the basics for watch repairing and modding first.

[@WatchComplications]

ideas are worth trying :)

[@Mikesmeyer88]

​@@isaacnoel4022 people use solvent to melt the pla of plastic in a controlled manner. Like how you take finger prints with super glue, put the work on a pedestal with potent solvent under so it melts

[@AndyTomT]

I know this is old but on the topic of 3d printing you can make many parts by creating a mold negative with printing. Print object, make mold from plaster of say a watch housing and you can pour your own watch in any metal. ​@@WatchComplications

[@buyerenogurlfwendo2106]

What do you use to print on a dial blank (sanded or Chinese factory blank)?

[@WatchComplications]

I have tried to print on a variety of surfaces. Almost any blanks are made in china. To print well, a blank has to be fully polished.

[@hx7004]

Where can I find the dial you talked about at 6:00? I'm in love with the look of it so if you can't find a link to that specific dial then do you have any suggestiosn on where I can find dials that resemble it?

[@WatchComplications]

look on ebay for "36.8mm Goutent/Sterile Watch Dial"

[@hx7004]

@@WatchComplications Thank you so much!

[@toraodlaw7390]

I want to ask, what is the thickness of the dial when ingraved? or the thickness of the dial in general?

[@WatchComplications]

Sorry, didn't see this comment until now...most dials are around 0.4mm thick.

[@meanstreak1170]

I know this video is 4 years old but I'm going to make my own watch. I wonder if off gassing of the plastic in a waterproof case will or has clouded the crystal?

[@WatchComplications]

what kind of crystal? what do you mean by gassing off the plastic?

[@meanstreak1170]

@@WatchComplications any crystal, I believe most plastics off gas for a certain time. That is one of the reasons why the windshield in your car gets a cloudy film on the inside. I'm not saying it's a problem on watches, I think out loud sometimes. I believe some watches use plastic movement spacers and such.

[@WatchComplications]

​@@meanstreak1170 a lot of watches use plastic movement spacers and holders, so yeah, you can't use too much heat depending on the situation. As always, it depends. Quite a few watches have no holder, some of metal holders. Some use plastic for the glass, many use mineral or sapphire crystal. For example, here is an example of me using a torch to remove a cyclops from a sapphire crystal and it doesn't much with anything because of going low and slow, and given the materials: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnPZi3eIYpWeaqM I'd never do the same if the bezel was ceramic instead of steel, for example.

[@meanstreak1170]

@@WatchComplications thank you for taking the time to answer my question and the link to that video.

[@bri11222]

would love to see how did the brushing and polshing. Have any oher videos of it? thanks in advance

[@WatchComplications]

Indeed I will show more about that in Part 3.

[@bri11222]

cant wait. well done

[@stb6659]

Thanks for this great information, i´m interested in buying a vacheron dial and finding a case for it and a vacheron movement, i´m just not sure which size dial will go with size case/ movement etc, any tips please? thanks, keep up the great work!

[@WatchComplications]

get the movement first, and a dial that has the correct feet for it. then the case, since it'll depend on the movement and dial sizes. might be hard to piece something like a VC together from parts though. their stuff is quite specific to each model.

[@stb6659]

@@WatchComplications ok thanks for your valuable advice, it will get me started, yeah i can imgaine it would be hard. if it was easy everyone would be doing it..

[@Mikesmeyer88]

​@@stb6659 that's probably not even possible, you can just modify something that's been hand made. In house. You'll never find that information or any parts that fit in them.

[@apextc80]

what do you use to print on the dial if you have a blank dial?

[@WatchComplications]

I recommend watching the rest of the series which shows my pad printing process. Waterslide decals are another option, more on that approach coming soon.

[@dr.waelhamed-alula6111]

Dear friend I want I custom made dial would you help me please. Thanks

[@stephenpavlisko3734]

what could you do to plate the black background rather than paint? im thinking gun blue or brass black

[@WatchComplications]

now gun blue...that's an interesting idea! best way to know is testing. electroplating is also another way to get various colors.

[@carlosalvarez9521]

Very inspirational, I've thinking on design a watch with a titanium case like PANAREI with my Studio logo but can't find blank dial of 34.5 or35mm, do you sale that STL file for the 3d printer and what kind of material did you use for printing.

[@WatchComplications]

I create and sell prints, but I don’t sell the actual STL files for what I create. Usually I print with PLA, but have other options.

[@yosephyadegar809]

Can I have a link to the case, movement and dial??

[@WatchComplications]

these: watchcomplications.com/2019/11/27/pool-of-tears/

[@yosephyadegar809]

@ how would one remove these type of adhesive logos?

[@WatchComplications]

@@yosephyadegar809 depends on method of attachment. Some are soldered, some with a form of glue/adhesive. Regardless, you typically don't remove without some sort of visual impact on the dial face.

[@yosephyadegar809]

@ I can’t remove a logo that was attached with adhesive at all?

[@WatchComplications]

@@yosephyadegar809 you can, but it is likely to harm the dial face in some way, usually paint related.

[@TokyoChopSquad]

Hey Brian, Any chance you know how I would go about printing a dial? I had a laser cnc machine cut out a stencil but it wasn't accurate enough in small details. Wondering how else I could go about it.

[@WatchComplications]

Are you referring to ink printed on the dial surface? If so, I use two methods which I will illustrate in future videos in this series: UV printing and pad printing. Most dials with ink printing use a pad printer and the plates are etched with lasers so the accuracy is essentially perfect.

[@roberttriner6242]

Love the content & your channel! I have a question, if I may. Where did you get your logo emblems made? I've been looking for the same type of thing with very limited success. Cheers

[@WatchComplications]

the place i ordered mine from is no longer in business, and i had bought in bulk. i have used a similar service you can find called tinylogo, they are on FB and ebay. you can also generally search electroformed stickers

[@jimbelle3087]

I was wondering, what is the thickness ranges of the actual face of a watch?

[@WatchComplications]

Dial blanks are typically around 0.4mm thick. Then it can go up a little bit depending on what kind of paint, surface, markers, etc...are placed on the surface.

[@trevorbailey2195]

How’d you get the logo?

[@WatchComplications]

ordered them from a place that is no longer in business, was called egoLogo in hong kong. There are some other companies that do similar things, like tinyLogo on FB and ebay. Technically different processes, but can get you to the same outcome.

[@YT32-16branch]

How did you make your logo?

[@WatchComplications]

I had them made at a place that is no longer in business, egoLogo. The closest thing to it I've found to date is Tiny Logo (via facebook). You can can also get similar things googling electroformed nickel stickers

[@turkalinosalterino9262]

So I am making a Franken Explorer and want to do a custom Lapis Lazulli Dial (Homage to the DJ 1601) and eariler I got the idea to use a roll of vinal over the dial and cutting it accodingly and buying some silver crowns to play on top of it. Would that be crazy enough to work? P.S. I adore these videos and you've opened one of many into a new world of watches.

[@WatchComplications]

Glad you are enjoying the videos, thanks for watching. I think it would be hard to cut vinyl on top of a dial with any amount of precision. Though I'm not sure exactly what you might be thinking. I do intend to try various materials like fiber paper on top of dials.

[@fcotogheze]

do you take customers, i have a seiko bellmatic 27 j, just want a dial to be saphire blue metalic color... can you help me

[@WatchComplications]

sorry, I don’t do dial mods like that for other watches/brands.

[@fcotogheze]

@@WatchComplications can you point me to a direction, do u know someone that can do such a job?

[@jessmankhor4123]

Can​ you​ leave​ a​ link​ for​ the​ dial​ in​ the​ video? I​ love​ it.​ What​ size​ is​ it? 28.5mm?

[@WatchComplications]

Which one? The grey/silver one? There's no link if that's the one you are referring to. I got it in a pack of random dials, and I probably have about 6 of them...

[@jessmankhor4123]

@@WatchComplications the​ one​ at​ 8.22min 😊

[@WatchComplications]

It is 34.5mm

[@jessmankhor4123]

@@WatchComplications oh​ ok​ thanks.​ 😊

[@marcuslieberman3577]

When I grow up I want to be like you. LOL

[@WatchComplications]

#lifegoals LOL

[@tknowsit]

Great video, wish it existed when I made my custom watch a few years ago! Quick question, have you found any good sources for high quality / premium dials? While you can get some nice ones online, I find a lot of them to be just average quality. Would be nice to find a really premium option.

[@WatchComplications]

I suppose that depends on what you mean by high quality and which aspect of the dial. Options exist on eBay and other distributors. I also like making my own from scratch.

[@tknowsit]

Watch Complications for a start it’s hard to differentiate because on eBay or other sources there usually isn’t enough information to discern quality. Ideally I would be able to buy a dial that’s as well made as what you might find on an expensive watch from say IWC or Breitling. In some cases, these dials might be silver or have gold markers for example. Or better quality of enamel. I’m not really sure but just curious.

[@WatchComplications]

Ah, I see what you're saying. I have not sought out dials with finer metals/materials yet for my dial making. So far I've stuck with standard materials that are more readily available, for my own watches and for what my clients have asked for. It would be interesting to see a site or resale of such dials. Personally, I have a thing for enamel dials.

[@rockymntdan1]

You ever find a supplier of high quality dials?

[@dsjoker8360]

have you tried using a resin 3d printer, I feel like it would give you a better detailed and more accurate "finished" product

[@WatchComplications]

getting into that type of printing soon, and I agree it might give some good results.

[@Kevinjimtheone]

These prints are made with an FDM printer. Nowadays, you can get a fantastic SLA-based 3D printer for the same prices as an FDM printer. So, making any dial with any detail should be very achievable with it.

[@WatchComplications]

yeah results will vary a lot depending on exact printer and material. just depends on how much someone wants to spend :)

[@dylancaesar3614]

hey brian, great channel and tutorials, all your videos helped me a lot modding watches literally! just wanted to know what is the guilloche-looking dial you had? if thats a custom, would love to see a video on that! thanks!

[@WatchComplications]

hey there. no i don’t custom make those. I bought those on eBay. I may show a vid at some point where i mod one by taking the paint off, haha. they’re blank though, so you can add logos and such, like i did on a few.

[@eliescaldesvilar6421]

where did you find the blank dials???

[@WatchComplications]

So I answer you correctly, which exact dials are you referring to?

[@yusufanam7713]

I think the dial blanks at around 9:00

[@eliescaldesvilar6421]

the brass blank dials made in china, with an slight white imprimation.

[@WatchComplications]

Ofrei. They can be found on this page: www.ofrei.com/page813.html It looks like right now they just have the blank ones with the date and with the day/date in stock. The ones I got had no windows. But you could also get something with printing on it and remove the printing.

[@swiss_2k]

Is there a way to contact you? Thank you

[@WatchComplications]

yes, watchcomplications at gmail

[@David_11111]

yay wow

[@EmperorRyu]

switch to a resin printer the dial Blank will look way better/smother

[@WatchComplications]

you found one of my older videos :) I’ve worked out better printing quality since, but yes resin can produce better results than PLA, having tinkered with a resin printer some. and I plan to explore that more in the future for parts.

[@linklindsey5658]

About the dial feet. You are not confined to whatever the original movement was. Pick out whatever movement you want and put new feet on it. There is a machine made just for that. So cut the old feet off and weld new ones to fit what ever movement you prefer. Doesn't get any easier. Some people make their own little welder to put new feet on. The company that restores my vintage dials do it for me all the time. Just give them the measurements and they will move the dial feet wherever I want them. But this time is different because I'm building a watch from scratch (accept the movement) so I'm out and about doing research on it. Thanks for posting I didn't have a clue as to how I was going to make the dial.

[@WatchComplications]

Yeah you can move the feet if you want, just got to measure and solder them, and sometimes that's the only option. But if you can find a dial with the feet already where you need them, then that's much easier. There are also "dial feet" that are basically a double-sided sticker that will help hold a dial in place if there are no feet.

[@Mikesmeyer88]

Would be 100x better to keep the original feet. Because they were machined from 1 piece of material vs soldering. But at least you didn't say dial dots like the majority.

[@eskatonart]

Awesome video! Did you make your small chrome logos?

[@WatchComplications]

Hey, thanks! I created the design myself, but I get the logos manufactured via a Swiss-based company that has their manufacturing in Hong Kong.

[@eskatonart]

Watch Complications Thank you! Would mind shootin me a link? If I use any of your info I’ll give your chanel a shout out on my IG.

[@eskatonart]

Watch Complications Thank you for the quick reply! Would mind shootin me a link? If I use any of your info I’ll give your chanel a shout out on my IG.

[@WatchComplications]

It's called egoLogo (egologo.me/). Depending on what things you are buying, you can get discount codes included with things from bought from their eBay store (b_line55cc). Like, if you buy a dial you might get a discount code for a set of logos shipped with the dial. But I've also bought direct. It's hard to find something similar anywhere else and they have been quick and helpful to work with. It isn't cheep though, so be sure you know what logo and size you want!

[@littlecncshop]

Call your local metal shop. Have them make you a bunch of aluminum blanks. Way better than 3d printing them.....pla doesn't do well with heat, or sunlight. Those probably won't last long.

[@WatchComplications]

@@littlecncshop for dials that’s correct, but it’s good for prototyping or certain 3d effects. thanks for watching.

[@bhattkamalesh1050]

Ricoh automatic watch daile blue

[@WatchComplications]

?

[@rhinowatches9738]

Hello Brian , im interested in a Vintage GMT refrence 1675 ! I always read in watch forums how watch enthusiast post photos of their modded watch builds and they look awesome! If you can build one for me then I’ll rather go that route ? Let me know 👍

[@flipsgraf1335]

So you wanna fake a vintage Rolex....

[@AhuCJ]

@@flipsgraf1335 lol

[@drewmediaaustralia2923]

there is no audio ?

[@hoailevan2494]

Hello, does your company sell pre-processed face treatment textbooks? I am in Vietnam, I have a great passion for watches and face a lot of difficulties when the watch face wears out over time. In Vietnam, there are not very few places providing this service, and companies here do not provide vocational training for outsiders. Please consider the company, if so please give me the source to buy it. (The above text is translated from google.translate) Thank you very much!!!