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Thread: New SKX007 mod

  1. #1

    New SKX007 mod

    Hi guys,

    I modded my SKX007 last week and it was a lot of fun. I saw a few videos on YT on how to fade the bezel / create a fake patina on Seiko divers. Having no watchmaking background (obv) I decided to give it a try.

    I took the watch apart with a set of tools bought from Amazon and it was all easy enough. To fade the bezel, I used a kitchen stain remover with around 1.5% sodium hypochlorite (in household bleach it's around 3~6%) as a common problem I saw from the videos is that the decoloring happens too quickly/uncontrolled. Instead of adding an obscure amount of water in bleach (as in most videos), I used the stain remover which worked quite well. In a bathroom sink, I rubbed the remover on the bezel until I was happy with the level of fading. The process took a few minutes and I could've stopped at any point by rinsing the bezel thoroughly with water.

    I then coloured the dial with coffee and let it dry in air - it's a unique look and might not be for everyone I guess:)

    It's all quite basic for now, I think my next step will be to create a vintage look on the casing.

    A quick picture of the result. Cheers! (should've cleaned the crystal before taking the photo)


  2. #2
    Master mrwozza70's Avatar
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    Nice work

    To me it has the appearance of a water damaged Seiko - which if you were after that effect or just learning what's possible - you did well for a first timeThere's a ton of IG accounts showing these heavily patina'd SKX so much experience to share around the best techniques and materials.

    With these Seiko dials you can (I have in the past) lightly bake the dial, and hands - essentially cooking the lume. If you time it right, pay close attention, and/or get lucky you can achieve a creamy lume plot/hand that looks more like a real patina / aged effect as opposed to the more extreme effect you have achieved.

    Its good fun... I settled in the end for finding SKX with real patina and restoring them mechanically and functionally.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by mrwozza70 View Post
    Nice work

    To me it has the appearance of a water damaged Seiko - which if you were after that effect or just learning what's possible - you did well for a first timeThere's a ton of IG accounts showing these heavily patina'd SKX so much experience to share around the best techniques and materials.

    With these Seiko dials you can (I have in the past) lightly bake the dial, and hands - essentially cooking the lume. If you time it right, pay close attention, and/or get lucky you can achieve a creamy lume plot/hand that looks more like a real patina / aged effect as opposed to the more extreme effect you have achieved.

    Its good fun... I settled in the end for finding SKX with real patina and restoring them mechanically and functionally.
    Thanks for sharing! yours look amazing... It's good fun indeed, I'll probably have to get a few more dials soon and play around with them. Will certainly update here:)

  4. #4
    Master Kaffe's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tommyzzj View Post
    Thanks for sharing! yours look amazing... It's good fun indeed, I'll probably have to get a few more dials soon and play around with them. Will certainly update here:)
    I would not be brave enough to attempt such a thing. I am curious to know how the strength of the lume is affected by this process.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by tommyzzj View Post
    Hi guys,


    It's all quite basic for now, I think my next step will be to create a vintage look on the casing.
    That one would be easy - sandpaper, file, good knock with hammer here and there :)

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Normunds View Post
    That one would be easy - sandpaper, file, good knock with hammer here and there :)
    Probably my project this weekend! :)

  7. #7
    Grand Master
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    I really don’t get it, to my eye the watch is now ruined, it looks water- damaged.

    There are far more sensible (and easier) ways of achieving an aged lume effect that looks authentic. Suggest you ask a repairer rather than take ‘advice’ from U tube!

    I’ve done the aged lume trick on an authentic old watch where replacement hands need some ‘help’ to match an aged dial, but I can’t understand why anyone would do this to a new watch. However, if they must age a watch, bleach isn’t the way....trust me I used to be a chemist!
    Last edited by walkerwek1958; 2nd August 2019 at 21:46.

  8. #8
    Grand Master magirus's Avatar
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    I saw a chap in a pub a while ago wearing a most beautifully aged Rolex GMT, the bezel colours had faded to pink and very pale blue, you can imagine how the lume looked too. That's the only way a watch should age IMHO, time and wear. Each to his own of course.
    F.T.F.A.

  9. #9
    Some call it modding …. I call it ruining a perfectly good watch.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by walkerwek1958 View Post
    I really don’t get it, to my eye the watch is now ruined, it looks water- damaged.

    There are far more sensible (and easier) ways of achieving an aged lume effect that looks authentic. Suggest you ask a repairer rather than take ‘advice’ from U tube!

    I’ve done the aged lume trick on an authentic old watch where replacement hands need some ‘help’ to match an aged dial, but I can’t understand why anyone would do this to a new watch. However, if they must age a watch, bleach isn’t the way....trust me I used to be a chemist!
    As you can tell I'm very much a rookie .. will look into the 'proper' ways of aging - Youtube is just a bit of fun tho. I quite like how the bezel turned out - I actually have access to a chemistry lab as well but didn't think it's appropriate to do this at work..

    Either way, thanks for letting me know I'll try to catch up with the knowledge:)

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by magirus View Post
    I saw a chap in a pub a while ago wearing a most beautifully aged Rolex GMT, the bezel colours had faded to pink and very pale blue, you can imagine how the lume looked too. That's the only way a watch should age IMHO, time and wear. Each to his own of course.
    I do agree.. tbh I'm only playing around with the SKX as all the parts are easily replaced and I've not tried any of these before. I have a bulova snorkel diver from the 1960s which has a beautifully aged dial and wouldn't dare to touch that:P

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