Removing white text from bezel. How?

[Jaysagood]

I’m considering trying to remove the white paint from the bezel of my Breitling skyracer, I think it’ll look better, more stealthy and less toy watch with no white on the bezel!

The bezel is made out of the same material as the case, Breitlite so is very scratch and corrosive resistant.

I’m thinking the possibilities of removing it are either scratching it off with a sharp tool? Or possibly using some sort of acid to remove it?

Failing that I could colour it in with a sharpie!!

Any one done anything similar?

[RJM25R]

I’m considering trying to remove the white paint from the bezel of my Breitling skyracer, I think it’ll look better, more stealthy and less toy watch with no white on the bezel!

The bezel is made out of the same material as the case, Breitlite so is very scratch and corrosive resistant.

I’m thinking the possibilities of removing it are either scratching it off with a sharp tool? Or possibly using some sort of acid to remove it?

Failing that I could colour it in with a sharpie!!

Any one done anything similar?

If you’re going to do it I advise you to buy a spare bezel and do it to that. If it goes wrong you’ve no issues

And see a doctor about that arm, I think somethings not quite right....

[Saxon007]

This will not end well...

EDIT: It could potentially look like the render below assuming you do it perfectly without errors and without damaging the finish on the bezel (a real possibility). I think it detracts from the functionality and will be a nightmare to flip if you ever try to sell it.

[TaketheCannoli]

I'd do a mock-up in a photo editing app first. It's potentially a lot of time and work for it to look naff.

[Bluehase284]

I would remove the bezel and spray paint in matt black. Then use some acetone /nail polish remover to wipe off the paint using kitchen roll tightly over your finger.
It will remove the point leaving only the engraved numbers filled in black.

If you decide you doubt like it then you can soak it in acetone and restore to original.



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[Jaysagood]

This will not end well...

EDIT: It could potentially look like the render below assuming you do it perfectly without errors and without damaging the finish on the bezel (a real possibility). I think it detracts from the functionality and will be a nightmare to flip if you ever try to sell it.

Thanks for the mock up, I’m not 100% now!

I would remove the bezel and spray paint in matt black. Then use some acetone /nail polish remover to wipe off the paint using kitchen roll tightly over your finger.
It will remove the point leaving only the engraved numbers filled in black.

If you decide you doubt like it then you can soak it in acetone and restore to original.



Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Thanks that’s a good suggestion, although I think I might find out how much a replacement bezel is first!

[Tetlee]

Remove the movement from the case and put it through a long hot cycle in an ultrasonic cleaner. Should do the trick, especially if you brush it after while it's still hot.

[Rob777]

I did something similar on an old Traser. I didn’t remove the paint but used some black enamel (nail polish is a good equivalent) to fill in the bezel markings. I wiped off the excess with an earbud soaked in nail polish remover. I was still able to restore it to its original state a few months later.


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[jameswrx]

If you must do it, don’t do anything permanent you’ll ruin it IMO.

Get some water based black paint and fill the numbers and wipe the excess as it’s still wet, as they’re deep it’s easy to achieve this. I’ve (more permanently with enamel) done this to a lot of bezels to refill the black on stainless bezels that have lost their paint. Just have a bit of kitchen paper ready, dab on the tongue and wipe off any that gets on the bezel, keep it flat and it’ll stay in the numbers.

Sharpie is a bad idea as the ‘black’ will be very different to the bezel.