Case & Bracelet polish: Protective Paint?

[hautehorloge]

Hey guys!

 

I noticed some restore specialists using brightly colored paint on pieces they work on. I was wondering if any of you know which products exactly they are working with? I’d love to try that! :-)

 

 

[rduckwor]

In some cases people use Cerakote which is a baked-on ceramic type coating.  It takes some knowledge and experience to get it right.

RMD

[hautehorloge]

In some cases people use Cerakote which is a baked-on ceramic type coating.  It takes some knowledge and experience to get it right.

RMD

Sounds really interesting. I suppose the purpose is to protect and differentiate polished and brushed surfaces while working, is that correct? I really have to look into that

[jdm]

33 minutes ago, hautehorloge said:

Sounds really interesting. I suppose the purpose is to protect and differentiate polished and brushed surfaces while working, is that correct? I really have to look into that

 

No, Cerakote is an artificial finish liked by someone. To protect parts just use clear tape. Personally I don't even use that, brush first, polish after.

Edited October 6, 2019 by jdm

[jdm]

Dup sorry

Edited October 6, 2019 by jdm

[meanoldmanning]

Hey guys!
 
I noticed some restore specialists using brightly colored paint on pieces they work on. I was wondering if any of you know which products exactly they are working with? I’d love to try that! :-)
 

 

Maybe they are using it in a similar way that you might use machinist’s blue? So you can see what you brushed or polished and what has remained untouched?


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[jdm]

5 minutes ago, meanoldmanning said:

Maybe they are using it in a similar way that you might use machinist’s blue? So you can see what you brushed or polished and what has remained untouched?

No, as mentioned above Cerakote is a permanent finish.

https://www.cerakote.com/

[meanoldmanning]

No, as mentioned above Cerakote is a permanent finish.https://www.cerakote.com/ 

 

Yeah, I know what cerakote is and the pictures in the op look like it.  

The blue actually looks like machinists blue quite frankly.

 

I should add I misread the op as though they meant a protective coating used while working on the watch. Like a protective film, not a final finish coat.

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[meanoldmanning]

The way it’s applied in the pink case is pretty poor prep work which led me to believe it’s dye and not cerakote.

 

 

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[hautehorloge]

Yeah, I know what cerakote is and the pictures in the op look like it.  The blue actually looks like machinists blue quite frankly.
 
I should add I misread the op as though they meant a protective coating used while working on the watch. Like a protective film, not a final finish coat.
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Yes, that is what I am referring to. I see some refinishers use this stuff before they do brushing and polishing.

[meanoldmanning]

 Yes, that is what I am referring to. I see some refinishers use this stuff before they do brushing and polishing.

 

Ah, ok so I read it right the first time.  

I’m not sure what it is if it’s used as a protectant. Maybe some sort of easily removed (water or mild solvent) polymer.

 

[EDIT] the blue coating maybe is a temporary maskant. They are used when coating, media blasting or other finishing processes to protect the area you don’t want affected by the process. There are types that can be pealed off and others require removal with solvent. Lacquer are used sometimes

 

The pink on the other hand looks like a dye, like the type of dye penetrant used to detect cracks. Could be they use it for that purpose or to help dings and blemishes show up better to help with polishing

 

 

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[WatchMaker]

The pink looks suspiciously like a liquid penetration testing dye. This is a commonly used non-destructive testing method for metals (or other non-porous materials) to check for flaws or areas of fatigue.

I'm not sure where you located your pictures originally as this could of course provide better clues (a reverse image search on google did not come up with a hit!) but I can imagine the 'pink case' is from a vintage divers watch that is being restored and the case tested for any weaknesses.

[WatchMaker]

... and as for the blue; are you sure this isn't just an anodized bracelet?! A bit like...

https://www.tous.com/us-en/blue-anodized-aluminum-drive-watch/p/200350150

[jdm]

15 minutes ago, WatchMaker said:

... and as for the blue; are you sure this isn't just an anodized bracelet?!

Oh no isn't. Just look at the imperfections on the bottom center links , possibly caused by poor preparation or  application. That doesn't happen with traditional galvanic processing which needs no spraying, and all the associated complications.

Edited October 7, 2019 by jdm

[hautehorloge]

Here’s the Instagram of the Italy based watch restorer. Both coatings are used in the process of refurbishing watches and I’m curious what brand they are and if they could improve my work :-)

 

 

https://instagram.com/il_menzerna?igshid=mw64kib64yb7

 

I think the pink one is used to see if there are any uneven areas when working on the lapping machine and the blue one is a protective coating to help with brushed and polished areas and avoid swirlmarks during work etc. That’s my guess.

[meanoldmanning]

Somebody commented about the blue coating on Instagram and said it was layout fluid, or machinists blue as I referred to it earlier. Google Dykem layout fluid.

As mentioned previously also it could be something else like a brushed or sprayed on masking fluid.


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[manodeoro]

Hey guys!
 
I noticed some restore specialists using brightly colored paint on pieces they work on. I was wondering if any of you know which products exactly they are working with? I’d love to try that! :-)
 

 

You can buy a spray on Amazon
https://images.app.goo.gl/7PDYpGa1X5aCR2nPA


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[jdm]

13 hours ago, hautehorloge said:

Here’s the Instagram of the Italy based watch restorer. Both coatings are used in the process of refurbishing watches and I’m curious what brand they are and if they could improve my work :-)

He's a good "cassaio". Below see how paint was applied for a homogeneous polishing, and the custom made mandrel. In other pics you can see impact damage buffed out, which horrifies some purists as some material is removed and some lines altered. They would call for micro-welding but I still have to see a good example of that.
Personally I would worry first about the machinery involved (lathe, holders, lapping machine, etc) than the masking media.

 

[hautehorloge]

He's a good "cassaio". Below see how paint was applied for a homogeneous polishing, and the custom made mandrel. In other pics you can see impact damage buffed out, which horrifies some purists as some material is removed and some lines altered. They would call for micro-welding but I still have to see a good example of that.
Personally I would worry first about the machinery involved (lathe, holders, lapping machine, etc) than the masking media.
 

He’s good with what he is doing for sure.

Now laser welding is on another paper. It is a great invention for restoring watches but I personally am not a fan of bringing a watch back to NOS condition, it is only acceptable for really unfortunate damages that make the watch unwearable or completely change the aesthetics imho. I have a vintage case from the 40s that has a hole on the top of the lug where the springbar sits which I will have filled for example.

The amount of 6263 Daytonas that pop up in auctions „unpolished“ with razor sharp edges since they are 5-figures is just stupid. 5 years ago when you where looking around you could only see rare examples in that state and the usual honest soft worn look. It’s a money-making greedy disgrace. But that’s a whole different conversation lol