Reluming my Tag Heuer 1500 GMT myself?

[watchn00b]

So after repainting the bezel markings on my Tag Heuer 1500 GMT I have been thinking about just HOW hard it would be to relume the dial and hands myself...

Excuse the maybe awkward point system in my questions, but it might make addressing parts of my questions easier.

I wonder what stuff would be needed, what it would cost, and how to do it.

(1) I'd obviously need luminous paint. What kind to get and what would this cost?

(2) Which special tools would I need?

(3) What would these tools cost if so?

(4) Can I do this without special tools if I'm feeling bold and risky (or cheap)? (I'm thinking maybe just ordinary case back remover for removing the crystal, needle/small brush for the paint, knife for removing bezel)

(5) How do you remove the bezel?

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f25/how-remove-bezel-tag-super-professional-734670.html 

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f25/how-do-i-remove-bezel-tag-heuer-1500-series-93188.html

So a special bezel remover seems to be great to have, but the second post suggests it might go well with just prying the bezel of with a knife?

(6) How do you remove the crystal?

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f25/how-remove-bezel-tag-super-professional-734670.html#post5349023 shows a ring which looks like it could be removed with an ordinary watch case removal tool. Does this work or is a special tool required?

(7) Would I really have to remove the hands once have gotten this far and removed the crystal? I guess the hands might bend or otherwise be damaged if one would try to apply the paint without removing them... Otherwise just trying to apply the paint carefully with the hands still in place seems daring but... maybe doable. The thought of removing the hands and putting them back seems so scary it might make me back out of this adventure.

(8) If the previous points are not a problem I don't expect to be able to do it super neat but maybe "good enough".

(9) How big is the risk of damaging the watch so it would not be waterproof anymore? (I get that I might damage gaskets and would have to replace those but besides that...)

(10) Any other thoughts/comments, encouragement or astonishment of even thinking about doing this myself with zero experience? :-)

 

[rodabod]

Are you good at fitting hands? This is a lot more difficult than re-luming in my opinion. You should not re-lume without removing first.

[szbalogh]

Ta make it short... forget it! 

There are many issues. Quartz movemets have the hands so close to each other that they will stick in each other. You can file down the excess paint -> to much risk to damage the hand finish.

No need to remove the crystal, majority of watches are disassembled through the case back  If You make a watch disassembly for the first time there is a great chance to make damage to everything 

Dont do it on a TAG for the first time! 

Dont do relume for the first time on a dial like this one! This is painted with a pad printer, a hand painting will be a great mess -> look at HMT watches, they are hand painted. Try practicing first with hollow indices (like on Rolex watches) which can be filled up with the lume paint and if it does not look well then just wash it out and try again. 

If You still intend to do it, then practice first on a cheap watch! 

Any lume paint set for watches will do. 

Yes, You have to remove the hands. There are many videos on Youtube how to do it, look for Mark's video! It is simple after some practice. Oh, You have painted hands! This means removing the old paint will be a big headache. Dissolving them will also remove the black paint from the hands. Scrubbing them will also damage the black finish. So, forget it!

You can scratch out the paint from the open part and dont leave the paint on the edges, on the metal. It is hard to make it well. 

What is the problem with the old lume? Ah i see, it is (was) tritium which is not glowing well after a decade. 

You will need oilers to apply the paint. Or thin wire with hammered end will do. 0.2 mm thick maybe. You will need at least a 10x loupe and some practice to work with it. 

So, forget it!  

[watchn00b]

rodabod: I've never done it. Ok thanks.

szbalogh: Telling me to forget it with a laugh kind of makes me want to do it even more :-P. We'll see.

[szbalogh]

22 minutes ago, watchn00b said:

szbalogh: Telling me to forget it with a laugh kind of makes me want to do it even more :-P. We'll see.

This was my intention... that You want it more I also made some great messes at the beginning .

[transporter]

Luming is ok to do, ive done a good few, as for the "paint" you need a good lume powder and binder, I have the bergeon lume and find it wanting, so I bought luminova lume which is about £25 for a thimble full if that, also the lume/binder mix goes off pretty quick so you have to work fast. You will waste quite abit at first even if you use the thinners to get it workable again.

Getting a consistent mix of binder and lume is the key, not to grainy but nice and smooth, as the hands, yep take them off as all lume is applied from the rear of the hands, and if it's too thick you can sand it down carefully when it's dry, to remove the old lume you push/pick it out from the front of the hands.

The dial if pad printed will never look as crisp re-lume ok, ive used decorators low tack masking tape before to get hour marker edges crisp, but only if they are straight edged.

To apply use an oiler and use capillary action to build the lume to the height size that you require ok.

If your wondering the luminova glows all night and is well worth the money

[Chopin]

I support people that are the DIY type but PLEASE don't try this on a Tag Heuer. Not yet.

Get some experience by luming/reluming some cheap watches, maybe even do it a few times and only afterwards get on with your project.

This is a very delicate job and requires tools, materials and experience

[jdm]

On 9/4/2017 at 7:25 PM, watchn00b said:

szbalogh: Telling me to forget it with a laugh kind of makes me want to do it even more :-P. We'll see.

sbzalogh and chopin are 100% correct in advising that you don't go ahead on a valuable watch before building the necessary skills on something cheap. And from the multiple questions you've posed, it is evident that you need to.