# Uxbridge Hummer Turned Out Good



## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Rich (Toshi) and I bought a couple of Accutrons at the Uxbridge Watch Fair last Sunday...both were a gamble since neither were running (no battery) and both were a little grubby and being sold by someone who didn't really deal in these. One is destined for the warmer climate of Florida and here is the other one.

I wish I'd taken a "before" shot....the crystal was very heavily scratched and it was difficult to tell if the rust-coloured flecks we could see on the chapter ring were serious signs of corrosion or something else. Rich was the pessimist  ; I was the optimist  ... I was sure it was a lapis-type finish.

I'm very pleased with it...I love the chapter ring....it came only as a head, but I think this mesh (thanks Dapper / Alan !) suits it rather well.


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Shame about the chapter rings paint Paul, tho I agree it does 'work' on this watch. No one could paint those blues back in the late 60's early 70s...


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

JonW said:


> Shame about the chapter rings paint Paul, tho I agree it does 'work' on this watch. No one could paint those blues back in the late 60's early 70s...


Jon, I think its meant to be like this...I really do....


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

That looks great Paul. The chapter ring looks so good it must be meant to be like that surely.


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Id love to believe its 'as designed' but Ive seen so many flaked blue painted dials and chapter rings that I worry about this colour...


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## Toshi (Aug 31, 2007)

When I saw this at Uxbridge I was convinced the paint had flaked, but now it's been cleaned up I'm beginning to side with Paul and think it was made that way. Nice job BTW - I assume this is a new xtal (the old one was pretty awful - I could hardly see the dial through it :lol: )

It looks really good IMO


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## rdwiow (Aug 15, 2008)

Nice watch, the chapter is just the 70s blue finish that has 'gone off'. I have the same watch but with the dial and chapter colours swapped and my blue dial has a couple of flecks in it. Enjoy!


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

rdwiow said:


> Nice watch, the chapter is just the 70s blue finish that has 'gone off'.


I'm going to take more convincing :lol: ! Might have to remove the crystal again to take some better pictures....and look at it again under the microscope. It is definitely not flaking and I go the distinct impression that the "gold" had been applied the first time I looked.

Rich, its the original crystal. Good old 800 grit wet'n'dry followed by Polywatch.


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Paul, its cool if it is original 

Well done on the crystal. Anyone got any mineral polishing tips? Ive one that needs doing... gulp...


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## mattbeef (Jul 17, 2008)

Just go with something like 1500 uni grit as thats mild enough to not mark mineral too deeply. If its taking a long time then go with something more coruse but you might have to step them down ie.

800 > 1500 >3000

just take your time and apply no pressure


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## SharkBike (Apr 15, 2005)

Very, very cool...love the chapter ring just as it is...and the mesh looks cool too.

(Boy, mesh sure would look great on the "Florida" one. )


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

The chapter ring is supposed to be like that - no question. Otherwise, wouldn't there be bits of paint grit floating around under the glass? :dntknw:

Great looking watch, imo.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Two more photos of the chapter ring...and a little more info. The ring looks to be some sort of anodized, metallic blue rather than a paint. It is the same colour on both sides of the ring. Because it seems to be a finish rather than a paint, there is no flaking going on here like other 70's blue painted dials etc.

The yellow / gold flakes (or whatever they are) are only on the upper surface but also seem to be on the sides of the batons. The second white line markers are then on top...as is the paint on the top of the batons and lume dot at the end of the batons.

So I'm still convinced this is as it was meant to be and is not due to age or corrosion. Have I convinced anyone? :laugh:


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

LOL, nope...! Rich do you have pics of that annodised chapter ring on your Jedi and Foz do you have any metailc dial pics? I cant find any of my old sm120c to hand...


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## foztex (Nov 6, 2005)

Sorry Jon, I'm with Paul on this.

surely if it was flaking then it would have taken the painted indexes with it. The indexes are pristine. The only possibility if it was flaking would be that the ring has been refinished, but if that was the case then they'd have sorted the flaking.

It's fake lapis for me and as designed.

check this 214, flaking and oxidisation, loads of indexes missing.










cheers

Andy


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

foztex said:


> Sorry Jon, I'm with Paul on this.


Thanks Andy! (it looks nothing like my flaking blue Tissonics dial)


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## ETCHY (Aug 3, 2004)

Cool watch.

It's meant to look like that IMO, it looks like a proper "finish". Also if it's because of flaking i'd have expected those painted minute marks to have rubbed off too in some places & they seem crisp in the close-up.

Dave


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Foz, I wish I could find it but I have pics of one with the indicies intact - there is more paint holding it together I guess.

Id love to belive its as designed... but sorry, I dont.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

JonW said:


> Foz, I wish I could find it but I have pics of one with the indicies intact - there is more paint holding it together I guess.
> 
> Id love to belive its as designed... but sorry, I dont.


I don't get the "_holding it together_" part...the blue is some sort of anodized finish rather than surface applied to the base metal and the gold is....who knows...but it also looks like a surface treatment.

 Oh well....I'd be surprised if I could have persuaded you. Time to move on.


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

foztex said:


> Sorry Jon, I'm with Paul on this.
> 
> surely if it was flaking then it would have taken the painted indexes with it. The indexes are pristine. The only possibility if it was flaking would be that the ring has been refinished, but if that was the case then they'd have sorted the flaking.
> 
> ...


I have to agree with you on this one paul I think its original there is not a mark on the white minute chapters and i'm pretty sure rust would not spare them.


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> Rich (Toshi) and I bought a couple of Accutrons at the Uxbridge Watch Fair last Sunday...both were a gamble since neither were running (no battery) and both were a little grubby and being sold by someone who didn't really deal in these. One is destined for the warmer climate of Florida and here is the other one.
> 
> I wish I'd taken a "before" shot....the crystal was very heavily scratched and it was difficult to tell if the rust-coloured flecks we could see on the chapter ring were serious signs of corrosion or something else. Rich was the pessimist  ; I was the optimist  ... I was sure it was a lapis-type finish.
> 
> I'm very pleased with it...I love the chapter ring....it came only as a head, but I think this mesh (thanks Dapper / Alan !) suits it rather well.


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

had a very sheltered life -been to antique fairs-cigarette card fairs -real fairs-but watch fairs?-honestly never heard of watch fairs-where do you hear about ethem-suppose common answer is type in to google but are there any north of the humber?


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Silver Hawk said:


> JonW said:
> 
> 
> > Shame about the chapter rings paint Paul, tho I agree it does 'work' on this watch. No one could paint those blues back in the late 60's early 70s...
> ...


Looks good to me.

In fact, reminds of Jon's old marble dial GP - which was a paint effect


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## break-3 (Oct 2, 2008)

Whether that finish was meant to be or not, it still looks cool.


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## Rotundus (May 7, 2012)

break-3 said:


> Whether that finish was meant to be or not, it still looks cool.


+1


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## smartidog (Feb 28, 2009)

Been reading thread, some great macro shots of the bulova dial, decided to google it and found this pic

of a similar maybee same, bulova, do you think that it throws any light on the subject, if it is 'aged', it sure

as hell looks better for it!!


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Im saying nowt   :lol:

I still say Paul's looks good, so effect or not its cool.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

They didn't apply the gold flake to the German version.


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## Parabola (Aug 1, 2007)

I don't care if its not suppose to look like that, I think it looks great :thumbsup:


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> They didn't apply the gold flake to the German version.


 :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## inskip75 (Jan 10, 2009)

I just can't see how the minute markers would be so clear and un-damaged if the surface underneath was flaking and damaged.


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## KEITHT (Dec 2, 2007)

Didn't realise this discussion was still raging.

I am of the belief its not as should be and has suffered moisture damage maybe ??...

I have seen several like this before..and normally on the anodised type finish..if thats what it is...

Will try and dig out some pics if i can find them....should have a good one of a blue waffled dialed f300 somewhere that had a similar affliction, additionally with bronze worm like trails showing up the base metal of the dial....that also had unaffected script and indices...these are applied after so would explain why they can be unaffected

That said...i kinnda like it......so if it truly is damage...then its good damage IMO

Keith


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

200

304

930

173

:beee:


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## dombox40 (Oct 20, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> 200
> 
> 304
> 
> ...


Can you kindly explain the above numbers for the people who dont know. :huh:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Ok, I was wrong...although it has taken me 7 years to accept it! :laugh:

At the time, I was convinced, and so were many others, that the usual patterned chapter ring (show in the photos in the beginning of this topic) was by design. A minority thought it due to some interesting form of corrosion.

Finally came across a virtually identical Accutron this week and there is not a hint of any crazing, gold flecks etc on this blue chapter ring.


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## Krispy (Nov 7, 2010)

Nice pics! :thumbsup:

I've wanted an Accutron in the reverse colour scheme, blue dial and silver chapter, for some time now. I recently slept through a pristine example on eBay with a slightly squarer (might have been tuning fork shaped) case in a good size, about 40mm.

It went for a little over a hundred quid. I nearly cried when I woke up about half an hour after it finishedand checked the listing


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## SBryantgb (Jul 2, 2015)

Krispy said:


> Nice pics! :thumbsup:
> 
> I've wanted an Accutron in that colour scheme for some time now. I recently slept through a pristine example on eBay with a slightly squarer (might have been tuning fork shaped) case in a good size, about 40mm.
> 
> It went for a little over a hundred quid. I nearly cried when I woke up about half an hour after it finishedand checked the listing


 Good to know it happens to others and not just me :thumbsup:


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Ive emailed Jon with this link artytime:


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

jasonm said:


> Ive emailed Jon with this link artytime:


 Oh no.... :laugh:



Silver Hawk said:


> 200
> 
> 304
> 
> ...


 Blimey....I wrote this in 2009...but have no idea what this means.... :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:


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## William_Wilson (May 21, 2007)

Silver Hawk said:


> 200
> 
> 304
> 
> ...





Silver Hawk said:


> Oh no.... :laugh:
> 
> Blimey....I wrote this in 2009...but have no idea what this means.... :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:


 Numberwang!

Later,
William


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

Vindication! hahaha 

Question is... do they look better aged or as designed...? more character in the aged piece i reckon.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

JonW said:


> Vindication! hahaha
> 
> Question is... do they look better aged or as designed...? more character in the aged piece i reckon.


 So did @jasonm *really* email you @JonW to tell you about this update? :laugh: :laugh:


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## JonW (Mar 23, 2005)

I could just have my RLTdar on full alert... 

Im sure there will be forumers who wonder who the hell i am as its been a long time since I posted on a watch forum at all, just soooo busy with other things watch and bike related sadly. :/


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## Humbug (Mar 13, 2016)

SBryantgb said:


> Good to know it happens to others and not just me :thumbsup:
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Humbug said:


> Excellent photos of my watch that you have just serviced ! - bought on USA eBay a while ago - came complete with unusual clear perspex "flip-front" display case & original paperwork. It seems the Speidel band was fitted by the dealer at time of purchase.
> 
> Might be prepared to trade ..........


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## tburkes (Aug 8, 2016)

That is an incredible watch, gorgeous to say the least and judging by the description before hand you've done a great job bringing it back to life!


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## vinn (Jun 14, 2015)

i think "accutron dealers" created some of these case/mvt./dial variations.


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