# I made a watch. Am I cool now?



## theevilshiftkey

This is the first time I've tried to customize a watch.










I've always liked regulators and weird watches in general, but I could never justify spending $500+ on a quartz watch with no complications and only one hand! Solution: make my own.

I sourced a free quartz watch with a slim case that I liked in the style of Skagen. It was a demo from a promotional products company. I could have asked them for a much more expensive watch and still gotten it for free, but I didn't have the heart. Once it was open I was happy to discover that it had a Myota movement.

I designed the face in Illustrator and printed it on premium photo paper with my laser printer. Even under an eye loupe you can't tell that it wasn't made in a factory properly. That is until I glued it onto the original face and goofed up a few places.  But you have to look at it under a loupe to see the scuffs I made so I'm okay with it.

I got the hand from Otto Frei. I had to trim it shorter and customize the hole where it attaches to the hour wheel since it was intended as a minutes hand. I may be the first person ever to customize a watch with JB Weld.

In the end I must say that this was the most TEDIOUS and FIDDLY project I have ever done. I hope I never try to JB Weld something together that's less that 1mm across. I can't imagine doing any *real* work on a watch. God bless the bastards that make these things.

So what do you think? Decent first attempt?


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## dnslater

theevilshiftkey said:


> This is the first time I've tried to customize a watch.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've always liked regulators and weird watches in general, but I could never justify spending $500+ on a quartz watch with no complications and only one hand! Solution: make my own.
> 
> I sourced a free quartz watch with a slim case that I liked in the style of Skagen. It was a demo from a promotional products company. I could have asked them for a much more expensive watch and still gotten it for free, but I didn't have the heart. Once it was open I was happy to discover that it had a Myota movement.
> 
> I designed the face in Illustrator and printed it on premium photo paper with my laser printer. Even under an eye loupe you can't tell that it wasn't made in a factory properly. That is until I glued it onto the original face and goofed up a few places.  But you have to look at it under a loupe to see the scuffs I made so I'm okay with it.
> 
> I got the hand from Otto Frei. I had to trim it shorter and customize the hole where it attaches to the hour wheel since it was intended as a minutes hand. I may be the first person ever to customize a watch with JB Weld.
> 
> In the end I must say that this was the most TEDIOUS and FIDDLY project I have ever done. I hope I never try to JB Weld something together that's less that 1mm across. I can't imagine doing any *real* work on a watch. God bless the bastards that make these things.
> 
> So what do you think? Decent first attempt?


Nice project! I love the Bauhaus style face. I love the styling of many of the German / Bauhaus watches like the Stowa Antea, but cannot afford them. This is a good idea. If you try another, you might think about doing two different colors, like leave the markers black, but make the numbers blue or something.

You should post this in the affordable forum, it will get a lot more response.

:-!:-!


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## theevilshiftkey

Yes that Stowa was one of my inspirations, if it wasn't obvious.


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## dnslater

theevilshiftkey said:


> Yes that Stowa was one of my inspirations, if it wasn't obvious.


I think the extra long markers on yours actually improves on the look vs the Stowa. The blue hands on the Stowa what gives it the edge.


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## interested_party

Awesome. Looks good. Fairly unique look over all.


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## theevilshiftkey

I thought about blue hands but decided on black. I felt like blue hands... er hand would stand out too much with the minimalist theme.


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## por44

+1


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## Beau8

Great job~Cheers! ;-)


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## yermano

very nice, love the font you used. can you tell me what it is. i might try something like this in the future. cheers:-!

oh and as far as being cool sorry you actually even more geeky than you were before you made the watch buts that's ok cause we're all geeky too


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## theevilshiftkey

Thanks. Since the photo I've changed the band to a black leather without stitching, which I feel works much better. Even more minimalist.

The font used for my name is Bank Gothic. The font used on the numbers is Huxley Vertical with just a bit of a stretch.


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## Rhyalus

Nice looking way to tell that it is "sometime between 9 and 10".

..I guess.

R


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## CarpenterWatches

Love it!


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## Chachy

Excellent! What a great idea. How did you cut the dial in a circle? I could only do that if I had a gasket cutter or something like that.


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## CFI care

brilliant design, the subtlety is far more than you are letting on. well done, love it


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## Atoning Unifex

You betcha!


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## ddkhalaji

Rhyalus said:


> Nice looking way to tell that it is "sometime between 9 and 10".
> 
> ..I guess.
> 
> R


If you look.. actually look at the dial, you will notice he has markers at 5 minute intervals, and even made the 15 minute and 30 minute intervals with larger markers. Once you understand this concept, and the concept of how minutes and hours work, it would be quite easy to read the time.

If you cannot grasp these simple concepts, there are digital display watches to accompany your Velcro strapped shoes.

..I guess.

D


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## theevilshiftkey

Chachy said:


> How did you cut the dial in a circle? I could only do that if I had a gasket cutter or something like that.


Actually I just carefully cut it somewhere close to a circle. The edge of the paper ends up covered by the bezel so nobody can see the rough part unless they disassemble. Since I'm the only one opening this I don't mind the secret.


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## rm7pr

ddkhalaji said:


> If you look.. actually look at the dial, you will notice he has markers at 5 minute intervals, and even made the 15 minute and 30 minute intervals with larger markers. Once you understand this concept, and the concept of how minutes and hours work, it would be quite easy to read the time.
> 
> If you cannot grasp these simple concepts, there are digital display watches to accompany your Velcro strapped shoes.
> 
> ..I guess.
> 
> D


Ouch!!!

On another note, to the OP, very nice job. Two thumbs up.


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## rhst1

Stay with it. You may have found your niche!


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## MYK

Nice watch!


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## scottjc

Reminds me of the Botta Uno 24.

Very nice job there...


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## kore

one handed watch... That's cool...


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## Federer

Wow, looks great! I haven't thought of printing a dial onto photo paper. Brilliant. It looks crisp and clean.


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## div25sec9

I like the look a lot. The only negative is when you orient the numbers like that, the 6 becomes a 9.

It's a great idea; I might pick up a cheap watch to experiment with.


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## cht

WOW~ such an old post~ but it looks really great, clean, smart and classic~ good job~~!!!


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## Matty01

Very cool!


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## cptime

Nice design. 

The only thing that seems "off" to me is the 4,5,6,7&8 seem upside down. I would flip them.


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## Rhyalus

ddkhalaji said:


> If you look.. actually look at the dial, you will notice he has markers at 5 minute intervals, and even made the 15 minute and 30 minute intervals with larger markers. Once you understand this concept, and the concept of how minutes and hours work, it would be quite easy to read the time.
> 
> If you cannot grasp these simple concepts, there are digital display watches to accompany your Velcro strapped shoes.
> 
> ..I guess.
> 
> D


LOL, I just read this response. I am not sure what rock you crawled out from under, but you should go back there.

I stand by my statement that this is not a good way to tell time, and quite frankly, the market supports my perspective. The design in and of itself is not artistic enough or bold enough to compensate for the lack of functionality or usability.

Kudos to the OP from trying new designs, though. If I offended in my initial post, it was not my intention.

R


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## stilo

ddkhalaji said:


> If you look.. actually look at the dial, you will notice he has markers at 5 minute intervals, and even made the 15 minute and 30 minute intervals with larger markers. Once you understand this concept, and the concept of how minutes and hours work, it would be quite easy to read the time.
> 
> If you cannot grasp these simple concepts, there are digital display watches to accompany your Velcro strapped shoes.
> 
> ..I guess.
> 
> D


You're pretty brave behind a keyboard! I suggest building your post count before you let your sarcasim get the best of you. Can't we all just be friends?



Rhyalus said:


> LOL, I just read this response. I am not sure what rock you crawled out from under, but you should go back there.
> 
> I stand by my statement that this is not a good way to tell time, and quite frankly, the market supports my perspective. The design in and of itself is not artistic enough or bold enough to compensate for the lack of functionality or usability.
> 
> Kudos to the OP from trying new designs, though. If I offended in my initial post, it was not my intention.
> 
> R


Agreed, kudos to the OP but the market just isn't buying the concept. There are a few companies that I've seen doing this, Meistersinger being the only one I've seen in the flesh and judging by the amount of them I've seen for sale and the major hit they take in resale, it's evident that you're bang on in your thought.

To the OP, yes you are cool because you've actually taken the time not only to modify an existing watch, but to do it with such simplicity and using photo paper, something that no one that I've seen on this board has tried. Keep it up!


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## ddkhalaji

StiloTime said:


> You're pretty brave behind a keyboard! I suggest building your post count before you let your sarcasim get the best of you. Can't we all just be friends?


Sorry, I wasn't being brave, nor was I being sarcastic. I was educating Rhyalus on how to read the time of the watch the OP made. Clearly he didn't know in his post that I quoted below.



Rhyalus said:


> Nice looking way to tell that it is "sometime between 9 and 10".
> 
> ..I guess.
> 
> R


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## Rhyalus

Of course I knew that the designer had put those markers in, but they are really unusable. Assuming that most people want to know time "quickly" with at least a 5 minute resolution, it just wouldn't work ...

You then suggested that this simple concept was beyond my grasp... it was a rude reply to what you perceived was a rude reply from me to the OP.

I suggest we let the matter drop as this is an old thread that should have been left dead.

R


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## theksti272

Your starting was very good but you have to upload more images of branded watches...


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