[Watchmaking] EP.2 Planning - Decide watch dial lume type

The next thing to decide is the watch dial lume type.

Deciding how you want your watch dial indexes to be lumed will determine how you need to prepare the watch dial base, metal plate.


No lume

If you don't want lume on your watch dial, everythings got simple.

You can buy a blank dial with size and color you want, then you have the dial base!

search result from aliexpress


Draw the index with lume paste on the dial

This is the traditional method. This method involves dipping a thin paintbrush or pin into the lume paste on the dial to draw the indexes.

As with the above, what you need is just buying a blank dial. However, this method requires a very high level of skill, so it is not accessible to the hobbyists.


Attach pre-made index markers

You can buy pre-made index markers usually made of metal, then attach them to the dial.

The index markers usually have pin legs, so you hvae to drill a very small hole in the dial to insert the legs and secure them with a small amount of glue from the back of the dial. It's very important to drill the holes in the correct places on the dial.

The index markers already have lume on them, so you don't need to care about lume powder or binder.


search result from ebay


Sandwich dial

Just like the Panerai dial, making sandwich dial is good idea.

A sandwich dial consists of two layers. The top layer has the index holes, and the bottom layer has lume so that the lume is visible through the holes.

https://shop.diywatch.club/collections/learn-about-watches-sandwich-dial-for-improved-lume-performance

The problem is, it is thick because it has two layers. When you actually make the dial, it's not as easy as you think to keep the dial thin.

If you want to build a dial using this method,
- change the movement's hour wheel and canon-pinion, as mentioned in EP.1,
- consider using long post hands, which are designed to be mounted high.


Fill the index holes with lume paste

This is the method I used.

Originally, I was going to make a sandwich dial, but after struggling with the thickness issue, I came up with the idea of applying lume to the watch hands. Drip a small amount of lume paste from the backside, then it fills the holes on the watch dial.


I searched for more information, and it turns out I wasn't the only one who has this idea.

Check out the video below from Korean independent watchmaker applying lume on the dial with this method.


Of course, I'm an amateur, and it turns out that it wasn't easy as it looks.

I'm not very good at using lume powder and binder, and it is very messy on the backside as you see. The advantage of this method is that even if you make a mess, the result is very good from the front.



With all of this planning done, it's time to draw the designs and order the metal plate cuts for the dial base.



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