How to colour/lacquer/paint hand engraved watch dials/guilloche

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Apr 11, 2023
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How are watch dials given colour? My material is fine silver. I want to know how to add color to it except plating/enameling. E-coating looks quite bad so I would like to know how to add colour.
 

Sinterklaas

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If you dont want enameling or UV-resin coating. But want color on silver. Then your best bet would be to print it on the dial. Or print and transfer it on to the dial.

Pad printing is the process used to get the lettering and design on to watch dials.

Or you can hand paint that is what was used in the past as well.


 

monk

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i'd think this would be of use to several people that visit here. tyvm for sharing this.
 

Chujybear

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Since you are working in fine silver you have no problem with enameling. It will take the heat of firing without oxidation.
to make it tight, you can shake your enamel on it, stone it down (perhaps exposing some fine silver highlights, and then refute, for a much tidier look.
 

Dani Girl

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I watched a youtube video showing heating up brass filings in a cup with a watch hand sitting on top to get a really controlled heat colouring of the hand. probably not exactly what you were looking for.

I'd love to know more about how to colour work, I've seen some amazingly coloured gun cases too and that I'm guessing, would have to be able to handle great amounts of shock/vibration.

I know there's

inlay
enamel
chemicals (don't know much about that) (blueing and patinas)
...?
 

monk

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I watched a youtube video showing heating up brass filings in a cup with a watch hand sitting on top to get a really controlled heat colouring of the hand. probably not exactly what you were looking for.

I'd love to know more about how to colour work, I've seen some amazingly coloured gun cases too and that I'm guessing, would have to be able to handle great amounts of shock/vibration.

I know there's

inlay
enamel
chemicals (don't know much about that) (blueing and patinas)
...?
dani :i fiddled with coloring titanium. easy to do. a variable dc output power supply, electrolytes, and a table top to work on are all that's needed to start. a variety of quite beautiful shades can be obtained simply by controlling the output voltqge. it can produce some very unique jewelry items. i was using "commercial" grade titanium which i have a healthy supplly of.
 

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