Here's one that I've been working on for some time now...always wanted a watch that has so many color variations and the Dark Sumo is just that.
This one started life as an SBDC003. Also known as the Blumo and a very nice watch right out of the box.
But it's what happened after I took it out of the box that makes the Dark Sumo so unique.
After receiving the watch from another forum regular..{thanks to OutaTime}, I decided to completely disassemble the watch, which was already in top condition. All the stainless steel case parts, bezel and the bracelet stripped down to the links; all those were then sent off to be coated in Blue TiN.
The special coating has a slight blue tint to it and the blue shows best in the bright sunlight. But as the day wears on and the available light starts to fade, the metal begins to do something completely different and presents itself in a much more....well, sinister manner.
After the coating was completed, I began the reassembly and during that time, I decided that what this watch really needed was a ceramic bezel insert. Took awhile to source the proper insert but when I put it on the bezel, things were coming around nicely.... except for one little problem.
The ceramic insert sits very low in the bezel and this creates a tall ridge at the outer bezel edge. Those who are familiar with the Sumo know how the bezel looks...wider at the top. So with this ridge now quite visible due to the low heighth of the insert, well, something had to be done.
I packaged up the bezel and the insert and sent them off to John B {TheTigerUK}....seems like a regular thing to me now as John has had a hand in most of my builds...thanks John!
Anyway, I had John machine down the bezel so the ridge would be the same heighth as the insert. He left just enough metal there to provide a bit of bump protection. He sent it back and now I had a "low profile" Sumo bezel. I sent the machined bezel back for coating and now I was down to the home stretch.
There's a few other slight tweaks to the watch... I'll let you guys check it out and let me know what you think.
Did I get this one right this time?
Special thanks to Lane, John and Guy for all the help and encouragement along the way!
Comments expected!
Mike
This one started life as an SBDC003. Also known as the Blumo and a very nice watch right out of the box.
But it's what happened after I took it out of the box that makes the Dark Sumo so unique.
After receiving the watch from another forum regular..{thanks to OutaTime}, I decided to completely disassemble the watch, which was already in top condition. All the stainless steel case parts, bezel and the bracelet stripped down to the links; all those were then sent off to be coated in Blue TiN.
The special coating has a slight blue tint to it and the blue shows best in the bright sunlight. But as the day wears on and the available light starts to fade, the metal begins to do something completely different and presents itself in a much more....well, sinister manner.
After the coating was completed, I began the reassembly and during that time, I decided that what this watch really needed was a ceramic bezel insert. Took awhile to source the proper insert but when I put it on the bezel, things were coming around nicely.... except for one little problem.
The ceramic insert sits very low in the bezel and this creates a tall ridge at the outer bezel edge. Those who are familiar with the Sumo know how the bezel looks...wider at the top. So with this ridge now quite visible due to the low heighth of the insert, well, something had to be done.
I packaged up the bezel and the insert and sent them off to John B {TheTigerUK}....seems like a regular thing to me now as John has had a hand in most of my builds...thanks John!
Anyway, I had John machine down the bezel so the ridge would be the same heighth as the insert. He left just enough metal there to provide a bit of bump protection. He sent it back and now I had a "low profile" Sumo bezel. I sent the machined bezel back for coating and now I was down to the home stretch.
There's a few other slight tweaks to the watch... I'll let you guys check it out and let me know what you think.
Did I get this one right this time?
Special thanks to Lane, John and Guy for all the help and encouragement along the way!
Comments expected!
Mike