Large gauge on top of lugs 16610

[David cote]

Large Gouge on top of the lug!

Any idea on how to get this out, everyone I ask everyone is saying laser weld ! Not really sure on cost of this ? Or could it be polished out ?



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[Tools]

If you grind it down then you will have lost all of the metal from that surface which you cannot put back.

Laser welding puts several spots of metal at that spot, building it up above the lug level. That is then ground down flush and will be invisible, depending on the tech doing the job.

[77T]

I agree laser welding makes sense.

Keeping the geometry correct later would be very difficult if you had just that gouge removed. The shape of the lug would also look different than its mate.


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[David cote]

Thank you guys


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[rmurphy]

Send it to Rikki D in Tampa. He owns Time Care Inc.


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[roosvelt]

I have the same ding on my sub. Did it reaching for a golf club hit another club in the bag. I'm living with it. I suggest you give it a try. Its part of wearing a watch. To each it's own some leave it alone, some can't live with it. No wrong way.

[michaelodonnell123]

Originally Posted by roosvelt

I have the same ding on my sub. Did it reaching for a golf club hit another club in the bag. I'm living with it. I suggest you give it a try. Its part of wearing a watch. To each it's own some leave it alone, some can't live with it. No wrong way.

I have reached into my golf bag dozens of times, banging my Tudor Black Bay around and I never had a deep gouge like that show up. Heck, I even work on my car engine with it and still it never got damaged like that. Isn't the steel Rolex uses on the Subs supposed to be the best in the biz?

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by michaelodonnell123

I have reached into my golf bag dozens of times, banging my Tudor Black Bay around and I never had a deep gouge like that show up. Heck, I even work on my car engine with it and still it never got damaged like that. Isn't the steel Rolex uses on the Subs supposed to be the best in the biz?

904L is just more corrosion resistant, not harder/scratch resistant compared to 316L, it's even a slight bit softer due to the higher nickel content.

[Vicc]

Lasering then polishing.
My company could do it for $100 or so.

These sort of things are our specialty.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Be_eS8jh...d=qpfjkf7bdxfa

[77T]

Viktor - can you use 904 weld material or is only 316 available?


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[Vicc]

Originally Posted by 77T

Viktor - can you use 904 weld material or is only 316 available?

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We haven't used 904L welding material yet but I've reached out to an alloy manufacturer to see if it's something we could purchase.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by 77T

Viktor - can you use 904 weld material or is only 316 available?


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One can use a bracelet screw as provided material.

I do not weld myself but we have a contact who does great work, we send the watch together with a screw.

[roosvelt]

Bas thats great thinking about sourcing the material use to weld !

[77T]

Originally Posted by Vicc

We haven't used 904L welding material yet but I've reached out to an alloy manufacturer to see if it's something we could purchase.

Thanks and many here would probably want the same 904L used on their modern cases. Of course the older alloy would probably suffice but some people are very cautious.

Originally Posted by SearChart

One can use a bracelet screw as provided material.



I do not weld myself but we have a contact who does great work, we send the watch together with a screw.

Thanks Bas - I knew the cases and bracelets were 904L but did not think about the screws used in the links. Makes sense and brilliant solution. I’m guessing the screws cost incrementally more than if 904L wire was available?



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[ROLLiWORKS]

We keep a bit of 904L scrap/dust/shred lefts over from diamond settings jobs on steel heads and bands. Maybe on our next job we will do a better job of collecting the scraps. Mostly end up at the end of a broom.

[Rikki]

Easy repair laser reprofile send away Rik

[ROLLiWORKS]

laser welding

[importstunna]

How does laser welding really work? Is this recommended? Is it to add another piece of metal on top of the dent, then polish it down? I have a huge dent on one of my lugs, and it bugs me quite a bit. On the other hand, I don't want to change the entire case due to the mis-match of serial numbers after.

[JBoone]

I will quote my wife. “If anybody notices that they are too close”

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by importstunna

How does laser welding really work? Is this recommended? Is it to add another piece of metal on top of the dent, then polish it down? I have a huge dent on one of my lugs, and it bugs me quite a bit. On the other hand, I don't want to change the entire case due to the mis-match of serial numbers after.

Yes that is exactly what laser welding is.

[ROLLiWORKS]

Originally Posted by importstunna

How does laser welding really work? Is this recommended? Is it to add another piece of metal on top of the dent, then polish it down? I have a huge dent on one of my lugs, and it bugs me quite a bit. On the other hand, I don't want to change the entire case due to the mis-match of serial numbers after.

Polishing/buffing is a subtractive process removing material to reach the lowest point of the damaged area. The deeper the damage, the thinner your case will be at the end.

Laser welding in a non contact form of welding. Argon gas and a laser beam of light. In combination with stainless steel fill wire, it’s an additive process allowing us to fill the damage area, building up the area above original surface. This is a high precision machine in which viewing the work piece happens through a microscope. The new material is then worked down until it is smooth with the original surface. The case maintains its original dimensions and the new stainless steel blends perfectly.


All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

[ROLLiWORKS]

All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

[ROLLiWORKS]

Finally we’ve acquired a sample roll of 904L fill wire that is in a workable gauge for our laser welder! Thinner would be nice but its good for now.




All work done in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

[007Sub]

i'm probably the minority here but i love that ding... i think it adds character.