Gulfman Dial Modification

SlasherPay

New Member
Hello Friends,
How many times you find yourself in a situation where you love a watch for its specifications, features looks etc but there is something about its design that bothers you. Sometimes the designers at Casio leave some glitches which are silly and unprofessional. Their Solar Models are great, however given the fact that you have to rely on Light to charge the battery and expensive rechargable battery every year or two, is a bludy botheration. Casio's website states that using Illumination once eats as much battery as it charges in 5 minutes of full light. So a person who uses light often, can think of this as an issue. Moreover I find it silly to have their solar panels replaced every 5 years or so in service as their efficiency degrades by that time. Casio should introduce 2 variants of a single model, one with solar and one without so people can have a choice!!!!
Back to the subject, I have a Casio Gulfman G-Shock G-9100-1DR (G218) watch which I like very much (I like other ones more but they are solar and I don't want any botheration other than normal battery change) The one thing I didn't like about it, is its Frame Design, especially that silver thing sticking out on the face, and puts a giant shadow on the area where seconds are displayed. So I'm looking forward to modify its internal frame and this is what I've planned to do with it. This part will be made out of a good metal or an alloy to have a high quality feel and it will be of the exact fit in the frame, will be carved out using a CNC. Any gaps will be covered with textured epoxy (matching rest of the frame texture) and after sanding-painting-polishing, even casio will not be able to tell if its done outside the factory. If I get this frame out, I will be able to do it. I haven't opened the watch yet so expert inputs will be appreciated.

The first picture below is the original watch, second one is after the mod, the third one is the actual part.
 

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Deaconxx

New Member
I have the overwhelming urge to say "I DARE YOU". Maybe you're more mechanically inclined than I am, but I'm lead to believe no one short of Tony Stark is qualified to mod a G-shock's internals.

I say go for it, it can't be any different than modding other G-shocks. What's the worst that can happen? If you tear it up, I'll sell you my gulfman.
 

macspite

Member
Not sure that you are being entirely fair on solar G-shocks, there have been a few unreliable watches out there but most solars seem to work ok year after year. Taking the gulfman apart should be fairly simple and, once you have the frame in your hands you have the basis for designing your own. That should give you the exact dimensions so no need for epoxy filling after machining - lasercut or water jet should be precise enough. If you make it out of a good quality aluminium alloy then it can be anodised to an interesting colour which will look a lot better than paint IMHO.

I wonder if there is a market for custom 6900 frames, I have contacts within the CNC and patternmaking worlds ...
 

SlasherPay

New Member
Thank you Macspite for your wonderful suggestion :) Heads off to Deaconxx :D for being such a great tony stark fan (even I'm)
To be safe, I've ordered this frame from the Casio Spares so I don't end up messing up with my original one. Any work that will be done, will be on the spare frame. My only apprehension about building the whole frame from the scratch, are the tiny markings on it. I can do the markings in white color exactly as they are on the OEM, but the metal frame needs to be engraved with the tiny letters first which is delicate task. If you know a way of doing that, it will be great as then I can build the whole frame and have it anodized just as you said.
The conclusion I reached about the solar watches, is after going through thorough customer reviews and the technical knowledge I've on electronics. I don't understand why all the great designs are in solar and crappy designs are in normal battery.

Here are some of the BEST G-Shock Designs I've come across but these are in Solar>>
 

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SlasherPay

New Member
Some of the great G-shock watches with worst frame design which need a major facelift>>

(And yes you're right, there is a market for G-Shock cosmetic customization parts :))
 

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macspite

Member
:devilish:Laser etching -

Article on wikipaedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_engraving

From fimark.co.uk, a laser marking service

The precise, repeatable nature of lasers allow the fine detail marking required on smaller components and the accurate removal of coatings. Whilst our lasers are primarily used for marking and etching other applications include laser cleaning and laser de-burring.The laser beam width can be focused to less than 30 microns and it can be repeatably positioned to the same magnitude.FIMARK has rotary axes and X/Y tables so that cylindrical components and parts larger than the standard marking field can be processed. A range of flat field lenses gives marking areas from 100mm diameter up 300mm diameter.

But we are getting into the realms of expensive for a one off component ...
 

SlasherPay

New Member
haha yes I know Laser etching however I'm looking for a solution, other than Industrial processes. I don't think CNC will be able to do that small. That's why I decided to do only that round component in the first place. Now I'm waiting for a reply from Casio on that piece of frame. The problem with me is, if anything grabs my attention that I don't like, no matter how small, that will keep me bugging until have it off my eyes, or fix it. Fixing is what I'm trying to do here. I need to know if after opening the watch where exactly this frame rests between the glass and the LCD. I know it is not bonded to the LCD because people have done numerous conversions with their LCDs turning them into negatives and I could see clean LCD with the polarizing film on it. However I'm not sure this frame that I'm trying to modify is bonded with the watch plastic from inside or the glass itself. Is it made from plastic or some kind of composite. That's what I need to know.
 
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