Collection: Learn about watches: Watch Aging and Patina

The practice of artificially aging modern timepieces to achieve vintage aesthetics has gained significant traction among horology enthusiasts. With readily available household items such as bleach and eggs, we can replicate decades of natural oxidation and wear. 

Introduction and Video instructions

Key objectives include:

• Lume Transformation: Converting bright, modern luminous compounds (typically Super-LumiNova) into muted cream/yellow tones that resemble radium-based paints discontinued in the 1960s. This can be achieved using coffee grounds and an oven. While coffee itself can stain the lume application, baking the stained hands generally gives us more appealing results. 
• Accelerating Patina Development: Materials such as bronze and silver naturally develop a patina over time. By performing a reversible, sped-up aging process, we can create unique timepieces. A bronze or silver-coated watch case can be sealed in an airtight container with smashed hard-boiled eggs to accelerate patina formation, as overcooked egg yolks release sulfur, which reacts with the case to quickly form an oxide layer.
• Surface Texturing: Introducing scratch patterns that mimic long-term case wear. This can be achieved using sandpaper for controlled scratches and stone washing for randomized patterns. These techniques work best for silver and bronze watch cases with patina.
• Bezel Bleaching: Specifically for watches with aluminum bezels, household bleach can accelerate the discoloration of the aluminum bezel insert, a process that naturally occurs over a long period due to exposure to UV light from the sun.