Definitive GTI Dick Tracy Watch Thread

[DrMcoy]

if anyone can create the missing pieces, I can get rub-down transfers made of the "clock" numerals that could be applied to a piece of thin metal that serves as the "face" of the clock.

I am in to build one of these, but i need to see if other members are going to offer all the additional parts needed (two control knobs, clock hands, clear crystal watch cover, etc.)

 

[lint]

in my opinion these are gonna have to be taken into a watch maker and completed. they will have all the parts, glass and timepiece in store. How much they will charge is anyone's guess. I am concerned about being able to get a smooth piece from shapeways printing process.

Your offer for a faceplate decal will be great if/when we get to that point. Still a long road ahead to having this watch but zenix has certainly helped get us much further down that road.

I am waiting on zenix to make a watch crystal recess before I can order the watch in plastic and test fit some pieces.

 

[DrMcoy]

Understood. Wish I could be of more help. I do know someone that might be able to lathe metal pieces if needed. I'll be watching this thread with great interest.

 

[zenix]

you can order from shapeways stainless steel, and polish it yourself, or order one of the polished options, or wait for me to try and make them with sand casting or lost wax casting. i wont have time to try that until 3rd week of aug.

I'll try and make time to finish the model. If we want i can make the holes in the side for the buttons and also see what shapeways printed buttons would look like, but honestly i think that finding thumbscrews would be the best way. i bet we could take apart an old watch and fit it in here to make it work. they sell watch kits for make your own, like we were talking earlier in the thread, too.

 

[lint]

google "watch crowns" and "watch pushers" and you will find both of the side pieces. just figuring out which is the most screen accurate will be the tough part. Honestly I think a watch maker would be able to tell you (and sell you) the correct pieces just by looking at the picture of the screen watch.

 

[RobWolf]

I'm hoping someone comes up with the clock part, however I have a slight advantage in the speaker part; both modules in the Apollo Dick Tracy watch I have (mentioned earlier in the thread) pop right out, so I can take the sound module out and pop it in this one. My Apollo watch is quite worn now and I don't mind sacrificing it. FYI the sound module on the Apollo says "Calling Dick Tracy! Calling Dick Tracy!" (compared to the GTI version which IIRC says "This is Dick Tracy, I'm on my way.")

 

[duann]

If you are a student some colleges have autocad for free on your campus account. Also, some universities sale the student edition of Autocad for much cheaper than the real version. You might try that.

If you are a student you can download Autocad, 3Ds Max, Maya and more from Autodesk at Autodesk Education Community
you usually get a fully functioning one year license....

3Ds Max exports stl for 3D printing and VRML (.97) for exporting full color. Perfect for your Shapeways 3D prints.

Duann

 

[bobok]

Zenix - amazing work!

I've been wanting one of these since 1991 and will definitely order a kit! Quick question, have you introduced the 'lip' for the watch crystal yet?

Several years ago I attempted to make my own replica and copied the watchface art from the close-up in the 'Making of the Movie' book (I think I've seen the image posted here). The numerals had quite a 'degraded' look (to look like blobby enamel, and a little handmade I assume) and i tried to copy this as closely as possible.

If anyone wants this watch-face artwork, let me know and I can forward it on as a jpg, png, or eps.

My rough around the edges attempt from 2002!

Again, great work Zenix!

 

[lint]

Thanks for the contribution Bobok. Glad to have you back on the site.

 

[sarni1000]

Any update on this project? I am dying to get this watch case to a jeweler to finish off the prop piece.

I have wanted one of these watches for over 10 years!

 

[zenix]

No I didn't do anything new yet but I do have some great news. check out this post I made.... it basically all relates to this threat too.

http://www.therpf.com/f9/doctor-who-time-agents-vortex-manipulator-spoiler-89715/index6.html#post1369116

so basically, when i finish updating you'll just order thsi in stainless steel from shapeways, and sand it. I've gotten good results with sanding the stainless steel, and i've seen other people get a near mirror finish.

i'm going to make the holes in the part where the watchband attaches because I am now confident in the steel, and it will make the hole.

i need to get aronud to making the lip, and I think we should add the holes in the side of the case for buttons.

for those of you who are too lazy to click:
hey sorry for neglecting you guys! i've been so busy with my inception totems and stuff. they sold like crazy and its been a hassle to deal with that, and my gf and all the normal work stuff and normal life stuff.

i have some sweet news though. I recently ordered a bunch of my little designs as rings and earings and necklace pendants and things like that, all made from stainless steel. I've learned a lot, and everything i've learned is GREAT news.

for starters, here is a picture:


in there you see 3 rings:
mobius strip split ring
egyptian eye of horus ring
howard street bridge ring

also you'll see a set of my star of david swoop earings, a twisted pendant, and a go stone with AGA 1D 'engraved'

I want to draw your attention to the go stone and the howard street bridge, and I want to make 3 points.
First, sandability. Looking at the stone, you can see its shinier. I sanded it for a couple minutes with 320 and then 1000, real quick, not a lot of time, and i got great results. pic is from my cellphone but literally i can see my reflection and recognize myself.

second point is the detail on the howard street bridge. i dunno if you can see it in the pic but the beams and top arch are actual I beams and you can make out the i-beam on the arched part of the bridge. you cant see it on the bars cuz they are facing to the left and right. its a clear line taht you can see in this pic on the right arch. i see it on both in real life but th epicture cant grab that i think


Point three is also looking at the bridge. those bars are SO thin.... 0.4mm wide. the I part of the I beam that sticks out is 0.13mm, so like less than two hairs thick.
the strength is this third point. i can make the part thinner and still strong. this brings down the amt of material used so the price will be lower.

sandability, detail, strength.

so i guess sorry for whoever has already ordered, but i'll be revising and making it better, cheaper faster stronger sexier whatever

send me messages if i forget or am slacking off... i guess i respond to $ and to nagging most in life =)

after these results, and the poor results i've been getting with the aluminum sandasting stuff, i'm going to scrap trying to sand cast this in aluminum and only focus on the stainless steel method."

 

[lint]

Great news Zenix. Thanks so much again for working on this project for us DIYers. I would still recommend against printing the holes for the watch adjustment on the side. depending on the movement that is chosen to go into these it might need to be in a different spot than what you have printed. Just my suggestion though!

-Todd

 

[zenix]

what about the holes for the spring steel bar where the watchband attaches?

 

[zenix]

lip added, no holes. k good to go. model looks like this now:

order it in stainless steel, and polish it yourself. no guarantees yet that it will print, I'm only 90-95% certain. I'll order it today and we'll see in two weeks, or you can gamble and order it today yourself too. If it fails, shapeways gives you some money back, but not all. I wont be ordering the back; I think its too expensive. maybe I'll get it in plastic. the other option we have is to just cut that out of sheet metal. its not a complex shape, but to print it, it has a lot of volume

 

[GeneralFROSTY]

This looks very good - great work!
I have one of the GTI watches - the electronics never worked and I've had to have it repaired once and now it needs a battery replacement. I did however replace the strap since I never liked the snakeskin leather. It now has a plain black leather strap more like what we see in the movie.

 

[lint]

thanks zenix. I will wait to see pictures of yours.

 

[zenix]

anyone have a source picture or source to buy the watch bands? I am considering buy everything and assembling kits myself to sell as completed watches. Missing parts are watch bands, and screen, buttons. I can modify the inside of the watch to accept a certain watch movement (watch brain/guts) and print faceplates and glass. its doable and would be easier for everyone

I'm thinking of choosing a watch movement and designing a plastic piece on shapeways to hold it to the inside of the watch case. it'll be customized to that movement we/I select, and customized to the case interior to hold it in place. at that point i'll modify the case to include the hole for the time setter thing to pass through.


I found a bunch of glass lenses for watches for jewlers that they typically use to replace broken watch faceplates. I can use those and dremel them carefully to fit our shape. The place also sells the watch movements, so it doesnt look too hard for me to go from here to a completed product. I still need watch bands that match and a screen that matches.


acrylic looks easier for me to do for the faceplate. I need a better tool to get the crystal faceplate to be right. we'll see.

 

[zenix]

meeting with a really old dude today.

i called a local watchmaker and he sounded ancient.

i dont have the part but i made a bunch of drawings and printed out a model and a thing with dimensions. my biggest concern is the crystal/acrylic faceplate. gotta get something to fit there. they have glue for that kinda stuff, and premade shapes, but since we're not round then its an issue so we have to make our own. there is a rapid prototyping process that lets you print clear plastic, so i'll look into that too, for 3dprinting a clear faceplate to the exact dimensions

 

[zenix]

I created an interest thread of my build... its in the junkyard

 

[lint]

cant wait to see photos of the case when you get it.