| A SMILE ON YOUR DIAL?A dial is, arguably, the most | | | | with an original intact dial that may have a nice |
| important visual feature of a watch. Irrespective of | | | | patina.Why is this? Well, generally, refinished dials are |
| the excellence of the movement or its timekeeping | | | | not of the same quality as the factory originals. Many |
| qualities, if the dial is badly discoloured or flaking it | | | | refinished dials don't last as long and are not as |
| makes the watch look sub-standard, tired or worn | | | | durable as original dials. Factory dials may have |
| out and certainly diminishes its value.Often Collectors | | | | baked-on, anodised and other manufacturing finishes |
| are put off by flaking and badly discoloured dials on | | | | such as clear coatings covering both the dial and |
| otherwise quite original Omega Constellations. Many | | | | markers to inhibit the ageing process.Refinished dials |
| shy away from such watches because of the general | | | | are often painted, have ink stamped script and are |
| assumption that moisture is the primary cause of dial | | | | finished to a lower level of quality and durability. They |
| disintegration. The theory goes, that badly | | | | may mark more easily and often do not contain the |
| discoloured dials provide a good outward clue of a | | | | level of detail of the originals.Also, many original dials |
| possibly rusty movement and are best avoided.There | | | | have the markers soldered to the dial, whereas in |
| is another possible cause of dial discolouration that | | | | quite a number of refinished dials I have seen, the |
| behoves the canny buyer to look more closely at | | | | markers have been glued back rather than soldered |
| watches with discoloured dials.Sun damage is another | | | | (for the obvious reason that the soldering process |
| cause of paint failure and sun can mimic water | | | | could damage the paint on a re-dial) On occasions the |
| damage to the dial paint in many cases.A beautiful | | | | glue is so thick on the back of the dial that it |
| movement with no water damage can lay below, and | | | | interferes with the running of the watch, particularly |
| this type of paint failure, while not good for collectors | | | | with date models.A bad re-dial with inaccurate |
| of original watches, is a wonderful candidate for | | | | detailing can have the value of your watch dropping |
| restoration. However, even seasoned buyers need to | | | | quicker than a souffle placed in a refridgerator! It's |
| be careful when buying watches with badly | | | | fair to say that there are many more slap-dash, |
| deteriorated dials - you need to determine very | | | | incompetent and inferior refinishing houses than there |
| carefully whether the watch dial is damaged from sun | | | | are high quality re-dialers. So, if you chance upon one, |
| or moisture.So, the first thing that needs to be done | | | | treat him like royalty.Now, to the exception |
| when chancing upon an Omega with a badly | | | | mentioned earlier. Because of the globalisation of the |
| discoloured dial is look under the bonnet with a | | | | vintage watch market and accessibility of stock, |
| jewellers loup. A clean, rust free movement is easily | | | | many more people have the opportunity to buy |
| identified, and if the seals on the case have held up | | | | Omega watches. A new niche has emerged in the |
| well, there will be no tell-tale rust spotting on the | | | | vintage watch market for vintage watches that look |
| non-copperised parts of the movement and no | | | | almost showroom new. This market is driven, largely, |
| corrosion of the case, particularly at the caseback | | | | by newcomers. I can attest to that from a |
| seam.If the movement has stood up well to the | | | | continuous flow of emails from such individuals, and, |
| elements and history or use, you have a choice: Buy | | | | to them, 'look' is very important and 'patina' and |
| and restore (or have restored) or continue on your | | | | originality is often overlooked. These buyers will pay |
| journey to find a vintage Omega with an original dial. | | | | big money for look and wearability, so you will see on |
| If you take the restoration route, you could have | | | | occasions quite high prices being paid for watches |
| the watch sent to Omega in Bienne, wait for quite a | | | | with refinished dials.I imagine though that quite a |
| while, and ultimately receive the watch back with a | | | | number of newcomers to collecting, if they're serious, |
| new factory dial.In the case of Pie Pan Constellations, | | | | will ultimately develop a greater level of collecting |
| however, it's believed that Omega has run out of | | | | sophistication and become interested in the finer |
| factory dials and will replace old Pie Pan dials with | | | | points of detail, originality, richness of patina and |
| convex Constellation dials from the same period. | | | | other collectibility factors.Because of the diminsihing |
| Given the increasing likelihood of not being able to | | | | supply of new-old-stock Omega dials, particularly Pie |
| source an original Pie Pan dial, you may choose to opt | | | | Pan Constellations and other early models, re-dialing |
| for a re-dial.So if you choose to re-dial, what are you | | | | will increasingly become a fact of life. Never-the-less, |
| letting yourself in for? If you can source an excellent | | | | from a long-term collectibility standpoint, re-dialling |
| re-dialler - they are few and far between - then a dial | | | | should be an option when you have no other |
| refinished to look exactly like an original will indeed | | | | options.(c) desmond Guilfoyle 2006Desmond Guilfoyle |
| make a watch look much more attractive.But, from | | | | in an award winning commentator on influence, |
| the standpoint of collecting original Omegas it may | | | | persuasion and charisma. He has written three books |
| not improve the value of the watch - there is an | | | | on those subjects and his book 'The Charisma Effect' |
| exception and we'll review that later. From a vintage | | | | has been published in seven languages around the |
| collectors point of view, a refinished dial diminishes | | | | globe. |
| the value of a watch when compared with a watch | | | | |