Bahoomba wrote:smellody wrote:
At that point my new dial and crown will be installed!
Gonna be very cool once it's all done.
Question: You're installing a new dial? That's always a thing with Rolex owners. Personally? If I had a rusted and/or aged dial and could replace it with a new, factory Rolex dial the same as the previous, I'd do it 10 times out of 10 - yet, serious collectors pooh-pooh such a thing as it deceases the watch's "collectibility" in their eyes. Under that criteria, a 1980 Datejust that got thrown in a washing machine by accident is more worthy than a properly serviced Rolex that may have had its dial replaced - by Rolex, yet. smells, what's your take on all that?
Quite right and perceptive. The purists, a handful of hoarders who gathered up all the untouched pieces dozens of years ago, think only all original, "untouched," and I think preferably unused watches have merit (I think read here their personal watches and all others suck). (On a side note, these are the same folks who questioned if the case for my small arrow 1675 had been polished. I said No, they said no way... well it turned out to be never polished or "touched." I'm ok, I tripled my $ there, but there was still a little meat on the bone.)
Back to the question at hand, my 1954 6205 has a special dial. It does not say Submariner and as all dials of the era, had radium lume. The radium ate away the dial and at some point during the watch's life "Wesley" (per the engraving on the case back) had the watch serviced and the dial freshened up. When it was done, probably in the 1960's, it was refinished by an infant or an animal:

My boxer probably could have done a better job refinishing the dial.
When I bought the watch I was excited as I had an important piece of history in my hand, one of the first Submariners with the ORIGINAL pencil hands. The purists called it a Franken because the dial had been "touched."
I immediately started looking for a replacement dial that had not been touched....
1) I missed on an original 6205 dial on eBay for $5k. It was a little later, but 6205 and never refinished. However, it looked like SHIT.
2) A matte service dial surfaced, also $5k, that also was printed Submariner. It was a nice, apparently NOS dial, but for a gilt era watch, just did not have the right look. (NOT to mention is rather put $5k towards a PM Rolex.)
So the dial I purchased looks amazing to me. It is a refinished dial out of Asia. It literally cost pennies. Compared to my original dial, it looks amazing. The purists will call it Franken, wait they already have......
I honestly don't give a shit what they think. I do what I want. I have some nice watches and if they are offended by my freshening of my 64 year old watch..... I take it as their jealousy. Planks.
Eventually I'll find a proper dial, it will look like shit (eaten by radium) but I'll have it installed, sell the watch, and buy a beach home.
Until then, I'll enjoy my "Franken" 6205 Rolex. I'll wear it in the same way a guy driving a 1930's Buggati with a recast hood mascot would. Screw them, I do what I want and know what is on my wrist.
As for original dials..... if my original dial had not been refinished, I would never, ever touch it or replace it. .... I'd also probably NEVER take it out if the safe.