1st Rolex (16800): Patina Check

[benbradstock]

Hi All,

Last night I received the 16800 described in my earlier post. Basically I love it. The patina on the hour markers and hands is great, and I’m more than fine with the amount of polish it has, considering my budget.

The only surprise is that in certain light, at certain angles, the patina on the dial is very significant. Have a look at the second photo here; I’d be interested to know your comments. Is this common? Do you think it’s the dial’s progression from gloss to matte, or something more serious?

Aside from that, the watch is in great shape. Timegrapher shows it running 1 - 5 seconds fast, depending on angle.

Thanks advance for your thoughts.

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[benbradstock]

PS: sorry for the crap photos.I tried many times to upload high-resolution photos, but between Tapatalk and this forum, I received various error messages until I reduced them significantly.


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[FrankNYC]

That’s a great piece. Wear it in good health!

[Dan S]

I think the condition of the dial was apparent from some of the original images. There is degradation of the glossy finish due to conditions (e.g. moisture) that the watch has experienced over time.

Common ... not common? Doesn't matter. All that matters is whether it is appealing to you. Feelings about dial patina/condition are extremely personal. It's fortunate that the degradation is relatively even across the dial, but still it's going to appeal to some people more than others.

[Kingface66]

Man, that’s a tough one. And, unfortunately, evidence of how a lot of dealers will edit their photos to hide these sorts of things. Ask yourself this: If the dealer had shown photos like the ones you’ve posted, showing the massive amount of spotting all over the dial (edit. I just looked at the photos again, and wow, that’s pretty bad) would you have purchased it? If the answer is “no” or “probably not” then send it back. You’ll likely never be happy with it. Personally, I’d feel pretty duped.

[Egomez]

nice one, congratulations

[Claven2]

great watch!

[Filipão]

Dial... I'd never get over it.

[Rollied]

For your peace of mind, AFAIK hands and lume dots don’t ALWAYS age the same...

[Kingface66]

Originally Posted by Rollied

For your peace of mind, AFAIK hands and lume dots don’t ALWAYS age the same...

The lume isn’t the issue, it’s the spotting all over the black part of the dial itself.

(But yes, hands and markers can age, and patina, with slightly different shades on some watches)

[benbradstock]

Originally Posted by Kingface66

Man, that’s a tough one. And, unfortunately, evidence of how a lot of dealers will edit their photos to hide these sorts of things. Ask yourself this: If the dealer had shown photos like the ones you’ve posted, showing the massive amount of spotting all over the dial (edit. I just looked at the photos again, and wow, that’s pretty bad) would you have purchased it? If the answer is “no” or “probably not” then send it back. You’ll likely never be happy with it. Personally, I’d feel pretty duped.

Well said. I reached out to the dealer with the clearest photo of the spotting, and he offered a refund. It’s tough because in almost every light the dial looks good; the spotting looks minor and uniform. However, I’m looking for a piece that I’m going to keep for a long time, and I think it will bug me, so I’ll probably return it.


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[oysterquartz17000]

In the ops original post the specling isnt very apparent. I mean there is some texture, but it is considerably worse in these new pictures. Did the seller mention this in the listing or simply classify this in that amazing grey area called 'patina'.

[benbradstock]

He did not mention it. Some of the spotting was just barely evident in the auction photos, but nothing like what is evident in the right light.

In most lighting, the dial looks great. That said, I’ve bought expensive things with issues in the past, and the annoyance decreases but never disappears. I think this one is going back, and the search will continue.


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[sillo]

This isn't uncommon on the early gloss/wg surround dials. You can look at tritium 16610s if you want the same look without the dial issues.

[randy van]

The spotting on the dial would bother me.

[benbradstock]

I appreciate everyone’s input. I started the return process. Back to the hunt…


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[Filipão]

Originally Posted by benbradstock

I appreciate everyone’s input. I started the return process. Back to the hunt…


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You did well, it would hunt you.

[benbradstock]

Haha indeed.


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[joli160]

Originally Posted by benbradstock

I appreciate everyone’s input. I started the return process. Back to the hunt…


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Good choice, very unreliable seller with doctored pictures and poor description.
Hope you get your refund