21 replies to this topic

[tixntox]

Already posted in vintage watches but hey ho, comments appreciated.



Mike

[martinzx]

Tough call Mike, I like to keep them original, but that one is boaderline.....

If you do decide on a re-dial, after taking lots of pics, you could try DIY dial clean, I have heard that baby oil works on stains of that nature, but never tried on such a nice watch.

Good luck Martin

[tixntox]

After my last attempt on my Tissot (disaster!) I'll leave it to the experts. It's growing on me.
Mike

[Rotundus]

oooooooo, dunno.
the batons look good, perhaps just do what you can with the hands imho.

[martinzx]

tixntox, on 27 March 2012 - 06:08 PM, said:

After my last attempt on my Tissot (disaster!) I'll leave it to the experts. It's growing on me.
Mike

I forgot about that one........

lovely watch Mike, keep us posted..

Cheers Martin

[gaz64]

Get it done mike

Keeping it original is keeping the right parts not putting up with manky dials etc..... Get it cleaned

[sparrow]

Lovely watch mike, but I agree with gas, a sympathetic clean will make it even more beautiful!

[sparrow]

apologies Gaz, smartphone typo

[Phillionaire]

What's the story with this one mate? A new arrival? (I should check the vintage section I suppose). What's the size on this?

Even if it only cleans up a little bit, I think it deserves a little TLC. Or you could keep your eyes peeled for another dial?

[tixntox]

Phillionaire, on 30 March 2012 - 12:00 PM, said:

What's the story with this one mate? A new arrival? (I should check the vintage section I suppose). What's the size on this?

Even if it only cleans up a little bit, I think it deserves a little TLC. Or you could keep your eyes peeled for another dial?

Yup! It's a new arrival. A spot of you show me yours and I'll show you ......... Oooooh! I like that! ........... then the usual! I'm still trying to work out if the movement loads through the back, or the front as the bezel looks an extremely close fit and I don't want to mark that lovely case. There are case screws at the back but I suspect that the dial may be larger than the opening and the movement would need to exit through the front.
Mike

[Tony1951]

I thought my dad's old omega had a gold / brown dial until I tried a trick on it that I read about here: Spit on a cotton bud. All the brown gunk which was my grandfather's tobacco smoke tar, just wiped off leaving a quite nice silver dial. The difference was remarkable, albeit that I dislodged a baton through being cackhanded. That dial looks like it has smoke damage on it. I'd give it a gentle wipe with a spit soaked qtip.

BEFORE:




AFTER:

[tixntox]

Once I've worked out how to get in, I may just have a very gentle attempt. That Omega lokks very well Tony.
Mike

[tixntox]

It all came easily out of the back of the case - so I went for it!

Before:-



and after:-



The macro makes it look worse than it is! It came up quite well. It took about three quarters of an hour, half a glass of clean, warm water, lots of patience and lots of cotton buds. I started by moistening the cotton bud (wetting it then rolling it on a dry handkerchief to remove excess water) and just rolling it over the edge of the dial. I thought that nothing was happening but then noticed that the cotton bud was starting to turn brown. I was tempted to rub the dial but after my previous disaster with my Tissot (Doh!) I continued to use a moist bud followed by a dry one. It was slow progress but it worked. The spots are still there as you can probably see but they are much less visible and the overall staining has gone. I was also tempted to change the hands but have decided to replace the old ones for originality. I'll do another pic in daylight tomorrow.
Mike

Edited by tixntox, 31 March 2012 - 07:00 PM.

[Tony1951]

That's hugely better Mike. Satisfying isn't it. Sorry to hear about your Tissot.

You have also managed to clean yours without accidentally taking off any of the minute marker paint stripes, unlike me. They were fading before I even noticed it around the seven to eight o' clock markers. I could have slapped my own face when I realised what was happening. I think I spun the qtip there with a mite too much pressure., brought off that baton at seven o'clock too.

Even though there are still signs of marks on yours, it is part of the patina that a vintage watch should have and would have if it hadn't been locked away in a box for fifty years. In the case of my Grandfather's watch with all the brown tar, it is no wonder he died of lung cancer aged 64, is it, if he could brown off a sealed watch face like that in twenty years.

Edited by Tony1951, 01 April 2012 - 07:58 AM.

[tixntox]

Daylight pic:-



Mike