Anything wrong with this Rolex 16800

[MinMay]

Hello

I want to get a second opinion on this watch before purchasing it. I don’t see anything wrong with it but your expertise is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[BigBlue1]

I don't see anything g wrong as well

[BrazenC5]

Ask if they're replacement hands?

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[05carbondrz]

I agree that the Hands look off.

[CPRWATCH]

The hands definitely look like replacements , they just look too white to me , probably service replacements . Here's mine for some comparison ,

[uncleluck]

The hands are off but so what honestly?. If everything else checks out it’d be the least of my worries.

I’d send it off to have someone stain the lume on the hands to match the hour markers & it’d be sweet.

[MinMay]

thanks everyone. Yep, it's a service replacement hands.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by uncleluck

The hands are off but so what honestly?. If everything else checks out it’d be the least of my worries.

I’d send it off to have someone stain the lume on the hands to match the hour markers & it’d be sweet.

We all have our likes and dislikes on vintage pieces, but I always start with the dial and hands. That is what a watch is, after all. They need to be original, matching patina (or at least close), and never relumed. So, yes, I think an issue with the hands is very important.

If the rest of the watch is great and sings to you, I think a better option would be to track down a set of correct tritium hands that have a closer match to the patina on the dial. (That ain't easy, though.)

[Cheutc]

nice piece but not matching hands would really bother me but thats just me

[Wing Zero]

Originally Posted by Cheutc

nice piece but not matching hands would really bother me but thats just me

You could get it and hunt for matching hands in the marketplace if the price is right.


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[Wing Zero]

Actually I found the watch on eBay and the dial looks relume to me.


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[jonatutu]

Sorry this may be off topic to the thread. I cant help but to ask, how to maintain the tritium hands to have the same aging color with the dial markers.
Sourcing for a matching hands yes i agree but at some point in time the tritium will flake off right?

Both my 2 tritium rolex/tudor are facing this problem, matching color but starting to flake.

[05carbondrz]

Originally Posted by jonatutu

Sorry this may be off topic to the thread. I cant help but to ask, how to maintain the tritium hands to have the same aging color with the dial markers.
Sourcing for a matching hands yes i agree but at some point in time the tritium will flake off right?

Both my 2 tritium rolex/tudor are facing this problem, matching color but starting to flake.

A lot of Times the Hands are a shade darker than the Dial on all original untouched Watches.This is completely normal and just the way things naturally aged.

[FTX I]

Originally Posted by 05carbondrz

A lot of Times the Hands are a shade darker than the Dial on all original untouched Watches.This is completely normal and just the way things naturally aged.

I've seen E and X serial GMTs and they had hands with a lighter shade than dial. I thought that was the norm..

[blowfish89]

Nice watch. Good luck, here is my 16800

[swish77]

Originally Posted by 05carbondrz

A lot of Times the Hands are a shade darker than the Dial on all original untouched Watches.This is completely normal and just the way things naturally aged.

x2. Unless you get lucky, and the patina is uniform on dial and hands. Different batches of tritium were often used on the dial and hands, leading to a difference as they age over time.

Other brands are worse. Look at vintage Breitlings and Omegas. It's much harder to find matching tritium on an old Navitimer or Speedmaster, for example.