Oil "stains" on matte dial

[thenewguyguys]

What could cause this, The watchmaker wasn't careful when servicing the watch? fixining it would be better or worse for the dial? last would you prefer a damage dial or a refinished dial

[MonBK]

Show it.

[dysondiver]

seen a few stains on hands before , dark at the center then lightening out , maybe over oiling , maybe the oils didnt stay where they were put then , different specs of oil ,,, but im sure the experts will be along , and there are some gifted watchmakers on the site too.

[drifter01]

It would take a very sloppy watchmaker to get oil on the dial. The movement is oiled without the dial and the oil shouldn't migrate onto the dial surface. Possibly the back of the dial, but not the front.
I would prefer a damaged dial to a refinished one.

[watchcrank]

Need a scan but have had many spotted. Some look like watch oils dropped on surface of dial. Others probable from moisture incursion. Others perhaps caused by chemical reactions of materials, paints used in process contaminated during process etc. I'd still prefer original to a re finish job. m

[thenewguyguys]

Some angles easier to see some harder.

[watchgroupcorp]

It's unfortunate, but the truth of the matter is that watchmakers make mistakes all the time... like dropping parts... or maybe using rodico putty to clean an accidental over oiling of a ruby and then going to quickly and using that same piece of rodico to pick up a white spec of dust on the dial. Now the dial has a stain on it. I've also seen the appearance of stains caused by soldering dial feet and getting the dial a little too hot. This can create a shiny spot or even glaze the entire dial... matte becomes glossyish. Somebody could have opened his moebus vile to add to his oiler container and not put the lid on... a quick bump with an elbow can cause quite the mess... I would like to see a photo to be able to analyze it better. I would always prefer a damaged dial to a refinished dial.

[watchgroupcorp]

Originally Posted by drifter01

It would take a very sloppy watchmaker to get oil on the dial. The movement is oiled without the dial and the oil shouldn't migrate onto the dial surface. Possibly the back of the dial, but not the front.
I would prefer a damaged dial to a refinished one.

Or a watchmaker with a big workload, demanding boss, and who is just having a plain ol' bad day all around. :-o #nerves #pressure

[SearChart]

Never touch vintage when you're not having your day... Something every watchmaker should live by.

[watchgroupcorp]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Never touch vintage when you're not having your day... Something every watchmaker should live by.

#agreed

[thenewguyguys]

Any comments on the picture?

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by thenewguyguys

Any comments on the picture?

Yup, looks like grease stains. Can be carefully removed with one of those Rolex sticky sticks designed for hands and dial.

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Yup, looks like grease stains. Can be carefully removed with one of those Rolex sticky sticks designed for hands and dial.

Is there a technical term for the Rolex Sticky Stick ;) - or a Bergeon equivalent ;) ?

[watchgroupcorp]

Originally Posted by thenewguyguys

Any comments on the picture?

rodico putty should work nicely

[Aceldama]

Man, is there anyway that could be seepage from the movement considering it seems to be coming from the hand area?

[jay_kay]

I'm not sure whether it looks like he may have caught the dial when replacing the hands and has touched it up with some black paint hoping it would go unnoticed.

[watchgroupcorp]

Originally Posted by jay_kay

I'm not sure whether it looks like he may have caught the dial when replacing the hands and has touched it up with some black paint hoping it would go unnoticed.

Yeah that sounds most likely. Scrape from presto hand remover or english lever without putting plastic over the dial and hands and then hitting it with paint or even a sharpie industrial true black marker would be the most likely cause... Oil just should not be there... But the other thought is if he is using a dial solder machine (thinking that he accidentally broke off a dial foot), the screw goes right through the hole of the watch. It could have heated just enough to cause a little bit of gloss in that one spot. But I think covering up a small scratch with paint or ink is probably the most likely to have happened.

[SearChart]

Originally Posted by linesiders

Is there a technical term for the Rolex Sticky Stick ;) - or a Bergeon equivalent ;) ?

Well I'm sure it has a Rolex number like all of their tools, I'll check it next week.

[thenewguyguys]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Yup, looks like grease stains. Can be carefully removed with one of those Rolex sticky sticks designed for hands and dial.

Hmm you really think that? I have my doubts(but I am not the expert here), I think I'll just leave as it is now, not sure which watchmaker here in Sweden I can trust to take a look at it, I dont want them making it worse

Here are some more pictures, really hard to take a good one with shitty phone camera.

[MonBK]

Originally Posted by thenewguyguys

Hmm you really think that? I have my doubts(but I am not the expert here), I think I'll just leave as it is now, not sure which watchmaker here in Sweden I can trust to take a look at it, I dont want them making it worse

Here are some more pictures, really hard to take a good one with shitty phone camera.

You could ask Jocke's friend Tony if he can do something for you.

[SearChart]

Doesn't really look like it's damaged, but could be some other grime or whatever. Dials are fragile but you can get a lot of stuff off if you use the correct tools and do it carefully.

[drifter01]

It looks like a touch-up to me.

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by SearChart

Well I'm sure it has a Rolex number like all of their tools, I'll check it next week.

Thank you sir~ ;)

[R.W.T.]

Originally Posted by drifter01

it looks like a touch-up to me.

bingo!

[R.W.T.]

Originally Posted by watchgroupcorp

yeah that sounds most likely. Scrape from presto hand remover or english lever without putting plastic over the dial and hands and then hitting it with paint or even a sharpie industrial true black marker would be the most likely cause... Oil just should not be there... But the other thought is if he is using a dial solder machine (thinking that he accidentally broke off a dial foot), the screw goes right through the hole of the watch. It could have heated just enough to cause a little bit of gloss in that one spot. But i think covering up a small scratch with paint or ink is probably the most likely to have happened.

+1

Truly on this era dial...that black is uber fragile. I wouldn't get terribly upset with the theoretical practices of an unknown watchmaker there necessarily. How many red sub dials feet first have we seen where huge chunks of black surface just popped off. Sometimes you wouldn't have to even do anything. Still due diligence of care, but stuff happens. It's old. It's also one of the very reasons why Rolex doesn't want to work on it. They can't replace the dial with the same kind.

It's unfortunate but it does happen. You do your best.

[crowncollection]

Looks like it touched up IMHO


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[thenewguyguys]

Thanks for the info guys! I'll leave it for now :D

[thenewguyguys]

Some more pictures

[drifter01]

Still looks more like a touch-up than anything else.

[thenewguyguys]

Originally Posted by drifter01

Still looks more like a touch-up than anything else.

Thanks, do yiu think it can be "redone"? Or make it look less then it is now