16710 Dial Fade Question

[DrTed]

Hi Everyone,

I, like many other here, am a big fan of a good fading on my GMT's pepsi bezel. In fact, in additional to my usual bezel getting its gradual fade, I have a great, very faded insert that I bought from a seller here and put on my z-serial 16710 sometimes for fun. Especially off the bracelet, it does a good job of dressing the watch down a little and adding some nonchalance. But it looks a tiny bit off to my eye to have an awesomely worn-in bezel but a pristine face.

So, do we know yet whether the dial or the 24-hour hand will fade over time in the sapphire models? Or, left to its own devices and entropy, will a 16710 naturally still have that disconnect and keep an unchanged-looking face and hands? I know that the superluminova most likely won't brown from age, but I haven't been able to find any discussion here about other aging. Nor have I been able to find any pictures showing any from Google images: even 16760s with very brown lume and very faded bezels seem to have a bright red 24-hour hand and a dial without any patina or fade.

It's not necessarily a bad look, I'm just curious what the future holds for these models after some more years. And it may just look off to me because I'm used to seeing faded bezels next to plexiglass and creamy or brown tritium.

Thanks everyone,
DrTed

[joe100]

Maybe eventually the dials will fade but since some 16710 dials are coming up on 30 years old, I think we would have seen it by now. Lume changing color, now that has happened on some

[DrTed]

Thank you joe100, thank is helpful.

DrTed

[joe100]

Now 16753 16750 and 16758 gloss dials, because of inferior lacquer, will fade/crack/bubble

[mfer]

Well, everything fades with enough time.

[ducatiti]

Here is a picture of a 20 year old 16700. Wore it everyday for the past 20 years :)

[bbressler]

Originally Posted by ducatiti

Here is a picture of a 20 year old 16700. Wore it everyday for the past 20 years :)

Looks brand new!

[Speed]

There's your answer.

We have such a weird hobby. Can't see an auto enthusiast get happy his classic car's paint job is fading...or his dash / header are cracking! ;-)

[Dickie Watty]

DrTed, I think you shouldn't worry about that georgous Pepsi and just sell it to me!

[watchwatcher]

Well...to be honest, I don't know. But I can say it doesn't look like the dial will fade in proportion to what the bezel has. If this seriously bothers you, I would look at going all in on a vintage model with nice patina and the like.

If not, just enjoy what you've got. I think it looks great, by the way.

[SLS]

When Rolex made the switch from matte dials to the glossy dials they had some issues with the paint cracking, referred to as "crazing", as well as some glossy dials turning to a matte dial, see my Sub below. But now, I feel Rolex has been painting the glossy dials long enough that they have worked most of the issues out, so sadly I don't see them changing colors.
Scott