2001 DJ - why Tritium dial & Luminova hands?

[Magic-Matt]

Hey guys!

Noticed a few days back that my 2001 P series DJ (avatar pic) has the Tritium dial that has virtually no lume power left, but has Luminova hands! Weird right? I can clearly see the difference when I shine a torch/UV lamp on the watch and view in the dark, hands glow bright, markers nothing at all until your eyes adjust hours later throughout the night!

Ive read some posts on Rolex oddities such as this - like Tritium marked dials around the 98-01 period actually coming out the factory with Luminova paint and even Luminova dials with Tritium hands!

To sum out, what are all these inconsistencies and what's likely to be the story with mine (if anyone can guess it). I purchased from 1st owner that had never touched the watch except for one AD service. (Heard the AD sometimes replaces hands without notice) but not the dial, perhaps the most logical explanation?

Be interesting to hear your thoughts as not sure whether it would be more suited to the watch to stick some Tritium hands on it, or try and get an identical dial with Luminova , i.e. SWISS MADE printed at the bottom.

[joe100]

Probably service hands. Rolex likely changed them out at a recent service. Did you buy this watch new from an AD?

[77T]

The original owner paid to replace the hands - it is possible the RSC or AD didn't point it out, but it isn't free.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Magic-Matt

Hey guys!

Noticed a few days back that my 2001 P series DJ (avatar pic) has the Tritium dial that has virtually no lume power left, but has Luminova hands! Weird right? I can clearly see the difference when I shine a torch/UV lamp on the watch and view in the dark, hands glow bright, markers nothing at all until your eyes adjust hours later throughout the night!

Ive read some posts on Rolex oddities such as this - like Tritium marked dials around the 98-01 period actually coming out the factory with Luminova paint and even Luminova dials with Tritium hands!

To sum out, what are all these inconsistencies and what's likely to be the story with mine (if anyone can guess it). I purchased from 1st owner that had never touched the watch except for one AD service. (Heard the AD sometimes replaces hands without notice) but not the dial, perhaps the most logical explanation?

Be interesting to hear your thoughts as not sure whether it would be more suited to the watch to stick some Tritium hands on it, or try and get an identical dial with Luminova , i.e. SWISS MADE printed at the bottom.

I would doubt if you DJ has a Tritium dial, Tritium dials ended around 1998. They switched to Luminover with just the word Swiss on the bottom of the dial from 1998-2000.Then from 2000 on they used Swiss Made on bottom dial till present time.The lume markers on the DJ are very small and Rolex lume is not the best. the more surface lume area the better the glow when charged with bright light.

[Magic-Matt]

Originally Posted by padi56

I would doubt if you DJ has a Tritium dial, Tritium dials ended around 1998. They switched to Luminover with just the word Swiss on the bottom of the dial from 1998-2000.Then from 2000 on they used Swiss Made on bottom dial till present time.The lume markers on the DJ are very small and Rolex lume is not the best. the more surface lume area the better the glow when charged with bright light.

Thats what I thought, but the dial is printed T SWISS MADE T, rather than just SWISS MADE - and as I say, no amount of powerful light provokes even the slightest glow from them - ziltch, nada, where as the hands glow like mad for the first few minutes!

As I say, weird and maybe impossible to really ever know the story. I bought the watch from a private seller, really nice helpful guy, and all he just knows he had it serviced at the AD in the UK once in 2006.

[ecsub44]

My guess is that the hands were replaced during service. I suppose it's possible that it came from the factory that way...but I've not heard of a similar scenario before (not that it matters).

[Magic-Matt]

Originally Posted by ecsub44

My guess is that the hands were replaced during service.

I believe that must be whats happened - is it normal for a Tritium dial to be on a 2000 P series though?

[GTS Dean]

I had the hands changed on my Zenith Daytona because I couldn't read the time in the dark. I kept the tritium dial because the subdials have a very nice tan/brown patina.

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[padi56]

Originally Posted by Magic-Matt

Thats what I thought, but the dial is printed T SWISS MADE T, rather than just SWISS MADE - and as I say, no amount of powerful light provokes even the slightest glow from them - ziltch, nada, where as the hands glow like mad for the first few minutes!

As I say, weird and maybe impossible to really ever know the story. I bought the watch from a private seller, really nice helpful guy, and all he just knows he had it serviced at the AD in the UK once in 2006.

Although nothing is written in stone with Rolex it does seem strange to have a P serial with the Tritium dial.The TT DJ is not the fastest selling watch in the western world so its possible.

[Magic-Matt]

Originally Posted by padi56

Although nothing is written in stone with Rolex it does seem strange to have a P serial with the Tritium dial.

Yep, thats what I thought... sooo, I had an idea to trawl Chrono24.com for DJ's between 2000 - 2002 and see what came up in Tritium - amazingly I found a total of 10 watches on 3 pages, all of varying metals/faces, but indeed with Tritium dials!

That does conflict with other posts Ive read stating that by 2000 Rolex completely did away with anything Tritium on ALL their watches!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Magic-Matt

Yep, thats what I thought... sooo, I had an idea to trawl Chrono24.com for DJ's between 2000 - 2002 and see what came up in Tritium - amazingly I found a total of 10 watches on 3 pages, all of varying metals/faces, but indeed with Tritium dials!

That does conflict with other posts Ive read stating that by 2000 Rolex completely did away with anything Tritium on ALL their watches!

Well the DJ is Rolex biggest selling watch world wide and that dial is a common dial. So when you print many hundreds of dials Tritium or Luminover and stored it makes sense to use them all up.Now I have seen Tritium marked dials but they had Luminover markers and hands new watches from Rolex.

[Magic-Matt]

Originally Posted by padi56

Now I have seen Tritium marked dials but they had Luminover markers and hands new watches from Rolex.

X2, but even if I shine the hell out of torch for 1 hour on to the dial they dont glow in the slightest! So I guess theres not chance they can be anything but Tritium right?

Although, oddly enough, when I wear the watch in bed, by about 4-5am the little dots do develop a faint glow, and by the time the hands have died down to almost the same brightest, pretty freeky stuff! Lol

I think I might just try and pick up a set of matching Tritium hands off the Bay to make it consistent?

[Tools]

I would expect that the dial was changed at some point to an early Champagne by the owner..

[Magic-Matt]

Originally Posted by Tools

I would expect that the dial was changed at some point to an early Champagne by the owner..

You'd think so, but after speaking to the 1st/original owner he assures me he bought it right off the shelf like that from Goldsmiths, Rolex AD, UK. Ive actually contacted them to see what they can find out from the service centre regarding what really went on there under the hood! lol