What causes such variation in vintage condition?

[AS1]

I'd love to hear thoughts from my fellow vintage lovers as to what sort of factors, over the years, causes such variation in vintage pieces.

With the cases it's easy. If someone was careless, it's easy to see how the case and bracelet get dinged up.

The dials and hands have always intrigued me. We see watches from identical years with lume completely flaked off, scratches on the dial, stuff like that; yet others are pristine. In extreme cases I can see how water damage or careless servicing could cause those issues, but it doesn't seem possible to me that those sorts of things can account for the wide variation we see in condition.

Is it possible, for example, that two watches that left the factory at the same time were almost destined for different lives based on how paint was applied, lume was applied, stuff like that?

Would love to hear thoughts!

[swish77]

So many factors: Heat, cold, humidity, sun, darkness, different batches of tritium used on dials/hands, different batches of dials for the same models made by different manufacturers, services by bad watchmakers screwing up the condition, some watches were "beaters," others were babied special-occasion watches ... the list does on.

That's what makes vintage watches so beautiful. I've seen two 5513s both in the 5-mil serial number next to each and they looked very different. Forget the cases, the look of the dial/patina was night and day. And the hands on one had slight corrosion, while the hands on the other were pristine. Who knows why?

[themaninblack]

I'm sure there are many factors including environmental and quality issues. But just as Rust never sleeps. Neither does Radium!

[droptopman]

The original manufacture and environment they lived in would be the two that stand out the most to me. Just look at the different vintage inserts we see. Some have huge fonts from worn out pads. So even though we may see two MKII inserts, the fonts can be vary different. Then add in all the elements of years of wear and some fade, some really fade, and some remain relatively NOS.
This variation is easy to see on inserts, but I assume it also exists on dials and other parts.

Much more hand work was done on vintage pieces so more room for variables.

What is somewhat funny to me is that the "tropical" dials, cartoon like fat fonts and other original oddities are now worth the most.....

In some cases I think some of these parts were removed originally because they were "off" and are now worth a fortune. A friend recently paid $3000 for a MKIII insert that has a kissing 40 & 50. Almost all the numbers touch on the insert. It is basically in NOS condition. I assume when the watch was new the owner removed it because it was different and put on a "regular" insert for the era. He has a similar MKII and paid a premium for it too.

[themaninblack]

Inserts that have spent a great deal of time exposed to UV and or chlorine such as a regular pool swimmers watch will inevitably fade more than on a primarily indoor or protected watch, especially over a 50 year period.

[Michael M.]

Also, careless or inexperienced watchmakers seems to be the cause of many imperfections I see today..

[AS1]

thanks for all the replies.

I definitely see how external parts like inserts, cases and bracelets will vary hugely depending on the wearer, but I find it kind of fascinating how sometimes you'll see vintage pieces where the stuff under the crystal can be so different (sometimes even the same watch, where one hand might be pristine and the other might have lume flaking off, for example).

all part of the charm and challenge of vintage!