Vintage Breitling Navitimer patina questions

[txtoth]

I'm looking at early to mid 60s Navitimers and noticing that the patina of lume on the hands often doesn't match that on the numbers is this to be expected or an indication that they've been replaced or re-lumed? Was the same lume used on the dial and hands?
Also a lot of the backs seem like they don't have any scratches does polishing the back affect the price?

[arcadelt]

Originally Posted by txtoth

I'm looking at early to mid 60s Navitimers and noticing that the patina of lume on the hands often doesn't match that on the numbers is this to be expected or an indication that they've been replaced or re-lumed? Was the same lume used on the dial and hands?

Lume patina is a fickle thing. How it comes about is dependent on a number of factors - sometimes it matches and sometimes it doesn’t. Personally, unless it’s a terrible and/or unattractive mismatch it wouldn’t be enough for me to reject the based on just that.

Originally Posted by txtoth

Also a lot of the backs seem like they don't have any scratches does polishing the back affect the price?

Some purists with might reject a watch because of case back polishing, but in my opinion, if everything else is fine, then it wouldn’t bother me. The major thing I would want to assure myself of is that the case back isn’t misrepresenting the age of the watch, because that is where the serial number is.