Daytona worth w/lume loss

[Rolessor82]

Hi guys,

Could a Daytona be less valuable (cheaper) if one lume plot is missing? I assume, yes. By how much? I know it's very personal and subjective matter. But it can't be worth like a mint one assuming rest of condition is same between two watches.

I ask because dealers tend to minimize this.

Thank you!

[TimeToGo]

.
Tough question.
If a Red Submariner was missing lume, it could be worth thousands less.
Depends on year and value of the dial.

[Dan S]

Of course it devalues the watch.

[swish77]

The obvious answer is yes, but not that much, assuming it’s fairly minor lume loss only on a dot or two, and the rest of the watch is excellent.

Many four-digit Daytonas have suffered some kind of lume loss, often at the 3 and/or 9 o’clock marks because the hand-removal tool rests on those areas during service. Vintage Daytonas are rarer and often more valuable than other vintage sports models, so collectors and dealers have a tendency to be more forgiving when it comes to condition.

Also, I wouldn’t compare it to lume loss on other sports models, which have much bigger plots. When you’re missing chunks of lume on a Sub or GMT, for example, it tends to stand out visually. On a vintage Daytona, the tritium dots are small, so you barely notice when they’re missing lume.

I’m missing some lume from the 3 o’clock dot of my 6263. Just the top, like it got flattened down at some point in its life. You can see it here if you compare it to the full dots.

[Rolessor82]

Beautiful Daytona Aaron wow!!! That dial is so clean and shiny...mint.

Thanks for the reply! Wear it in good health.

[0nly5iv3Digits]

If you're asking about lume, we're talking about (at the least) a neo-vintage 5 digit Zenith. Short answer - "Yes." The majority of the appreciable value is in the dial. Depends on the reference, configuration and extent of damage. Could be a few thousand to 5 figures worth.

[Rolessor82]

No, not so much 5 digit Daytonas. I'm talking about 4 digit ones, that we all know are more fragile

[Rolessor82]

I missed the boat on this one because it was a very hight price for me, the watch is unpolished, full set and only one plot missing lume. I think is harder ro find an unpolished one of these 4digit Daytonas. Take a look a the pics. It was really good. But to high for me, was being sold like a minty one

[Dan S]

Oh, so you were asking about 4-digit Daytonas. Good to know.

[Rolessor82]

Yes! Thank you! Like I said. The price on the one I posted earlier was $117k. One lume plot was missing. The rest, unpolished and full set. I turned it down

[TuRo]

$117,000 is very high for a std dial late 70s floating red imho even if perfect 'n' punched papers - but I'm somewhat parsimonious.

[swish77]

Originally Posted by TuRo

$117,000 is very high for a std dial late 70s floating red imho even if perfect 'n' punched papers - but I'm somewhat parsimonious.

Not sure I agree entirely. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but the question is can you find a nicer full set for less money? I follow dealer prices closely on 6263s and I haven’t seen one recently, even in the softer market.

Full set 6263s are rare and tough to find at any price. Examples in excellent condition and unpolished are even rarer.

[0nly5iv3Digits]

117K is above what I'm seeing in the market (but it's a VERY small market) - so I have to agree with Paul, here. But not by a horrendous amount, either. All the little details, condition, dial variation, originality, provenance, completion of the set etc. here make a huge difference price-wise.

With vintage 4 digit pieces, the market is more fluid, operating exclusively on the basis of the concept that is "what folks are willing to pay". Just because I wouldn't personally pay 117K for this piece doesn't mean someone else wouldn't be happy paying 130K for it.