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Very nice Matteo!

Greg

 

I love a brown dial, especially when the fade is uneven, yet attractively balanced as in the first example. The areas around the subdials showing a "brighter" brown. It gives these dials tremendous character.

A brown dial is not always understood, or appreciated by everyone, but like many niche things, a really attractive one can command a premium way beyond understanding for many. To balance that concept, I see many so called browns, or faded dials that are NOT a nice colour, or attractive, being offered for very high prices. These are not sold.

Lovely watches, thank you for the sight of them.

 

I wonder if you could produce this brown effect by giving the dial a serious blast of UV light on a sun-bed or similar?

Then you could really be in business . . .

 

ha ha, I don't think there is a member of this forum interested in brown dials who hasn't tried something like that!

i have tried 3 months in an otherwise empty case, in tropical sun, with the crown off so as to allow some humidity in, (and also tried it sealed of course) but neither had any affect. Yes on a vintage "T" marked dial.

then i did a month under a nail polish UV light. Nothing.

then, risking getting on all sorts of alert lists I ordered a "gro-light". That's too strong and gets too hot.

then short wave UV that is used for gemstone testing.

the reason is, I believe, that most of the change happens in the first six months or so. I have heard it theorised that it has something to do with a zappon coating, either not applied or coming off on a small batch of dials in 1969. But that doesn't add up, because although brown dials from circa 29m production are comparatively prolific, they do occur in other years.
i have a brown in every reference except 105.003. Although these browns are different from the patchy browns of '69 ranging from a dark blackish brown, a reddish brown, a brown brown, then yellowish galaxy chocolate.

So it may be the zappon theory is correct for these patchy, or swirly dials of the circa 29m/1969 era.

obsessed? moi?

oh yes.

 

That's really good, actually, that you can't produce this effect by some kind of process. It makes the nice brown ones all the more to be valued, as a kind of gift from historical serendipity.

I am pleased that you made all these experiments in the interests of science

 

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Have you tried this yet

The WD40 on the Paneri lightened the dial

http://omegaforums.net/threads/bit-of-a-disaster.8040/

 

Ashamed to say, that yes I have.

 

how cute!!!