Cream-colored dials?

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

Noddyman
I can’t imagine this started out any other colour than what you see now.
It’s not pure white as the photo suggests, more of a cotton white is the best way I can describe it.

Hi Noddyman, that is a beautiful Constellation. I love your description--"cotton white" captures the softness that I find so appealing in these dials. Would you mind sharing the reference number? (There are so many different references, but I am starting to be able to keep track of some of them.)
Thank you!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

B bonzodog

Gorgeous! That dial is amazing: AND the subseconds dial is perfection itself!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

marco
GP 4946. Eggshell dial.

Hi Marco, That GP is beautiful--with a beautiful dial. Is this a vintage model? or is it more recent?
In any case--what a wonderful watch!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

MRC
Definitely an even cream, but hard to photograph. Maybe I should experiment more with colour balance.

That is a beautiful Zodiac! Thank you for sharing it!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

TimeODanaos
Hi, Chris - I think photography can modify what you see by quite a bit, as you can see below. I don't really distinguish objectively between "champagne" and "cream", but I am always rather dubious about anything from that far back that is still "white". Theories abound, but light and atmosphere I think will always promote a chemical reaction over time - the trick is to get one of the benign ones. The exception is if it's made from an inherently inert material like enamel, and even then it can happen - as @Scarecrow Boat has illustrated perfectly above with his UGs.

Hi TimeODanaos, The more I've read on this thread, the more I have come to understand that there are many more factors in the appearance of a dial than I had realized--including photography. I want to say, too, that your two Seamasters look terrific!
Since I am trying to learn more about the different models out there, would you mind sharing the references for each?
Thank you--
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

rhetoric
Cream dials are my favourite, whether with gold or stainless. They have a real vintage vibe, even with modern pieces.

Hi Rhetoric--those are nice watches! I agree--cream dials look great with both SS and gold cases.
Thank you--
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

river9
What is weird it's these dials in real life don't look yellowish, but on photo they seem really yellow/salmon
But I love them ...

Hi River9, I think I know exactly what you mean! Below is a pic of my 166.010. It definitely has a silver sunburst dial. BUT: in certain lights (natural light especially), it takes on a coppery, cafe au lait color, which is beyond beautiful. My (totally uninformed) theory is that the decades have sort of "cured" the finish on the dial to give it that hue. (By contrast, I've noticed that silver-dialed Seikos [e.g., my King Seiko] from that period do not seem to take on the creamy/golden color with age. Maybe their finishing techniques were different?)
~Chris

hen · Mar 9, 2023

My college`s Seamaster 30. Sorry for the bad picture.

cnjackson · Mar 9, 2023

hen
My college`s Seamaster 30. Sorry for the bad picture.

Hi hen, I love it! What a wonderful, simple, and clean Seamaster. And the dial is beautiful!
Thank you for sharing this!
Chris

hen · Mar 9, 2023

cnjackson
Hi hen, I love it! What a wonderful, simple, and clean Seamaster. And the dial is beautiful!
Thank you for sharing this!
Chris

It sure is. He have it after his father and I have been bugging him to get it restored and start to wear it instead of his Nixon.

MRC · Mar 9, 2023

cnjackson
That is a beautiful Zodiac! Thank you for sharing it!

It's an example that chrome-plated cases can be good and shouldn't always be ignored 👍 It was actually made by Heuer and carries Heuer reference 7721 and serial 179069. Don't tell the Zodiac forum, drives them nuts 😁

Here is another Heuer of mine with rather creamy-looking sub-dials and rehaut. But my "white" Carrera is brushed silver for sure. I'd love to find one of the very early Carreras that really is white -- just to admire, couldn't afford to buy it 🙁

TimeODanaos · Mar 9, 2023

cnjackson
Since I am trying to learn more about the different models out there, would you mind sharing the references for each?

No problem, Chris - see edited post, now including refs. Thanks for the compliments - but then, these are (deliberately) not exotic models, just showing the standard sort of shades to expect from the late-50s/early 60s classics.
Tim

nkhandekar · Mar 9, 2023

speedb
UV radiation or ionising radiation (old lume) damage

Sometimes, but not always. Sometimes paint yellows in the dark. Next time you take a light switch cover off old paint or remove old trim, note the yellowness that has developed in paint that has not seen light for a long time.

river9 · Mar 9, 2023

cnjackson
Hi River9, I think I know exactly what you mean! Below is a pic of my 166.010. It definitely has a silver sunburst dial. BUT: in certain lights (natural light especially), it takes on a coppery, cafe au lait color, which is beyond beautiful. My (totally uninformed) theory is that the decades have sort of "cured" the finish on the dial to give it that hue. (By contrast, I've noticed that silver-dialed Seikos [e.g., my King Seiko] from that period do not seem to take on the creamy/golden color with age. Maybe their finishing techniques were different?)
~Chris

Sorry I am not English native speaker. Just want to say what you describe above was exactly what I would want to tell.
Below are pics of my watch in different ligh conditions. Please notice hue color the same white dial 'plays' with light.
Cheers

Nissestr · Mar 13, 2023

Creamy

sathomasga · Mar 13, 2023

As an aside to this conversation, I've noticed that Omega's Extract of the Archives sometimes notes a dial color:

But on my Seamaster 30, which is definitely cream-colored today:

There is nothing indicated:

cnjackson · Mar 13, 2023

river9
Sorry I am not English native speaker. Just want to say what you describe above was exactly what I would want to tell.
Below are pics of my watch in different ligh conditions. Please notice hue color the same white dial 'plays' with light.
Cheers

Hi river9--I'm sorry for my slow reply: work caught up with me. Yes--these pictures of your Constellation are just wonderful--and you're right: the light really shows different colors in the dial. I'm envious!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 13, 2023

Nissestr
Creamy

OMG! Nissestr, thank you for sharing this image. That is a fantastic Constellation with an amazing dial. (It really shows up against the red box, too.) May I ask, what reference is that watch?
Thanks again!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 13, 2023

sathomasga
As an aside to this conversation, I've noticed that Omega's Extract of the Archives sometimes notes a dial color:

But on my Seamaster 30, which is definitely cream-colored today:

There is nothing indicated:

Hi sathomasga, this is so interesting. AND: that is a beautiful Seamaster 30!
Chris

cnjackson · Mar 13, 2023

hen
It sure is. He have it after his father and I have been bugging him to get it restored and start to wear it instead of his Nixon.

Haha! I hope he gets it restored! It will look amazing!
Chris

Cream-colored dials?

cnjackson

cnjackson

cnjackson

cnjackson

cnjackson

cnjackson

cnjackson

hen

cnjackson

hen

MRC

TimeODanaos

nkhandekar

river9

Nissestr

sathomasga

cnjackson

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