Dial damaged while shipping?! I am confused....any thoughts greatly appreciated

[Larry S]

I have received watches from EU, domestically and from OZ and shipped a few. Watches that were running before shipping can be dead as a doornail upon arrival. Vibration, shocks pressure changes, you can’t really pack against these. This however is quite bizarre. Is it possible that there was loose paint under the hands that was aggravated by the trip?

 

[Tony C.]

hejsam

Even though the hour hand looks to clear out a decent gap to the dial now maybe it did not do for a while if there was any type of pressure on it. Could it be possible?

Certainly a mystery, and I first wondered whether there might have been a loss of pressure such that it somehow compressed the dial and (moving) hands. The problem with that theory, though, is that it would have had to have lasted for hours to create the circular mark!

 

[tmw57]

And there is an additional circular mark/scratch between 8:00 and 9:00! As well as numerous white spots in that area..

I had hoped to find the culprit after I got the watch back.

Now even more confused.

 

[Tony C.]

tmw57

And there is an additional circular mark/scratch between 8:00 and 9:00!

That one does appear in your original photos, as well.

 

[dsio]

So this watch was perfect in the sellers photos, I bought it off eBay as a gift for my girlfriend and it just shipped interstate in Australia, somehow in transit the dial got scraped in a semicircle which is really heartbreaking because it was a flawless dial. She liked it still and it was cheap even with the dial damage so we kept it but I was equally as mystified as to how this happens in transit.

 

[tmw57]

Tony C.

That one does appear in your original photos, as well.

Yeah, just took another look and see it now..

 

[tmw57]

dsio

So this watch was perfect in the sellers photos, I bought it off eBay as a gift for my girlfriend and it just shipped interstate in Australia, somehow in transit the dial got scraped in a semicircle which is really heartbreaking because it was a flawless dial. She liked it still and it was cheap even with the dial damage so we kept it but I was equally as mystified as to how this happens in transit.

And damage is very similar to mine in terms of area of scratch and relationship to the hour hand

Edited: Sep 7, 2021

 

[Tony C.]

A theory:

Unbeknownst to the seller, one of the dial feet is broken. While the watch was in his possession, there would have been no reason to be suspicious, and especially if the watch was rarely worn. When it was shipped, there was a serious shock, or serious of them, and the dial lost its seated integrity, allowing contact to be made with the hour hand.

An admittedly much more "far out" theory:

The circular mark, caused at some point, and in some way, by the hour hand, was actually present when the seller owned the watch, but obscured by a light "touch-up" job executed under previous ownership. The refinish looked good enough to the naked eye so as not to arouse attention, but, during the recent international shipping, as a result of one, and possibly more shocks, the thin layer of old, dry material was jarred loose.

Why did the buyer see no evidence of it in powder form? Well, the amount could be so small that it would make detection difficult without actually tapping the dial over a clean sheet of paper.

 

[Archer]

Has the underside of the hour hand been checked? I will sometimes find a "blob" of lume sticking down from the underside of hands, and if the watch received enough of a shock to shift the hour hand closer to the dial, it may have made contact where it didn't previously.

 

[dsio]

Archer

Has the underside of the hour hand been checked? I will sometimes find a "blob" of lume sticking down from the underside of hands, and if the watch received enough of a shock to shift the hour hand closer to the dial, it may have made contact where it didn't previously.

That is a really interesting idea, I couldn’t work out how the mark had even appeared on the one I posted above as neither the tip nor tail of either hand lines up with it, a blob dragging would make far more sense and potentially be cleanable too

 

[Zuke]

Todd @tmw57 is a class act

 

[Davidt]

I can’t for the life of me remember which watch it was, let alone show before and after pictures but I once bought a watch already showing a feint circle around the hand stack. I assume it was historic drag and was permanent damage but it didn’t stop me buying it.

When the watch returned for service it was gone. The explanation being it was some old lume material that had deposited on top of the dial but not actually damaged it.

The method of application may be different here but there is at least some hope it’s not permanent

 

[tmw57]

Davidt

I can’t for the life of me remember which watch it was, let alone show before and after pictures but I once bought a watch already showing a feint circle around the hand stack. I assume it was historic drag and was permanent damage but it didn’t stop me buying it.

When the watch returned for service it was gone. The explanation being it was some old lume material that had deposited on top of the dial but not actually damaged it.

The method of application may be different here but there is at least some hope it’s not permanent

But buyer, S, said that rodico didn't remove it. So I'm right now assuming the worst..

 

[philips]

I'm really sorry to hear this, it's always troubling when buyers get a negative surprise. It's possible that the cargo cabin was unpressurized, so the altitude caused expansion and contractions of the watch case, dial and hands resulting in damage.

 

[wsfarrell]

Here are two photos of the same Rolex "spider" dial, taken from different angles:





I'm wondering if the damage was there before the watch was sent. Far-fetched, I know, but consider the next-best theory: A large blob of lume appears from nowhere on the hour hand, gets dragged around enough during shipment to cause unremoveable scratches on the dial, then disappears completely.

 

[tmw57]

Sure, pictures certainly tell different stories depending on angle, lighting, etc.

But I examined this one by hand and with a loupe. So I'm sure it wasn't shipped like that..

I did however, miss the very faint circle between 8:00 and 9:00 as Tony C. pointed out. And for that, I take full responsibility...

 

[tmw57]

Mystery solved!

S, the purchaser, took another look at the watch while decased. He found that the dial was loose and that there was a significant amount of hard lume sticking out beneath the hour hand. So when the watch was shipped, it was probably upside down for a significant amount of time causing the dial to move forward toward the crystal and come into contact with the hour hand..

I am extremely grateful to all who replied here, and particularly grateful to S from Sweden, who has been remarkably patient, helpful and understanding throughout this mess.

S, thank you for looking into and finding the problem on your end! You are indeed a stellar OF member!

And as always, thank you OF for this wonderful community.

Cheers,

Todd

Edited: Sep 9, 2021

 

[hejsam]

As @tmw57 said a huge thanks for all kind help, and thanks Todd for an excellent treatment of this boring situation. An exceptional seller taking responsibillity for the affair when it did not go as planned.

Here is some pictures of the hour hand, notice its got a good bit of clerance to the dial now but with a loose dial its not hard to imagine the lump of lume dragning on the dial and scratching it. Notice the scratched circle line up perfectly with the lume on the backside.

A mixture of a sloppy watchmaker doing the relume-job and also dont making sure the dial is mounted correctly along with some bad luck in the shipping I guess. Feels good to solve the mystery and finding out what caused the damage at least 😀

 

[hejsam]

I will send the watch to a watchmaker to make sure the dial is fixed properly and then enjoy the watch. Its currently sitting on a Tissot GF bracelet from the 60s until I find an original DS bracelet!

 

[Zapatta]

hejsam

I will send the watch to a watchmaker to make sure the dial is fixed properly and then enjoy the watch. Its currently sitting on a Tissot GF bracelet from the 60s until I find an original DS bracelet!

Watch looks great even damaged, wear it in good health!