I recently listed a Longines All-Guard in the "Watches For Sale" section, stating it had an original dial. I was advised by Tony C. that it was not original. Scratching my head (no splinters in my fingers this time!) I initiated a conversation with Tony. With his blessing, I am pasting the conversation below. I hope it will help collectors like me who (even after collecting for so many years) still fall for even a bad redial... So the All-Guard doesn't have Refinish Guard? I appreciate the feedback. But I honestly thought it was original! I asked Dennis to amend the listing. I respect your opinions and expertise (you're one of a few who frequently make meaningful contributions to this forum). May I ask what features of the dial convince you it is refinished? I wouldn't mind moving this to a public thread if you think it would benefit others. But I wanted to PM you first. Thanks Tony! Hi Bryan, There is, of course, no substitute for experience, but I would advise anyone who has questions about dial originality to first do the following: Do a web search for the model in question, and review images in order to gain feel for what is original. It is useful to search both links to discussions on watch forums, and for images. If, having put some time into research, there are still questions about originality, then either pose the question on an appropriate forum, or contact a seasoned collector directly. Now, In the case of your example, the fonts are clearly not original, nor are they even well-executed for a re-dial. For contrast, consider the original lettering in the examples shown below. The lettering on your watch is quite crude in comparison, and you will undoubtedly experience more nuanced distinctions in the future. Feel free to make the thread public, and best regards, Tony C. I took a magnified screen shot of my dial and the spotty one so they would be next to one another on my "smart" phone. It actually took me two tries before I had the "Holy Cow!" moment. Now it's obvious. The refinished dial has a flat-bottomed "c" in "Automatic," the "r" in "Guard" is short and wide, and overall font is thick. Thanks Tony. I find this is very helpful, and since I have your blessing I'm making it public for the benefit of collectors like me!
This is very helpful to me as well, thanks to all. Now I need to get home and check my pair of All-Guards.