Hi All,

Could I seek the advice of more knowledgeable people. I'm interested in getting a Seamaster Chrono which has a very faded (nearly no colour or markings left) bezel insert. Even some of the luminescent hour dots on the dial have been lost. Whilst I'm happy to live with this amount of fading, could I ask how this might have happened and whether there might be cause for concern regarding the working of the watch? Many thanks for your thoughts!

 

Many thanks, dsio. I've come across comments by others about how salts/bleaches can be used to fade the paint, but it's interesting how the luminescent dots on the dials have also lost their luminosity! You're quite right - It does look like its had a hard life with the amount of scratches on the insert. I guess I'm uncertain if the movement got damaged along the way! I'm having difficulty trying to assess what its worth is.

 

The luminous dots look like they might have been exposed to moisture and not serviced by the owner at the time.

Have you had a chance to handle the watch and observe it working?

 

Thanks for the comments Spy. Would anyone know what the lumniscence is made out of? I'll try to find out if moisture can have that effect on them. Thanks!

 

It is made of Superluminova.

 

It seems strange that the lume in the hands has been unaffected.