Gilt Dial Omegas....

[aga79]

Wandering how many Gilt Dial Omegas in OF ?

There are so many Rolexes with Gilt Dial, what about Omega ?

Let me start with 168.010/011 Constellation (honestly I'm not too familiar with the reff, use to call it with the movement, ex : Cal 561 etc 😀 )



Please share yours sir...

 

[Dero13]

Nice connie!

 

[Peemacgee]

Very nice Connie
More pics of it...

What makes a 'gilt' dial?
Black and gold?

 

[BASE1000]

well this is an interesting topic! 👍
Maybe we should define first of all what we understand by 'gilt dial'. To me in the Rolex world these are only those dials (usally coming with glossy black finsih) where the gilt markings, letters and numbers are not simply printed on the black finish but where, due to recesses in the black finish, the brass plate shines out from underneath. This is, why even old hard worn and patinized Rolex dials are so beautiful, because the brass colour got maybe a bit darker but shines like on the first day.
I have never seen an Omega dial where the gilt is not printed but done it that same manner as the 'gilt' Rolexes. So am I looking very forward to your experiences.

Here a 5508 with this kind of lovely gilt "printing" (i.e. recess):

 

[efauser]

Peemacgee

What makes a 'gilt' dial?

That feeling you have when your wife finds out how much you paid for the watch.

Edited: Sep 16, 2016

 

[Furze]

Here's my gilt connie

 

[fjf]

 

[watchlovr]

BASE1000

well this is an interesting topic! 👍
Maybe we should define first of all what we understand by 'gilt dial'. To me in the Rolex world these are only those dials (usally coming with glossy black finsih) where the gilt markings, letters and numbers are not simply printed on the black finish but where, due to recesses in the black finish, the brass plate shines out from underneath. This is, why even old hard worn and patinized Rolex dials are so beautiful, because the brass colour got maybe a bit darker but shines like on the first day.
I have never seen an Omega dial where the gilt is not printed but done it that same manner as the 'gilt' Rolexes. So am I looking very forward to your experiences.

This ^^ is certainly what some of the vintage Rolex guys seem to have bullied others into believing.
I'm not sold on the idea, to me "gilt" means gold, either applied, painted, printed wording, numbers, minute track or indices on a dial.

All of the above qualify imo.

 

[tyrantlizardrex]

From Wikipedia:

"Gilt, a young female domestic pig"

I wasn't aware of the pork based Omega ranges...

 

[Foo2rama]

You mean a watch term is not grounded in reality? Gilt does not mean Gold? Next your going to tell me Steve McQueen never wore a 1655! A moonwatch was technically never actually worn on the Moon! Dogs and cats living together mass hysteria!

 

[cicindela]

My understanding that a thin gold or silver coating is applied to the dial surface, then a layer of paint. Then the paint is etched out for the script. At least that is the process I have heard described for Omega. Whether the gold coating is truly the metal gold or another substance, you might have to verify with the Museum. Desmond , @mondodec , may wish to weight in.

 

[kurtj29]

Very nice

 

[ahartfie]

tyrantlizardrex

From Wikipedia:

"Gilt, a young female domestic pig"

I wasn't aware of the pork based Omega ranges...

Oh come now. Surely you've seen some real pigs offered for sale?

 

[cicindela]

tyrantlizardrex

From Wikipedia:

"Gilt, a young female domestic pig"

I wasn't aware of the pork based Omega ranges...

Yep, all free range , just like Omega Chickens. 👍

 

[DirtyDozen12]

Based on a few explanations, this is my very rudimentary understanding of how "gilt" dials were produced.

A prepared brass blank receives a silver or gold plating. Then the text is printed onto the dial with a non-conductive material using a conventional pad. Next the black layer is applied. This layer does not cover the text due to its lack of conductivity. The dial is then cleaned. This leaves the black layer intact and removes the non-conductive coating to reveal the "gilt" text.

Here is one that I just picked up.

 

[DirtyDozen12]

In this image you can see how the "gilt" text is slightly recessed.

 

[omegastar]

BASE1000

well this is an interesting topic! 👍
Maybe we should define first of all what we understand by 'gilt dial'. To me in the Rolex world these are only those dials (usally coming with glossy black finsih) where the gilt markings, letters and numbers are not simply printed on the black finish but where, due to recesses in the black finish, the brass plate shines out from underneath. This is, why even old hard worn and patinized Rolex dials are so beautiful, because the brass colour got maybe a bit darker but shines like on the first day.
I have never seen an Omega dial where the gilt is not printed but done it that same manner as the 'gilt' Rolexes. So am I looking very forward to your experiences.

Here a 5508 with this kind of lovely gilt "printing" (i.e. recess):

OMG, some could kill for that one.
Congratulations.
Mounir

 

[mac_omega]

DirtyDozen12

In this image you can see how the "gilt" text is slightly recessed.

This is the exact definition and description of the process @DirtyDozen12 !

I want to add: it does not matter what the color of the printing is, it need not necessarily be gold color.

I have read that both color-layers are applied in galvanic processes, not painted and there are beautiful combinations of black and charcoal



Due to the production process all the "print" (numbers, minute/second track, logo, etc.) is not as crisp as on printed dials, it is wider and looks like "bleeding" into the surrounding area.

In German (my native language) you can not translate "gilt" sensu stricto because it would translate to "vergoldet" which does not make sense here.
Hence in German I tend to use the term "galvano-sandwich" for this type of dial as it describes it much better than gilt...

Edited: Jan 16, 2023

 

[DirtyDozen12]

@mac_omega Thanks for the confirmation and I recall reading about galvanization. I also prefer your terminology as "gilt" confusingly implicates gold despite other color options. Black and charcoal certainly pair well.

 

[aga79]

You've got the point !
That's why I opened this thread, this Connie's inserted with GILT DIAL, not just ordinary Black Dial printed with Golden Lettering
So Far, I have three Connies with Gilt Dial , a Bumper , a Constellation Calendar (Movement cal 504) and this one

Please share your Opinion..

BASE1000

well this is an interesting topic! 👍
Maybe we should define first of all what we understand by 'gilt dial'. To me in the Rolex world these are only those dials (usally coming with glossy black finsih) where the gilt markings, letters and numbers are not simply printed on the black finish but where, due to recesses in the black finish, the brass plate shines out from underneath. This is, why even old hard worn and patinized Rolex dials are so beautiful, because the brass colour got maybe a bit darker but shines like on the first day.
I have never seen an Omega dial where the gilt is not printed but done it that same manner as the 'gilt' Rolexes. So am I looking very forward to your experiences.

Here a 5508 with this kind of lovely gilt "printing" (i.e. recess):

Edited: Sep 18, 2016