JwRosenthal
·#3....
Have a watchmaker swap the dial and hands from #1, into the case of #2. Best of both worlds.
#3....
Have a watchmaker swap the dial and hands from #1, into the case of #2. Best of both worlds.
#2 — the Tritium will age as you enjoy it. 10 years from now, it will likely look better than #1.
I recall reading somewhere that tritium lume is bleached by sunlight. I found this counter intuitive since all those lovely chocolate tropic dials discolour due to high exposure to sunlight so I assumed those lovely pumpkin plots were discoloured in a similar fashion.
Could the differences that JW suggests are down to lume formulations actually be simply down to how much wrist vs sock drawer the watch has seen over it’s life?
Any material scientists out there who can shed light on this? If you’ll excuse the pun…
I suspect you are right JW. Its more likely that the discolouring is due to a combination of factors including not only the formulation and exposure to sunlight but also oxygen and other reactants that may get into the watch over time.
I know, I know. I hate these threads too. The decision is subjective and it’s down to me to decide, but I’d appreciate anyone who wanted to venture their opinion.
I’ve been really into 90’s Rolex this year for a couple of reasons. 1. I’ve never had a 5 digit Rolex sports model until this year, but have found myself drawn to them more and more, particularly tritium versions, 2. I’ve been more into Rolex over the last couple of years but the modern 6 digit don’t really appeal to me and 3. As I have two young children I find myself seeking out watches that are more robust or easily repaired than some of the 60’s models I usually buy, where damaging a bezel etc can lead to a frustrating and expensive search for a replacement.
So, I’ve bought these two 16610’s over the last couple of months.
The first is a 1990 version, lovely tritium dial with beautiful patina. The case is fairly sharp but the facets aren’t present. There’s also a scratch on the bezel.
The second is a 1998 version, still tritium but much paler. However, the case is much sharper, retaining the sharp facets and the green caseback sticker.
So, I’m likely only going to keep one and sell the other to fund something else. Which one would you keep?
Watch 1
Watch 2.
I’ve really enjoyed reading this thread and which every way you go David I keep an eye on the sales forum, because which ever one you sell if you list it here first it could be close to the fastest sale record because you always list your items keenly priced and they are always pieces bought by you with thought, care and attention. Good luck with you choice.
Uh oh- you said the thing having not looked at the sales forum this week….this is uncomfortable…must have been the ambien talking 😉