Watch runs perfectly, keeps great time.

Will getting the dial cleaned/replaced by Patek/Geneva harm it's collectability (no doubt a $3K+expense I'd pay)? So, 2 questions I guess: 1) Is this watch collectable? 2) If so, should I leave it as-is, or send it in to Patek?

I have received the extract:
-- Style: reference 96, steel
-- Calibre: 12-120 PS; subsidiary seconds hand, manual winding.
-- Type of dial: silvered dial, indexes in steel.
-- Date of manufacture: 1949; date of sale: October 18th, 1949.

note: the "darker" indices from 3-7 o'clock are such due only to bad pic lighting ... unable to load more pics; overall file size(s)/resolution too large??



... appreciate any advice/opinions ...

Thanks OF!

Steve
SteveB on OF

 

+1 Movement Service only.

 

Maybe Patek has or could have made a new dial, allowing you to keep the old one intact.

 

Is it collectible? Yes it’s a steel Patek notoriously worth more then Gold versions.

Oddly the movements on these are very run of the mill.

 

Finished to the nines as far as most are concerned.

 

Is this one though? It would not earn a Geneve seal... are the back of the plates finished. I’m not trashing this piece. Just noting that the movement is fairly run of the mill, while finished better then most of that period.

I’m fully aware of the differences of Pateks version of the Omega 321. And yes there is no question the Patek is finished and modified in ways that are simply stunning and blow away the 861 and 321 rendering them as basically agricultural when compared, the amount of work to “fix” things we don’t notice about that movement are absurd. When you go into really complicated watches from Patek it’s a different world. This time period though the difference are nowhere near as pronounced.

 

This one has been neglected and is showing the results. Look closely and you can see the typical PP finish under the surface.

Pity the regulator screw and spring are missing .

I wouldn't kick it out of bed on a cold night though, it still has some charm.

Maybe the movement looked like this at one time.

 

I thought this was the leCoulter movement, but with a swan neck and some research damn it’s finished well on the underside as it’s a Patek 12”’120.

You have to admit the layout and is reminiscent of a lot of dime a dozen movements from back then.