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How do these "Sugar Rings" Appear on Speedmaster Dials?

Spacefruit
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This 145.012 is being offered at auction on ebay but with a start of $7,000. Funny thing is, that although this has zero bids, if the seller is really trying to sell it he might have success close to 7k if he put it on at a .99 start.

Look at the dial. I don't know how these rings appear, but I have seen them on speedmasters before. I have not bought one so can't study it up close, but it is a strange thing.

This watch is offered on eBay but I suspect the seller is fishing, not selling.
Listing here

s-l1600.jpg s-l1600a.jpg s-l16003.jpg
 
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dsio
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Could it be the luminous material that fell out of the hands getting turned into a fine dust over time and accumulating in those edges around the subdials as they move around?
 
inchpincher
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The light source appears to be from the left so maybe it's just a reflection? The weight of the print on all the sub dials seems much heavier on the right side too so I think it's a trick of the photograph. Also noticed all the white paint from the hour hand is missing, not to mention the absent lume from the dial. It's not the prettiest is it?!
 
ahsposo
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It's not a very pretty watch. The hour hand has been traumatized among other things.
 
Tony C.
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On the crystal, rather than the dial, perhaps.
 
cvalue13
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Tony C. Tony C.
On the crystal, rather than the dial, perhaps.

I believe he’s speaking of these rings on the subs

1DDF01A5-02F0-4EFE-A914-C35E199F43B9.jpeg
 
Tony C.
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cvalue13 cvalue13
I believe he’s speaking of these rings on the subs

Ah, thanks. So what's with the crystal? Is that typical?
 
eugeneandresson
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Maybe it’s just deterioration of the paint/dial (edit: at the sharp edge), and then that being quite a shagged watch so amplified x25, that was accelerated due to ‘cleaning’? I have a 60s Seamaster from that era (321) that has a bit of deterioration on the lip…but the dial is immaculate…so only slightly visible on one part. Also it’s a reverse panda…so maybe a slightly different dial paint job…but maybe not.
Edited:
 
Seaborg
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Is it always seen on washed dials ?
It seems to be real (not light related) to me... Maybe some damage during the lume removing process (thus my question related to washed dials)?
 
Spacefruit
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ConElPueblo ConElPueblo
@Spacefruit have you ever had one with these rings in your hands? Like @inchpincher I would have said it was light reflecting.

yes I have had these in my hand, and it looks like abrasion. Or like a sprinkling of fake snow.

One of the watches I had in hand in a watchmaker very proudly restores dials, not repaint, but restores. And I wondered if it was part of the process or as a result of some chemical that he put on.

I note that the OP watch has no luminous material, and I wonder if the deal has been treated in someway.
 
Deafboy
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What is the base material of the dial? If it's aluminum then then the sugar could be oxidation.
 
Caliber561
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Deafboy Deafboy
What is the base material of the dial? If it's aluminum then then the sugar could be oxidation.
Brass, but some type fo chemical reaction might still be the culprit.
 
oddboy
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I've seen dials like this too. I always thought it was wear, possibly from being outside of the case for a length of time and maybe not carefully stored.

of course, it would affect value at sale, but I always thought it was kind of a cool effect. It'd be pretty cool if omega's limited editions were as subtle rather than the bling they usually go for. 😜
 
JwRosenthal
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I always find these discussions of how watches age fascinating. Why does one speedy dial go brown and another go Grey? Who were the different contractors, what paint formulas were different- this is what I love about this place.

But the fact that this thread has made it this far with a title like “sugar rings” and there hasn’t been one reference to this guy blows my mind!
51EE0DB0-3599-42A5-87DD-7386982268E2.jpeg
 
ndgal
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Most likely dried up residue from whatever was used to wash this dial.
Lume plots are squeaky clean, this is not natural deterioration of the lume on these dials. There is always something left on.
One of the dial feet is right about where the 8 o'clock marker is, so this is where it was probably hung from to dry which made the residue set on the opposite side.
 
tyrantlizardrex
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ndgal ndgal
Most likely dried up residue from whatever was used to wash this dial.

Hang on… are we meant to be cleaning dials with sugar now? What’s going to happen when that interacts with the helium?
 
STANDY
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You can see the light source reflection at 9 so this could be just over saturated reflection….

I want to know what truck ran over that hour hand and left the dial so unscathed…😗
 
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