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How do you feel about sunburnt dials?

  1. vintage hab Jan 12, 2021

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    What is the general feeling on sunburnt dials? Do you find it attractive? Or is it, like patina, in the eye of the beholder? I think I prefer an original silver dial, but some can be quite nice.

    I'm interested in members' thoughts on (a) attractiveness, and (b) valuation.

    Cheers!

    sun burnt dial.jpg
     
    sleepyastronaut and janice&fred like this.
  2. wagudc Jan 12, 2021

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    I think sunburst just refers to the pattern and texture, and not the color. I am often turned off by the yellow/champagne hued sunburst dials, but sometimes the color is in the crystal and not the dial. I have had a couple champagne sunburst dials that turned out to be silver after polishing the top layer of the crystal away.
     
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  3. kyle L Grasshopper Staff Member Jan 12, 2021

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    These are more like straight up burnt, but I like em...:D

    IMG_20201031_124454.jpg IMG_20201215_112920.jpg IMG_8929.png
     
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  4. wagudc Jan 12, 2021

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    Apparently I can't read. I read sun burnt as sunburst.::facepalm2:: I guess my original response still holds in the sense that sometimes it it the crystal that is sun burnt and not the dial.
     
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  5. Caliber561 Jan 12, 2021

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    Love em!
    The yellowed lacquer on this Constellation has a bit of a mottled finish that reminds me of the sun, so I nicknamed it my "Icarus Dial" Constellation.
    sq.JPG b.JPG
     
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  6. janice&fred Jan 12, 2021

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    Oh yea baby love 'em and the south pacific islands is the place for sun scorched dials :thumbsup:

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  7. Ted1858 Jan 12, 2021

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    I was always curious what caused a silver sunburst dial to turn a champagne color. Wasn’t sure if it was due to smoke or sun.
     
  8. vintage hab Jan 13, 2021

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    Why do some go champagne and some brown? Perhaps original silver dial and black, respectively. Funny how light gets darker, and dark gets lighter.
    I have read of people baking their dark dials to get to brown. I wonder if people artificially sunburn silver dials
     
  9. vintage hab Jan 13, 2021

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    Does smoke really get under the crystal?
     
  10. Zapatta Jan 13, 2021

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    Love them! Here is 14381 with "sunburned" or "smoked" dial. It looks different from every angle!
     
    IMG_20210113_124126.jpg IMG_20210113_124115.jpg
  11. kaplan Jan 13, 2021

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    My true love King Seiko on the right - I don't know whether the "damage" can be called a sunburnt - but I value it immensely, for me it's more valuable than a pristine one

    I like it so much that I paid $300+ for a display caseback made from an original caseback :D
     
    IMG_2958.jpeg
  12. rkman11 Jan 13, 2021

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  13. Ted1858 Jan 13, 2021

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    I really have no idea, I was hoping someone else could chime in! But if a case isn't well-sealed, I don't see why it couldn't. Whether it does anything to the dial or not is beyond me.
     
  14. reverbtime Jan 13, 2021

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    I love them, gives the dial a well worn character.