I know how everyone here feels about re-dials but when you want to save one, where do you go? I have always used intl dial but curious where other people go.
IMO, restore only if it has sentimental value (maybe) or it is an exceedingly rare watch. The sentimental value bit is a maybe because if I had such a watch I would try and find a donor watch with a nice original dial rather than having the watch refinished.
I have used both Kirk Rich Dial in California USA, and International Dial in Ohio USA. Though both appeared refinished (wouldn't pass as original), the work on the Kirk Rich dial was leagues above the work from International. Personally I will not use International again. If I feel obligated to have a dial refinished, I'm sending it to Kirk Rich. KR charged $149 to refinish a Corum dial to eBay black, and took several weeks to finish. Int'l charged $45 for a Longines dial to restore to original silver, and finished in two weeks.
We've all bought a re-dialed watch at some stage - either knowingly or unknowingly - but if you commission one, you go straight to the naughty step until Dennis says you can come back and play with us nicely.
Sometimes you have to IMO. I love patina but when the dial is damaged beyond being wearable you have a choice of re-dialing or replacement. My Pie Pan dial was in a shit state when I picked it up cheap and I was never going to find a replacement dial. It's now an awesome watch to wear and I love it despite its re-dial. I'd never sell it trying to pass it off as original but it's pretty damn close and you'd have to be a proper Omega nut like us to tell.
The trouble with a re-dial is that, no matter how noble the intentions when the commissioner of that re-dial are, when selling, there is no control over subsequent owners.
Fair point but I'd only do one if it's a watch I want to keep and wear and without the redial it wouldn't get wrist time. For example, I'm wearing a very heavily patinated watch right now that I'd never consider refinishing but the one I had done was very visibly damaged similar to the OP's example. I guess my view is that, when buying, caveat emptor should always be the overriding principle and a true collector will usually be able to identify a re-dial anyway, either by themselves or with the help of a forum like this. It seems to me that, with some model's replacement dials impossible to find, it would be silly to just discard an otherwise excellent vintage watch on the principle that re-dials are always unacceptable. As long as it's done as a last resort and done well I see the practice as acceptable for watches which would otherwise never be worn.
Fwiw, a redial doesn't preclude finding a replacement. In cases where a replacement or donor may take time and patience, a redial may fill the gap while the hunt continues...
Absolutely. If I ever find a good replacement Pie Pan dial not connected to a watch I'll replace my re-dial but I doubt I ever will find one unfortunately,