OK, So I have been properly trained or thoroughly brainwashed (depending on your POV) and detest all things re-dialed, re-lumed or franken'd. And, yet I own this watch......which I love btw. However, there is the issue of the baked lume on the dial and hands which, if I'm honest with myself, bugs me. It's in for service now with a watchmaker whom I trust, but he is suggesting I let him re-lume the dial and hands with a vintage shade of new lume.

What would you do? Leave it alone? Re-lume it? Sell the watch? Appreciate your thoughts. Honesty welcome!!! Tom

 

Personally I don't like when the markers and hands disappear into the dial. They are made to contrast.

On the other hand your watchmaker has to be damn good doing a sympathetic relume of the hands and marker if you are going to achive a better look on the watch than the present one. As soon as you can tell that the dial is relumed, you are worse off than to let it be as-is.

Since 165.014 is a pretty collectible reference, you must think it over really thoroughly before you do anything to alter its natural achieved aging. It's a great risk that you'll regret later on that you touched it.

 

If it bothers you, you might want to sell it.

There's probably someone else that would love that 'patinated' look, however ugly it may appear to others.

Then again, if a re-lume would get you to 'love it', then go for it!

Edit: I just noticed that it may look considerably better just replacing the crystal. The true look of the old lume would probably look even better, too. Might just do that first, and see how you like it then... I'm liking it alot when I imagine a new, clear crystal...

 

It depends if there are someones who still value this old dark lume. If yes, you may need to keep it to sell later.

In my opinion, the lume has degraded to the point of no value left in the lume, so relume won't decrease the value any further. Whether it would increase value or not depends on the quality of the relume.

If you're not concerned with value, just do as you wish to satisfy yourself and enjoy it.

 

I'd relume but depends on how good your watchmaker is - does he have examples of his work? Otherwise I'd just send to James Hyman, he's a well-known magician in the Heuer circuit.

 

Thanks gang. You are hitting on all my fears and concerns. Once done, there is no going back...... and while I don't really think in terms of $$$ when it comes to my watches, the things I like (authenticity and condition, primarily) go hand and hand with valuation. I like the idea of replacing the crystal first and seeing how that looks. Deep down I think even a perfect re-lume would bug me even more than the baked lume ......just knowing that it is no longer authentic/original would probably ruin it for me. In the end, I may need a psychiatrist for this but what I really need to do is get over the idea that patina on your watch is really cool while patina on my watch detracts from its beauty! Have always sort of had that issue......

 

You could pick up a cheap aftermarket dial and experiment with that if you were so inclined. Leave the original dial as is for now, mess around with the look.. they sell for like $25 on ebay, in different sizes, 29mm, 31mm, etc.

Might give you a sense of whether or not the soul leaves the watch with the dial..

 

Thanks oddboy. Will give that some thought. Great turn of a phrase........."see if the soul leaves the watch". Exactly what I'm afraid of!

 

You can never undo any changes you make to the original parts. Think long and hard before making any decisions.

 

Personally I would change the crystal and leave it alone but that is because I want original watches, worts and all. I suppose it depends on how much the watch is bugging you as it is compared to how much it will bug you if it is relumed. They are cool watches so maybe you could sell it and look for a cleaner model.