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Is this a 'tropical dial' or an original stardust dial?

RdCXXX
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Hi,

I'm new to this forum, but have been an Omega collector for a while.
I bought this Omega Geneve from the 60s a while ago (at such a price that it justified doing no research) and I have a lingering question about the originality of its dial. It's this an original stardust dial, or a redial, or simply a 'tropical' (degraded) dial?
I'm grateful for any input you may have.
Best,

Rafael
 
Screen Shot 2021-01-07 at 9.56.36 AM.png
seekingseaquest
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It’s just patina, these 50/60s gilt Omega dials often turned this way with age. I like it..
 
cvalue13
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RdCXXX RdCXXX
I'm grateful for any input you may have.

I hope your bar is truly this low, as all I have to add is this:

F0BBD1EE-8461-4F82-84C0-35A6C824C1BF.jpeg


Mine is certainly dial deterioration/patina 😁 - and I’ve seen others (recently, on the WRUW thread in fact) with the same qualities (possibly stemming from the same dial-maker batches?)

Your photo is a bit too grainy and underexposed to better discern if something about the dial is not apparent - but based on that one phot, my overwhelming guess is ‘patina’
 
RdCXXX
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seekingseaquest seekingseaquest
It’s just patina, these 50/60s gilt Omega dials often turned this way with age. I like it..
Thanks! It's what I thought... looks nice though, that's what matters to me...
 
RdCXXX
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cvalue13 cvalue13
I hope your bar is truly this low, as all I have to add is this:

F0BBD1EE-8461-4F82-84C0-35A6C824C1BF.jpeg


Mine is certainly dial deterioration/patina 😁 - and I’ve seen others (recently, on the WRUW thread in fact) with the same qualities (possibly stemming from the same dial-maker batches?)

Your photo is a bit too grainy and underexposed to better discern if something about the dial is not apparent - but based on that one phot, my overwhelming guess is ‘patina’

Thanks! I guess that settles it. The patina is so even on my case (and golden) that for a time I thought it could be man-made...
 
RdCXXX
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arturo7 arturo7
Great looking watch regardless.
Thanks I too think so, bought it on the looks alone...
 
Dan S
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RdCXXX RdCXXX
It's this an original stardust dial, or a redial, or simply a 'tropical' (degraded) dial?

What is an "original stardust" dial? Do you have a photo? That's a new term for me.
 
rootbeer7
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It’s the aging process of many of these vintage dials. Stardust/tropical etc are just a fancy name to individualise the process and to add £$€ to the cost. Damage if you’re buying, rare (insert name) dial if you’re selling! As it happens I love how these dials age.
 
Maskelyne
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Black (glossy) paint and a high glossy lacquer is applied to the gilt dial, when the lacquer due to aging deteriorates the paint looses and the gilt gold colour appears on the dial. That´s the aging process in my opinion. The dial is actually deteriorated and some people think that fancy word will add some extra value. That´s "BS" in my opinion. I think that the word "patina" is just ok to use 😀
I do agree that the result of such a dial can be stunning! Here is another example (ref 2846 from 1955.)

Omega-Seamaster-auto-gilt-tavla-2.jpg
Edited:
 
alefar
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I really don't mind this type of patina, looks really good!
 
WatchCor
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Lovely looking patina/stardust/deterioration or what ever you want to call it. 🥰

...and welcome to the forum Rafael
 
RdCXXX
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Dan S Dan S
What is an "original stardust" dial? Do you have a photo? That's a new term for me.
Omega did a few 'stardust' dials, like this Megaquartz, back in the seventies... (photo is not mine)
 
unnamed.jpg
RdCXXX
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rootbeer7 rootbeer7
It’s the aging process of many of these vintage dials. Stardust/tropical etc are just a fancy name to individualise the process and to add £$€ to the cost. Damage if you’re buying, rare (insert name) dial if you’re selling! As it happens I love how these dials age.
Thanks! I bought it quite cheaply though... just wasn't sure what it was as it looked so 'evenly spread' across the dial...
 
RdCXXX
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Maskelyne Maskelyne
Black (glossy) paint and a high glossy lacquer is applied to the gilt dial, when the lacquer due to aging deteriorates the paint looses and the gilt gold colour appears on the dial. That´s the aging process in my opinion. The dial is actually deteriorated and some people think that fancy word will add some extra value. That´s "BS" in my opinion. I think that the word "patina" is just ok to use 😀
I do agree that the result of such a dial can be stunning! Here is another example (ref 2846 from 1955.)

Omega-Seamaster-auto-gilt-tavla-2.jpg
Thank you! You learn something every day 😀
 
RdCXXX
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WatchCor WatchCor
Lovely looking patina/stardust/deterioration or what ever you want to call it. 🥰

...and welcome to the forum Rafael
Thanks for the welcome note! 😀
 
cvalue13
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RdCXXX RdCXXX
Omega did a few 'stardust' dials, like this Megaquartz, back in the seventies... (photo is not mine)

“Stardust” as a marketing term was landed on after excluding alternatives such as “stripper glitter,” “unicorn pubes,” and “LSD LE”

Maskelyne Maskelyne
That´s the aging process in my opinion. The dial is actually deteriorated and some people think that fancy word will add some extra value. That´s "BS" in my opinion.

rootbeer7 rootbeer7
Stardust/tropical etc are just a fancy name to individualise the process and to add £$€ to the cost.

To clarify, the above commenters may be correct as applied to the watch you were originally inquiring after; but as for other watches, such as the mega you posted, “Stardust” is an actual type of dial that is not merely patina etc.

I’m not aware of the stripper glitt... I mean stardust being in models other than the mega, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others; that said, the OP watch appears to be patina, not a true unicorn pu... stardust.
 
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