Hello all, more noob questions from my side. I have searched the forum and other resources, but the number of hints such common keywords return is unmanageable. Please allow me to ask, again, what is a likely "basic" question. Is a T Swiss Made T dial mean always carrying Tritium? I was told by an "expert" that, well, not necessarily. Can you please tell me in which cases this wouldn't be the case, other than if the dial has been relumed? Have lume dials been produced still with T Swiss Made T markings? I am asking more specifically with this Speed MkII in mind. The watch supposedly has been serviced in Bienne a few years back, and that picture dates back from a couple of years after that (and is also a couple of years old). The Racing dial looks a bit too darn nice and crisp to be true... Opinions welcome. I don't have many pics available, these are actually from the previous owner, I've traced him back and he gave me this service info and told me he believed the watch was original... Thanks in advance for your help, Paul
As far as I know T is for tritium. L for Luminova. Why else would there be a T if not for Tritium? I suppose maybe there are some transitional units with the T but no tritium?
Well, a tritium watch could have been scraped and relumed with something else. Also a mid 60's or earlier could be tritium without a T. Also wasn't there a few T's that got luminova at the change over? Or is that a myth?
I don't know if it's a myth. That's what i meant by transitional....but i haven't ever seen one in person. Of course if a watch is resumed it won't be with Tritium so that would indeed be another possibility.
Yes as Hoi said , sometimes redialers put the "T" on a dial that never had it to begin with, as they are ignorant and think that will make the dial look original. Otherwise there should be no T on a non Tritium dial. So basically your expert is wrong.
Before the ruling, the lack of "T" could have been tritium but after the ruling, T=Tritium. "T" and no lume = redial or fake.
I'm not sure if the smily here connotes sarcasm or not but... Didn't these dials originally have some tritium lume? It would have been in the form of tiny little dots in the cavities at the outer part of the arrow indicies. I'll try to find a picture.
Thanks all for the input. I think my expert was actually referring to transitional dials - original, but switched to Luminova at the change-over time from Tritium. But it was a bit of a blurry conversation to be honest, after a multi-hour long negotiation, so I have to admit I didn't fully get it at the time, just as he might have also mixed it up with other things as he was probably on the tired (and slightly frustrated) side too... It did resonate in my mind though as I was looking at the racing dial pictured above. It's on a Speed MkII I have shown interest for... It still has the "T" markings, has supposedly not been relumed, but looks so crisp, sharp, and colorful it actually makes me both nervous and excited at the same time. I was wondering, according to my "expert", if it could actually be one of these dials with "T" markings and lume instead of Trit', not because it's been relumed (which, according the previous owner, it hasn't), but because it was luminova to start with... Net, I should see the watch in person this week. Unfortunately I will have to decide on the spot whether I buy it or not, as the owner is coincidentally visiting my area for another reason, and it'll be impossible to rearrange another visit. Thanks, Paul
@Lonestar can you get any more pics? Dial look like it could be nice. Hard to say about the hands without more/better pics as these hands are still available new. Either way, the dial with T's should be original vintage from what I can see. If you're able to, do the lume check when you have it in hand. Good luck!
Oddboy, i think I can get other pics from the previous owner. I will post them. Can you please explain what you are reffering to as "lume check", other than having a careful look? Do you mean trying to activate it and see if it lasts more than a few seconds (which shouldn't be the case if Tritium from bitd)? Still a beginner... Thank you, Paul
If you can find some darkness, hit the dial with the flash from you phone, then see how long the glow lasts. If it's Tritium, it should fade quickly.
Great - that's the test I had in mind. It will be a strange request to have the seller follow me in the dark bathroom of the pub we'll likely meet in, but, hey, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, I guess... Thanks, Paul
for what is worth if you do a search for Omega speedmaster mark 2 on google there is not a single one in orange with the T Swiss T. and only one on black dial that I've found with it. All the others either have "swiss made" or nothing at all. With the nothing at all probably being replicas