New guy from Toronto looking for vintage watch

Dan S

I suppose you mean JLC. A watch with a repainted dial like this is of virtually no interest to vintage watch collectors, and this forum is full of collectors, so that's the opinion you will mostly get here. From a more practical perspective, the market value of a watch with a repainted dial is cut approximately in half compared to one with a nice original dial, and they are very hard to sell if you ever tire of the watch or want to upgrade. Dealers will still dangle them out there as shiny objects and try to hook fish with them.

Damaged dials (or as seller's say, "dials with patina") can still be appealing obviously. It is a matter of personal taste. The collectible value of watches with damaged dials is on a sliding scale based on the extent of the damage and the dial's aesthetic appeal. In the case of extremely rare pieces, a patinated dial may be your only option. In a very few cases, dials that show aging in special and beautiful ways are actually worth more than a pristine dial. But this is really quite uncommon, despite the stories that sellers tell and the fancy names they give to dials.

If you like the way a watch looks and don't care about value or collectibility, then just buy whatever you want. There's really no point in asking questions on the forum.

I suggest you follow threads for a while and do market research using actual sale prices drawn from Ebay, auctions, and forum listings. Trolling C24 and dealer sites is likely to give you a confused and distorted perspective.

amcclell

It is really a matter of personal preference, so this is totally up to you. This forum is stacked with watch nerds (self included) who obsess about authenticity and originality. Back in the day, repainting was extremely common, as was polishing when watches were sent in for service. Most owners used them to tell the time and did not give a rat's ass about patina, or originality. If the watch was damaged by smoke, or moisture, the shop sent the dial out for refinishing and the owner was happy to receive a watch that looked like new again.

If you are buying this watch to keep for the long haul, buy whatever suits your fancy. A redial is fine, if it looks nice to you, but I suggest you get one with a common movement that is easy to service with parts available. If you are looking to sell it sometime down the road, a redial will be very hard to sell to the watch collecting community, a bad redial - virtually impossible.

I have bought 4 of Derek's watches (watches to buy) over the past decade and I have had no issues with any of them. His watches are all sold as serviced and I think he does a decent job. You pay full dealer price - he doesn't negotiate but this is how he makes his living.

Of the 2 that you have shown, the Tudor is quite nice and the black waffle dial is appealing to me. It looks all original. The movement is a better, more modern choice than the bumper you were looking at on Chrono24. I only have 2 cautions. The 33mm size is a bit small for some people, so you may want to try one on your wrist. My wrist is 6 & 3/4 inches and 33-35mm is my favorite size but most people gravitate to larger watches in the 39-43 mm range. I'll post a few photos below to give you a sense bit without trying some watches on yourself, it will be hard for you to be certain.

The second caution is the dial which may look better in real life, the same, or a bit worse. White, champagne, and sunburst dials tend to show every blemish and often look better in person, to the naked eye. Black dials are a bit more fickle and the waffle dial, even more so. I really like patina but again - not everyone does. Too bad you missed out on the black, textured Tissot that just sold on the private sales section as it was a bargain.
33mm

33mm

42mm

amcclell

Here is a sharper photo of the dial.

Dan S

I think this would be a great choice, as long as the OP is willing to deal with an older watch that could occasionally need some maintenance. These can be robust watches, especially one with a screw-on case-back and shock protection. The OP might take a look at some reference 2639 pieces just as one example. They have a shock protected movement, screw on case back, and often have dials with some arabic numerals. They are 36mm and have an appealing style IMO. They have a sub-dial, obviously, and the OP hasn't indicated his preference in that regard.

Of course, there are dozens of references with 30mm movements.

https://tinyurl.com/y2jlr5tt

amcclell

The Longines looks lovely but very expensive. With taxes and duties at the border, you are into the Canadian market price range for a 1960's 34mm Rolex manual or autowind. If you patiently wait and watch the sales forums, an equally nice watch but cheaper will come along. You could also check the Longines and Rolex sections and see PM some of the memders who collect these. You could also post in the want to buy section of CanWatCo.

You seem to like non-date, 33-35mm, autowind Tudor Oyster and Longines watches with 3, 6, 9 and 12 markers on the dial. This is a good focus and it will be easy to find something nice.

In Canada, avoid Kijiji as it is loaded with junk and scammers. It is ok for experienced people but many of us have paid our noob taxes there.