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New hands on vintage speedmaster

Toad
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I have an early 70’s speedmaster pro back from service. Had the original hands start breaking apart after previous routine service and they all needed to be replaced. Working great but whiteness of the hands is a little out of place. Honestly doesn’t bother me too much but was wondering if anyone thinks It’s crazy to leave it on my sunny window sill to fade it a bit?
Not really wanting to take it apart anymore...
 
Dan S
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IMO, you would be better off having the hands repainted an off-white color and filled with lume that matches the dial.
 
Toad
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Dan S Dan S
IMO, you would be better off having the hands repainted an off-white color and filled with lume that matches the dial.
True but doesn’t bother me THAT much.
 
Dan S
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Toad Toad
True but doesn’t bother me THAT much.

OK, I was just going by my own preferences. The mismatch would bother me (especially the lume), and the cost of painting and re-lume is not very high. I doubt that the window sill strategy will do much good. Frankly, I would have just had the original hands re-lumed. Do you still have them?
 
Toad
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Dan S Dan S
OK, I was just going by my own preferences. The mismatch would bother me (especially the lume), and the cost of painting and re-lume is not very high. I doubt that the window sill strategy will do much good. Frankly, I would have just had the original hands re-lumed. Do you still have them?
The original chrono sweep hand actually started breaking apart and the hour and minute hand I think too we’re all cracked near the post. So no I didn’t ask for them back.
 
Dan S
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I see, I didn't realize that the hands themselves were breaking. Wow.
 
Toad
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Dan S Dan S
I see, I didn't realize that the hands themselves were breaking. Wow.
The sweep hand was loose after initial service, wouldn’t reset to 0. So when I took it back they pushed it down too far onto the other hands I guess? A few months later saw debris in the case and noticed the hands coming apart near the post...
Oh well the original hands were pretty beat up anyway.
 
eugeneandresson
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Dan S Dan S
IMO, you would be better off having the hands repainted an off-white color and filled with lume that matches the dial.

Toad Toad
True but doesn’t bother me THAT much.

I would rather do as Dan suggested than leave my watch in the sun 😁 Who knows what might break next after doing this for a long time 😲

Just don’t replace ‘sun’ with ‘oven’ 😉
 
kingsrider
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Look for an older period correct set. They come up from time to time on Ebay and put up a WTB post here. You can sell the new set to offset the cost.
Edited:
 
M
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Toad Toad
Wow. Are they really asking 1,100 euro for those?
Am I missing something?
I think it's because watch hands with tritium luminescence are no longer made, so unused hands are rare.
 
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