Hello everybody, this is my first post: I joined a year ago and have lurked since – most impressed with the level of knowledge and enthusiasm.

My interests are only Omega (no time to go wider), old (sorry but nothing newer than the 321), particularly the big movements (27´´´and 30´´´ in all forms), the chronographs (from 19´´´CHRO to 321), 59-8D (particularly SCS) and some lovely wrist and pocket watches inbetween all that.

I have already learned a lot from some of you specialists: amazing. Thank you. But there’s so much more to learn.

A wonderful brand, a fabulous history.


But I am actually writing to ask for advice. It has to do with staining of dials. I’m sure someone will have experience of cleaning up dials. I am not referring to enamel dials – if they have hairlines, that’s a shame – but otherwise these can look great after even 100 years. Apart from enamel dials, the painted dials quite often suffer from staining. I have several watches that are in excellent condition, apart from staining of the (otherwise intact) dial. There are specialists who offer different services (including re-dialling, that I’m not considering) but I would like to know whether these painted/metal dials can be cleaned up. There are many chemicals that in mild form might remove surface staining without damaging the dial itself.

I don’t want to tamper with the originality of the watch, just clean it up. A multi-million dollar ‘old master’ painting will without doubt have been ‘cleaned up’ to remove the dulling discolouration it picks up over the years. And I clean the windows of my house! Can anyone offer comment?

There follows a small selection of the dials to which I refer.


Thanks again all.

Tom