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Opinions needed on 1959 Ranchero 2990

T
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Hey guys,

Can I get your opinions on this '59 Ranchero, I'm considering?
As far as I can tell the minute seems a little short and the crown has been changed into a newer bowler-hat type.

I have asked if the dial was still radioactive, but the seller, a Europe based retailer couldn't tell.
What do you think?

Looking forward to hear from you 😀
//Thomas
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T
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Ordered the watch and have 14 days to return it if something isn’t right, so hope you guys will share your thoughts
 
cqing
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I saw this watch on C24 as well, but the resolution of those pictures were too low, so I passed it.
 
padders
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It bloody well should be radioactive if it’s from ‘59. If it’s not something isn’t right.
 
gbesq
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Omega used radium based lume on the hands and the hour markers of the Ranchero. Radium is very potent and has a 1,600 year half life. Assuming that the lume is original, the watch is very nearly as radioactive now as it was on the day that it was made.
 
watchyouwant
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Give that guy an assessment. We all know the Radium part; which is ok to wear. Unless you want to lick your Dial ... If you can afford it, get it.
 
gbesq
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It looks legitimate to me as best I can tell from these photos. It will definitely need a movement service.
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T
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Thanks guys. I know that it should be Radium, and that (without the extract) it very well could be a Franken-watch.
I was more concerned about the authenticity of the dial, hands etc. Do they look genuine/original?

The minute-hand looks a little short (compared to others, I have seen), but I can live with that. What I can’t live with is a fake dial.

Should get the watch on Monday and can upload more pics
 
T
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Hey guys,
Ok, so the watch arrived and here are some more pictures of the dial, head and hands.

Neither the hands or dial light up under UV light, so it must be a re-dial. In my opinion they did a rather good job, and to me it looks like an original dial (except for the refinishing), in which case, I’m considering keeping it.
I know some of the originality is lost, but it wasn’t going to light up in the dark anyway, so the fact that it was seemingly done in a nice way, makes it less of a problem to me. What do you guys thinks?

The inner dial-retaining ring is missing, but I guess that can be fixed.

looking forward for your opinions 😀

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Dsplash
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Could you take some macro shots of the dial?
May I ask how much you paid for? If it was me, it would have to be exceptionally cheap to compensate the redialed/relumed dial…
Original examples are still there to be found 😀
 
TexOmega
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Case appears to be very rounded.

At least, I see no sharpness to the line-angles.
 
T
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Dsplash Dsplash
Could you take some macro shots of the dial?
May I ask how much you paid for? If it was me, it would have to be exceptionally cheap to compensate the redialed/relumed dial…
Original examples are still there to be found 😀

I payed EUR 3600, which was less than I expected, but as the dial looked original to me, and since the ones, I’ve seen pop up, haven’t looked as good, I thought it was worth the chance.

These pictures, taken with my iPhone 13, is as close as I can get, I’m afraid…
 
padders
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I'm not offering any judgement on whether it is a redial or not, this model is not in my wheelhouse but I wouldn't agree that the lack of UV reaction is conclusive of renewed lume. The radioactive component of radium lume persists, but the phosphor reaction deteriorates so a lack of glow can occur on original radium dials. Some do show a UV reactive glow, some don't. If it is no longer radioactive though, and also doesn't react to UV then it has definitely seen some renovation.
Edited:
 
gbesq
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What is needed here is a Geiger counter test. If the lume is radium the Geiger counter will have a strong reaction regardless of whether the lume reacts to UV light. As for the case, the 2990/2996 doesn't really have the kind of sharp edges that you would see on some other models, so unless the case has been brutally polished to the point where there is a thinning of the mid-case or the lugs, a case refinishing is more difficult to detect.
 
T
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padders padders
I'm not offering any judgement on whether it is a redial or not, this model is not in my wheelhouse but I wouldn't agree that the lack of UV reaction is conclusive of renewed lume. The radioactive component of radium lume persists, but the phosphor reaction deteriorates so a lack of glow can occur on original radium dials. Some do show a UV reactive glow, some don't. If it is no longer radioactive though, and also doesn't react to UV then it has definitely seen some renovation.
Thanks a lot, Padders - much appreciated 😀
A friend of mine has a Geiger-counter for his iPhone, which I should be able to test it on soon, and hopefully determine this 😀
 
gbesq
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The Geiger counter iphone app is pretty useless. Use a real Geiger counter. You can get a decent one on Amazon for $100-$150 USD.
 
T
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Ok, so I tested both my old white-dialed Ranchero and this new one with a Geiger-counter.

It was the kind, you plug into the iPhone, which was the one I had access to, but the difference in measurements were striking nonetheless, with the new one returning a plain 0 and my white-dialed Ranchero going nuts…
So despite looking all original, it must unfortunately be a redial.

Like many of you I was sure this couldn’t be the case, and whoever did it, therefore surely deserves a medal for his/her craftsmanship. Obviously it would have been if he/she hadn’t, but if it had to be done, it was definitely done right.

In light of this, the seller has agreed to offer me a discount, and I’m keeping the watch.
I’m still on the lookout for an all original, but until I find it, I’m sure this will put a smile on my face.

I plan on sourcing a 1036 bracelet for the black one and a 1037 or a 1035 for the white one, if you know of any…?

Cheers to everyone.
Have a great day, wherever you are 😀
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nkhandekar
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They did a great job refinishing that dial. I want them working in my department!
 
Deafboy
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Perhaps the dial wasn't "refinished", as in repainted or reprinted, but only the luminescent material was replaced.
 
T
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Deafboy Deafboy
Perhaps the dial wasn't "refinished", as in repainted or reprinted, but only the luminescent material was replaced.
Yep. That’s what I think - the rest of the dial look original to me.
 
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