Hi all,

Would like to hear a consensus take on reluming the hands on this to match the dial lume, vs. no action. This will go in for full service.

 

89 views and no opinions ?!?

I am not totally confident about the match - my local watchmaker basically has a yellow lume he can use - he is less confident about matching.

 

The lume is out of the hands so I would have them done. Matching is done via tinting and can be done with a brush tip if modeling paint (you just have to know your mixtures) . Not difficult for someone with some skill at it, but if it’s not in his wheelhouse then let him do what he does and see how you like it. If not, then send it to someone who can match it.

 

Also, don’t forget that rarely do you get a dead on match even on factory lume, the hands and dials tend to age differently (don’t say this over at TRF or you will get death threats). If it’s a shade or two off, it’s not a big deal, as long as the hue is pleasing. There was a whole thread deviated to factory “mismatched” lume- some green hands and yellow dial lume and all were factory.

 

IMO, don’t bother to touch the hands

 

Sure – why not? It will never be an especially valuable watch, and, assuming a sensitive re-lume, it would add to the experience of wearing.

 

You’ve waited very patiently for a response.

I should also add that it might have helped if you’d posted a few more photos of your watch and, perhaps, photos of an original model so that any OF viewer might have a general idea of where you want to go with this. It might have helped if you had expounded on why you want to relume.

I like Certinas but, since all of mine are over fifty years old, none of them lume - and I have no interest in re-luming, although I have spent time sourcing and re-fitting correct original hands to one of my DS models.

Your watch looks, from the single photo you’ve posted, to be a nice looking example with no obvious blemishes. So, my initial view is that if I were you (and I appreciate that I’m not) I would leave it as it is.

My secondary view is that if you don’t want to leave it alone, either because there’s something wrong with it that you haven’t mentioned or because the lack of lume is so irritating that you’ve fallen out of love with this watch then, either relume it or locate and acquire an alternative model and move this one on.

 

I think the OP’s issue is that the lume is gone-gone, not just not-glowing but missing from the hands and had deposited all over the dial (have the watchmaker clean that out while he’s in there). If it were my watch I would have them filled back in- nothing to lose.

 

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies. I apologize for not posting more photos, and now this is with the watchmaker - so I can't take more photos. I just picked this up on ebay - Certina DS-2s are generally pretty hard to find in good condition, and this one is as Spruce says in good condition. It is an early version, 1968, with original early style (more delicate) bracelet. I don't want to go overboard, but do want to bring it back to as solid an original form as possible, without being slavish. I am ordering a NOS crystal and yellow shock absorber as well.

In my mind the hands look sort of bad, inconsistent with the rest of the watch. The contrast with the white hands just stands out all the more. I think my inclination is to have him do it. I'll take a look at what the yellow lume he has looks like - I'm guessing it is in line with more of an aged yellow?

I will report back.

 

My DS1 has missing hand lume also but I’m not planning on rectifying it at the moment. If, when it’s getting serviced, it’s a relatively easy job and the hands won’t stand out then I might go for it but for the time being I’m enjoying its originality.

I think on your watch the white hands match the indices nicely, while the blue hand plays off the dial well .

 

Now I’m confused. The hands are supposed to be white, as are the indices- the thin slits in the middle of the hands are supposed to have the yellow lume- which match the pips at the tops of each indicie- I assume you mean for your watchmaker to just infill the slits from behind (which would be the relume I was referring to) and not covering the entire face of the hands with yellow lume.

 

Oh, for sure, that is my intent. I love the white hands. I agree with Rob, the colors on this watch are terrific.

Believe it or not, this watch came from Casablanca...just around the corner from the Mediterranean and in a beautiful blue section of the Atlantic. I like to think of the watch as coming very much from its place.

 

Oddly enough the moment I saw this watch the image of looking out over a sunlight blue sea with Azure sky popped into my mind.

 

If your watchmaker can do a decent job then go for it. Perhaps ask for some examples that he has done in the past. If you're not confident that he can get a great match or if you are very particular then maybe find another watchmaker that does this kind of thing routinely and get it done there. I vote for relume.

 

I think this would be a suitable project for a sympathetic relume - nice watch....

 

I found some nos hands in my spare box. Let me know if you want them.

 

Terrific solution!

 

Jim, wow...PM sent.

This thread went from nada to a lot in a hurry! Thanks so much all -

 

This is what I love about this place- ask for a ride and someone offers you a car.

 

This has been a fun project so far, and it has been great to share and get feedback. I've been looking for a nice DS-2 for a while - I was lucky to find this one as a first.

That said, my watchmaker is having a tough time getting it open - he said it is possible it has never been opened. Right now he is trying penetrating oil on the threads. We will see what is inside. The back is absolutely mint and unmarked.

My watchmaker here in Seattle is quite good and reasonably priced - he used to service watches for Omega - but regarding the lume I think he is a bit less focused on keeping the original patina and more in the full restoration/like new camp. But of course he works with whatever you ask. He's done about five watches for me, and all of them are working great - including a '68 Omega Dynamic that another well known watchmaker had a hard time getting right.