I am "restoring" my first vintage acquisition, a 168.005 Connie. The original hands look a little worn and dirty, so I am thinking of replacing them with new ones from Ofrei. The original minute and hour hands included lume, which has since degraded and flaked off partially. The lume on the hands and the hour markers is practically useless, so I am considering replacing them with standard non-lume dauphine hands to avoid a similar fate, unless the current hands can clean up nicely.

What do you guys think? Will they clean up nicely? Should I replace them with lume hands to keep the originality or will replacing them with standard non-lume hands hurt the resale value?

Here she is:

 

In my experience the hands usually will not "clean up nicely", as it is the plating which has deteriorated making them look sad, not dirt. So you have two choices - clean and re-plate the original hands, or replace with new ones, as close as possible to the originals. Either way, the result is likely to jar, as you will have bright snazzy hands on a vintage patinated dial, and this will be an uncomfortable fit.

 

Great points, John. The only reason I was considering changing them out is because the hour markers have actually held up quite nicely, so three is a stark contrast between them and the hands. You can kind of see what I am talking about by comparing the 6 ocloc marker with the sad hands.

PS: thank you for teaching me a new word... "patinated"

 

My 2¢: Keep the old original ones and put a pair of new non-luminous hands on. See if a watchmaker can do some additional cleaning to the hour markers when it's serviced just to make them as bright and shiny as the new hands.

 

Another good idea. I was thinking of swapping out the crown too as the seal is probably shot. I guess I will have a little box with the original parts to go with the watch.

 

I think lumed hands will go with that dial (looks like it has been refinished at some point in the past?)

 

What makes you say that hoi? I was 99% certain that it was original

 

and I am only 1% sure it was redialed but if you please post a close up including "Constellation" and 7,8 o'clock part of the dial, it helps to satisfy my curiosity.
Regards

 

Here you go. The little "mark" resting on the 8 o'clock marker is actually a piece of small debris and the crystal is an aftermarket one that has light scratches (will be replaced too).

 

Thanks, Nice and original. The reason I asked because I did not see the dot on the "i" of the Constellation, the minute markers at 7 o'clock did not look aligned.

 

Ah yes. I see it now missing from the first picture. You sir, have an excellent eye!