An incoming arrowhead 2852-7 Connie needs some TLC. New correct decagonal crown, new crystal, full 505 movement service and obviously: a new seconds hand. Unlike the hour and minute hands, a new stainless steel seconds hand is available from Cousins.
However, a new seconds hand will stick out compared to the rusty hands.



I haven't got the patience to source original hour and minute hands.
Instead, my watchmaker suggests polishing the two old hands and rhodium plate all three of them, giving them a matching appearance. The dial may be patinated, but the arrowhead markers look pristine. I cannot tell if they are rhodium-plated white gold or steel, but I suspect them to be white gold given the appearance.

What do you think about this approach?

 

I would try getting the seconds hand and then see how it looks. If you can bear it then stick with that, if not rhodium plate them. Just note that the hour and minute hand may lose some definition in the facet after being polished and re-plated.

 

Thanks a lot, Ben. That is a valid point of concern.

 

I had the same concern with my Connie. Hour and minute hands are rusty, the seconds hand is a service hand i think. At first i was a bit unhappy about the look, but then got used to it and decided to leave it as it is. It does compliment the aged dial somehow.

 

Thanks, Eve. You also have to re-lume your hands if they get plated. One more reason to leave them as they are.

 

There is no lume on my hands. Its either onyx inlays (just like the hour markers) or black paint. While it is obvious on the hour markers, i dont know how to check what are the hands made of
Yeah, i really like the overall look so much that those minor issues dont bother me!

 

I got a Rolex OPD that has the same condition, the dial was flawless but the minute/hour hands had some funk and the second hand was corroded. The minute/hour actually cleaned up with a light polish but the second hand was pitted up pretty good. I couldn’t live with it- so sourced a NOS second hand and it was worth every penny.

 

I think the hands will look fine with a new second hand. Great watch.

 

For illustration purposes- hands can make all the difference. If you look, mine looked like yours

Then my watchmaker did a little cleaning on the hands and replaced the second hand with a NOS service hand I tracked down

 

It did turn out good on this one! With clean hands it almost doesnt look vintage anymore but i guess its because your dial is also perfectly clean.

 

He did an amazing job- the dial and indices were covered with a hazy funk and looked dull and lifeless- he gently cleaned them (no chemicals) and everything popped....like it should. Not bad for 1978

In the hands of a good watchmaker with a knowing and gentle touch-it’s amazing what they can do

 

Back to the op’s Hands, looking closely, all but a few of the deeper corroded spots look like they could be cleaned up on the min/hour hands, or at least minimized by a competent watchmaker. Second hand obviously needs a service hand but that’s better than a nub

 

I never knew this was possible without the risk of knocking lume out!

 

I’m sure our resident watchmakers here can speak to the process, but he had the hands off the watch and used this blue sticky putty for the dial, and a swab on the metal parts of the hands, not sure if it was dampened or not-he didn’t touch the lume.

 

Sounds like he used rodico for the dial?!

 

Isn't that the gentlest way to clean a dial?

 

Ask Archer! it has been discussed here a few times:
https://omegaforums.net/threads/basic-watchmaking-tips-cleaning.56365/

 

Thanks for your advice, @Eve! Will ask.

 

It's possible that these are stainless steel hands, but IMO unlikely. Most hands are made of softer material (brass, gold, etc.) unless they are blued steel.

Here is a video showing the polishing and reluming of gold hands from a Rolex:

It would be a similar process here, but plating may be required as I suspect these may be plated hands.

Cheers, Al

 

That's exactly what my watchmaker told me

Thanks a lot, Archer. That was very helpful.
We'll rhodium plate the old hands and the new seconds hand.