Hi guys. Just looking for some opinions. I recently had my grandfathers watch serviced by Omega that was in pretty bad shape. Its a Seamaster Deville Automatic that he received from work that is engraved with his name and company on the case back. The info I got from Omega is that it is Caliber 550 and Case Reference LL6066. From the research I've done it seems to be early 60's and a US model watch. I wasn't really able to find too much info on this particular Case Reference however. My intent was just to get it running again and cleaned up so I could use it. It turned out great and I am very pleased. I don't have any desire to sell it as it is very sentimental. But browsing through the threads here has made me appreciate the originality of these vintage watches. So.....my question is would it be worth it to have the original hands restored if that is even possible and relumed as I didn't even notice that the hands were luminescent until I saw some here. I am pleased with how it turned out but those luminescent hands are cool.
Lumed dial must go with lumed hands. They did a really bad job when they changed those hands into solid hands. With the old hands that they returned, you can have them replated, relumed and bring the watch back to its old day. Put the old hands back in that condition is ok, too.
If you look at the "before" picture in the OP you can see the lume dots on the outer side of the indexes. It was lumed! Edit: But only for the 1/2/4/5/7/8/10/11 markers.
Do enybody know where you can get hands replated? I have a set of rhodineted hands that nead love. Grateful if somebody could point me direction.
I would leave it as is. Replating hands may not match the color of the indexes. If need be. Check a parts supplier to see if they have hands available or Ebay, but be sure to measure for the correct length DON
...every qualified watchmaker has the material to relume these hands correct: lume + watercolour + daylight. http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/best-art-materials/Watercolour/323/best-watercolour-paints
P.S.: the watch on the pics looks so new, that its worth polishing and (re)gilding the hands before reluming.
I had a set of hands that were in the same condition as yours and they were too pitted to restore. I actually think the watch looks great like it is. The lume on the dial is incomplete and probably doesn't glow so having lumed hands isn't really that important. If anything, DON's advise would return the best results.
Great advice guys......Thanks! Probably will leave it for now and wear it since the new hands do look nice. The lume on the dial definitely doesn't glow. Is it possible when they serviced the watch they removed the lume material on the dial to match the new hands? It would be weird to have glowing markers and no glowing hand.
I doubt it. If it went to an Omega service center like you said, those hands may have been the only ones available for that reference. They try to return the watch to it's original configuration or as close as possible. I think the lume came off when they serviced the watch. I still see some lume on the 2,5,8,10 indices. Take a uv flashlight and try and charge the dial. It may glow faintly.