Small mark on dial: restore or not

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Teunan87

·Jan 6, 2024

Hi everyone,

Recently I bought a Speedmaster 145.022. Superhappy with it. It has a small mark on the dial, right top above 7. It is very small, visible in certain angles because it seemed to have lost paint. Would it be wise to repair or just leave it as it is? The rest of the dial is pretty flawless.

Thanks!

 

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140dave

·Jan 6, 2024

Are you asking about this mark?

If so, are you sure it’s not fibers/dust? If not and it’s an actual scratch I’d leave it as is.

 

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Dr. Arnaud

·Jan 6, 2024

I don’t even see the mark. I would live with it.

 

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Dr. Arnaud

·Jan 6, 2024

140dave

Are you asking about this mark?

If so, are you sure it’s not fibers/dust? If not and it’s an actual scratch I’d leave it as is.

I think it is on the glass

 

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X350 XJR

·Jan 6, 2024·Vintage Omega Aficionado

Far more possibly to be lost than gained by attempting a repair.

 

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Teunan87

·Jan 6, 2024

140dave

Are you asking about this mark?

If so, are you sure it’s not fibers/dust? If not and it’s an actual scratch I’d leave it as is.

Yes, it’s on the dial

Edited: Jan 6, 2024

 

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Teunan87

·Jan 6, 2024

Dr. Arnaud

I think it is on the glass

It’s not on the glass. I’m not very bothered by it.
Does anyone have a clue what the cause of this mark is?

 

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Teunan87

·Jan 6, 2024

Here you can see the Speedy zoomed out a bit 😀

 

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Scarecrow Boat

·Jan 6, 2024·Burt Macklin, FBI

Teunan87

Does anyone have a clue what the cause of this mark is?

Looks like dust

 

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kaplan

·Jan 6, 2024

I'd say something like this is easy to touch up, but why bother

I'd be more bothered by the flaked 6'o clock subdial hand

Maybe you can find solace in the idea that there are many specialists that work on matte black dials and restore a lot more complicated things, so delaying the restoration to future is a good idea

 

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Dan S

·Jan 6, 2024

I would be interested to see if you can get it restored and also if it looks better afterwards. Take some really good "before" photos with a macro lens and then keep us updated.

 

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Archer

·Jan 6, 2024·Omega Qualified Watchmaker

Scarecrow Boat

Looks like dust

It likely is - the dial is brass so if it was a scratch you would see brass coloured metal, not white.

 

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SOG53

·Jan 6, 2024

Pretty minor IMO. I say live with it and enjoy a nice watch

 

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Larry S

·Jan 6, 2024·Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.

We are indeed an OCD bunch. Leave it the f….. alone. That said, I recently joined an audiophile forum. That community makes us look positively nonchalant.

 

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wagudc

·Jan 6, 2024

Teunan87

Here you can see the Speedy zoomed out a bit 😀

It's a very nice vintage watch, some blemishes are part of the charm. Next time it is in for a service have the watchmaker see if it comes off with a puff of air, if it doesn't (and until then) don't worry about it. Enjoy the features of a watch that has lived a life, or sell it and buy a new one. Trying a more invasive restoration is asking for a disaster.

 

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Teunan87

·Jan 8, 2024

Since there was debate whether it is dust or a scratch I decided to try to picture the mark one more time. Today I tried out the Olympus camera in macro setting to try to capture the subject a bit better. See the pictures. Dust/fiber or a scratch? I'd say a scratch.

 

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Archer

·Jan 8, 2024·Omega Qualified Watchmaker

Teunan87

Since there was debate whether it is dust or a scratch I decided to try to picture the mark one more time. Today I tried out the Olympus camera in macro setting to try to capture the subject a bit better. See the pictures. Dust/fiber or a scratch? I'd say a scratch.

Yes - you can see the brass dial underneath now...

 

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140dave

·Jan 8, 2024

Yeah that’s a tough one, looked white in the first pics so thought/hoped it was a fiber. Not sure what I would do in your case. Once seen stuff like that is hard to unsee for me and my eye just gets drawn to it. Hopefully you don’t have that ocd tic like I do.

Move it on or keep it, I still wouldn’t try to fix it.