I just bought this rather nice military looking single button valjoux 22. It has a curious problem.

I'm used to the hands showing what time it is. By way of example: When mickey's big hand is swinging over his right shoulder and his little hand is going past his right knee cap, It's 2.30.

The seems to be some definite problem with this watch. I can't see the blackish hands on the black dial. Seems to be a definite design fault, though admittedly in this photo the hands do show reasonably and look golden colored? In low light situations it is certainly more difficult to see them.

Should I try taking them off and applying 2000 grade sand paper over water? Or Is this problem the same as the usual dial problem? That the ONLY solution is to get the hands refinished?

 

Looks like the hands perhaps have ancient and now discolored lume which could possibly be removed and replaced or simply leaving the brighter underlying hand. Looks like you could use a new 9 o'clock chrono hand too.

As aged as the dial is new or refinished hands would look out of place.

 

Yes, that's the basic problem. But how does one (in any way) clean old hands! Or get whatever is on them off?

Not sure what happened to this Tavannes. Looks like someone was trying to either clean or re-lume the minute hand?



(It's another valjoux 22)