The funkiest patina I've seen in a while.

Posts

9,595

Likes

27,672

ConElPueblo

·Sep 17, 2017

Syrte

@chipsotoole as far as I know the reason the radium turns dark is not because of water or humidity.... it's because it's a (radioactive) combustible and it slowly burns with age.

But other dials with radium lume (or rather, radium fuelled lume!) turn all sorts of brown, so why is this? I actually sit here with two 30mm Omegas from the fifties; one has some of the best looking, mustard-brown numerals in my collection, while the other is dirty black. The dark one has other signs of moisture ingress, such as an greenish tinge to the dial, looking nearly like algea.

Re. how much I'd pay for this, I'd say that it is not really interesting to me. The case is very nice and sharp, but the dial isn't to my liking. I don't really buy watches for parts, so better let someone who enjoys the look of this have it 😀

 

Posts

6,101

Likes

45,319

noelekal

·Sep 17, 2017·Home For Wayward Watches

chipsotoole

Anyone care to guess how this formed?

Used as a circular dance floor by riverdancing fleas?

 

Posts

9,217

Likes

24,051

oddboy

·Sep 17, 2017

tdn-dk

Looks a little like my Jumbo bumper dial 😀

Want. Dibs! What ref is that @tdn-dk ?

 

Posts

13,441

Likes

31,613

X350 XJR

·Sep 17, 2017·Vintage Omega Aficionado

Silver mirror numerals are a bitch to photograph.

 

Posts

9,217

Likes

24,051

oddboy

·Sep 17, 2017

X350 XJR

Silver mirror numerals are a bitch to photograph.

This, 37.5+mm, applied numbers. Dream watch. 🥰

 

Posts

1,727

Likes

5,959

GuiltyBoomerang

·Sep 17, 2017

Patina everywhere!

 

Posts

16,770

Likes

47,472

STANDY

·Sep 18, 2017·schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector

chipsotoole

Interesting. I've seen plenty of Radium dials but never with this effect, mostly it seems to go blurry at the edges. Was it applied to the whole dial in this case or did the lume on the hands and markers spontaneously combust a little more spectacularly than normal.

To me it looks like it's been in a hot dry climate. The cracking is the lacquer on the dial and it is cracked due to drying more than moisture. Watch may have come from a dry climate where it sat on a shelf or in a tin in a garage for 30-40 years.
Have seen watches like this come up nice after the cracked lacquer has been removed. ( thread a while back with a stunning dial unearthed underneath a smoky brown lacquer )

Do you have a movement shot.

Sometimes there is a story to these types of watches most here would love to know.

 

Posts

16,770

Likes

47,472

STANDY

·Sep 18, 2017·schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector

In this thread @gatorcpa talks about watchmakers removing old lacquer

https://omegaforums.net/threads/dial-dilemma-on-a-bumper.63027/#post-788352

Or if you search Lacquer you get

 

Posts

16,770

Likes

47,472

STANDY

·Sep 18, 2017·schizophrenic pizza orderer and watch collector

Search Lacquer 462 posts in many threads about it

https://omegaforums.net/search/7469512/?q=Lacquer&o=date


In this one @gatorcpa mentions about watchmakers removing lacquer and re coating

https://omegaforums.net/threads/dial-dilemma-on-a-bumper.63027/#post-788352

 

Posts

1,724

Likes

14,673

tdn-dk

·Sep 18, 2017

oddboy

Want. Dibs! What ref is that @tdn-dk ?

ref. 2482, cal. 332 from 1950, jumbo case 😀

 

Posts

7,293

Likes

76,565

dougiedude

·Sep 18, 2017·Carpe horologium!

dougiedude

Love this crackle-dial...

Dibs, PLEASE, if you ever decide to move it! 🥰

Just a repost of my earlier 'Dibs' made on page 1 of this thread for your beautiful ref.2482, @tdn-dk 😀.

 

Posts

1,061

Likes

1,939

chipsotoole

·Sep 19, 2017

Final price 152 Uk pounds...Wasn't expecting near that..I stopped at 77....anyone here snag it?

 

Posts

7,624

Likes

21,860

Syrte

·Apr 19, 2021

Bumping this old thread because I just saw on someone’s Instagram account the funkiest looking patina,
reminding me of a desert storm.
He also has two other Omegas with the strangest patina that seems to have spared the indexes, and I wonder how those also are formed.
could some of those have been « engineered » deliberately?

With the number of very nice Omegas I see on this gentleman’s account I’m surprised if he isn’t a member here but not sure what his handle would be....

 

Posts

6,101

Likes

45,319

noelekal

·Apr 19, 2021·Home For Wayward Watches

Almost looks as if someone wiped back and forth on the dial to see if the patina could be removed. In fact, one could almost believe that they glanced off the raised three marker as they swiped. Look at that stripe just below the three.

Some patina is admittedly attractive on vintage watches, but many times patina's far overrated. Here at the Home For Wayward Watches I can do patina. It'd be nice to call it special and attractive, but it's mostly just degraded surfaces or improper cleaning from days gone by.

 

Posts

1,534

Likes

3,231

amcclell

·Apr 19, 2021

Here is the best patina that I have. I bought it at an estate auction.

 

Posts

574

Likes

1,721

Holma20

·Apr 19, 2021

amcclell

Here is the best patina that I have. I bought it at an estate auction.

Hi these are my watches 😀
And some of them are bought from the original owner,
So I have no doubt these are not tempered with...
What I’ve noticed tho it’s that this only happens with one ref. And that is 14390 ,
Look at the example below , :
All three is ref.14390
(One of the other two you posted is also 14390)

 

Posts

226

Likes

562

berrychlossom

·Apr 19, 2021

Spider eggs hatched on it? that can be the only logical explanation

 

Posts

7,624

Likes

21,860

Syrte

·Apr 19, 2021

Ha, I knew you had to be on OF! I think they look great actually 👍
I really like the "desert storm" patina.

 

Posts

574

Likes

1,721

Holma20

·Apr 19, 2021

Syrte

Ha, I knew you had to be on OF! I think they look great actually 👍
I really like the "desert storm" patina.

Thank you😀
So do I 😀