Community Stories

Why do people like tropical dials like this?

Sharp
Posts
271
Likes
1,077
Bernhard J Bernhard J
A "patinated" dial simply is damaged by light and/or water. And will detoriate further more or less rapidly. And is evidence that the wtach had not been handled with care in its early history.

If a seller advertises a watch as "tropical", that translates to me into rotten and excessively priced. Just like a watch that David Livingstone might have worn in the jungle for years.

That isn't nice Bernhard, my damaged little Arnold used on the David Livingstone Zambezi expedition tried its best! 😁

IMG_2759.jpg
 
Bernhard J
Posts
627
Likes
2,095
Sharp Sharp
That isn't nice Bernhard, my damaged little Arnold used on the David Livingstone Zambezi expedition tried its best! 😁

IMG_2759.jpg

😁 Poor ol´ watch, not its fault, but rather of Livingstones handling.

It seems to have been "modernized", perhaps in the Arnold workshops. I note a (later) Pennington balance, a modified spring detent, an escape with modified teeth, and few other details. Since the Arnold workshop was known to modify their (earlier) watches, this likely is part of the watches history/provenience and not "patina". And if indeed taken along by Livingstone, that would be comparable with a more or less battered Smiths, but worn by Edmund Hillary during his Mount Everest expedition. Both would be truly "museal" 😉
 
bubba48
Posts
1,737
Likes
8,789
p4ul p4ul
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I have never understood the appeal of this, leaves me cold.
IMG_3253.jpeg

Do you prefer this one? 🤔

Clipboard01.jpg
 
p4ul
Posts
1,776
Likes
4,257
bubba48 bubba48
Do you prefer this one? 🤔

Clipboard01.jpg

I find that fascinating, but this is more my thing…

IMG_3255.jpeg
 
pkaye6
Posts
202
Likes
240
I find a dial like that one unappealing, damaged and would not want it.
 
samweldspoorly
Posts
486
Likes
2,011
I LOVE heavy patina like this from that era of Omega. Here is one from Vietnam I tried to secure but seller wanted 10k USD. Currently has it listed on C24 for 7.5 which is still insane money. But IMO its the best representation of a creme brulee dial.
upload_2024-3-12_13-19-23.png
 
cristos71
Posts
7,805
Likes
35,448
samweldspoorly samweldspoorly
I LOVE heavy patina like this from that era of Omega. Here is one from Vietnam I tried to secure but seller wanted 10k USD. Currently has it listed on C24 for 7.5 which is still insane money. But IMO its the best representation of a creme brulee dial.
upload_2024-3-12_13-19-23.png

Both $10K and $7.5K are both wildishly outlandish prices for that watch IMO, I can see some attraction to it, but wouldn't value it higher than one with a perfectly clean non-deluxe dial, so around $3K-$4K max

For me a tropical dial is only one where the dial/lacquer has browned attractively. Anything else is either patina or damage.

20240312_183049.jpg
 
Fallout Boy
Posts
2,848
Likes
5,962
samweldspoorly samweldspoorly
I LOVE heavy patina like this from that era of Omega. Here is one from Vietnam I tried to secure but seller wanted 10k USD. Currently has it listed on C24 for 7.5 which is still insane money. But IMO its the best representation of a creme brulee dial.
upload_2024-3-12_13-19-23.png
greetings from my connie

const 1k.JPG
 
DaveK
Posts
5,081
Likes
15,687
Pvt-Public Pvt-Public
IMHO The watch the OP shows is not “tropical” or “patina “ it is damaged. But to answer the question of why someone prefers one thin over another. It’s simple, personal preference. You could ask “why do some people prefer ice water over room temperature water?”. Same answer personal preference.

This dial was definitely damaged by ice water
 
calalum
Posts
1,617
Likes
8,135
samweldspoorly samweldspoorly
I LOVE heavy patina like this from that era of Omega. Here is one from Vietnam I tried to secure but seller wanted 10k USD. Currently has it listed on C24 for 7.5 which is still insane money. But IMO its the best representation of a creme brulee dial.
upload_2024-3-12_13-19-23.png

I am a big fan of [even] patina on watches, but there is no chance that I would buy this one over the piece in the post below, which based on the above comments seems like an absolute bargain (free bump for the original poster, who I don't know).

FS - 18K Omega Constellation 14393 Arrowhead - $2300 | Omega Forums
 
C
Posts
553
Likes
970
I, frankly, get a little upset when ppl say patina just means damaged. Is that a correct statement? Yes it is, but it’s the way it’s said, just feels conceited and turning one’s nose up. I agree that they shouldn’t be commanding a premium, that’s silly, but I am very drawn to heavy patina/damaged dials. And also clean ones. It’s like some have said - beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
My JLC here has quite an even pleasing patina, in my mind. That being said, I just bought this IWC that has clearly had water ingress and sustained some not nearly as pleasing looking damage I’ll call it. You know what though? I love the look of both.
IMG_7109.jpeg IMG_7182.jpeg
 
kaplan
Posts
2,606
Likes
3,044
samweldspoorly samweldspoorly
I LOVE heavy patina like this from that era of Omega. Here is one from Vietnam I tried to secure but seller wanted 10k USD. Currently has it listed on C24 for 7.5 which is still insane money. But IMO its the best representation of a creme brulee dial.
upload_2024-3-12_13-19-23.png

I hate sellers like that, I wanted a tropical damaged gold gilt dial, the seller had it listed locally for 1.9k ish, asked above 2k when I asked on Instagram and said he already had a 2k offer lol, anyone else other than me wouldn't even pay $700 for the watch - still not sold after years

Some watches have very specific buyers, I doubt that buyer is going to find anyone else other than you to buy that watch for years to come, maybe if the market goes 10x, he can sell 😁
 
mac_omega
Posts
3,532
Likes
7,563
I am also in the camp of those collectors rejecting dealers who use flowery words to try to take money out of potential customers' pockets by trying to make them believe that these tropical dials are worth more than factory originals. TBH I also don´t understand the hype about chocolate Speedy dials. I would not pay a premium. I am more with Mike @MSNWatch: codition, condition, condition
However I enjoy watches with unique patina when it looks even and not as heavily damaged but I am not prepared to pay a premium.
Here is one of my favourites - I know that this is very subjective, but whats not to like?

No filter!

f2.jpg
 
Dan S
Posts
23,457
Likes
52,116
Evenly-distributed and/or symmetrical coloration can be appealing to me. On some rare occasions, I have even paid a small premium just because I really liked a dial personally. However, I am not a fan of splotchy, uneven damage or blisters, at any price.
 
Poppyboy
Posts
256
Likes
374
It certainly doesn’t justify a huge price increase, but light patina definitely adds character.
 
C
Posts
553
Likes
970
Dan S Dan S
Evenly-distributed and/or symmetrical coloration can be appealing to me. On some rare occasions, I have even paid a small premium just because I really liked a dial personally. However, I am not a fan of splotchy, uneven damage or blisters, at any price.
Yep, perfectly legit. Thank goodness we don’t all have the same preferences in life. “Why do people like tropical dials like this” is just kind of a strange comment to me. I like tomatoes and my wife doesn’t. Each to their own is all I’ms sayin 😵‍💫
 
21 More Posts...
Sign up or log in to reply...

Similar threads

mseamaster

Why do people dismiss all vintage watches as non-water resistant

mseamaster Open Discussion
MCC
MCC
Posts
16
Views
5K
Zman4eva

GQ article - Why True Watch Heads Never Set the Time on Their Watches

Zman4eva Open Discussion
rexquando65
rexquando65
Posts
108
Views
12K
Walrus

Do you like to have midsize watches available or do you avoid them?

Walrus Open Discussion
jantjewgm
jantjewgm
Posts
34
Views
4K
DON

Why do people bid on garbage just because it has Omega on it?

DON Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
ewand
ewand
Posts
10
Views
2K
OmegaP99

How do you guys handle watch situations like this? (Unworn, nonworking pieces.)

OmegaP99 Open Discussion
STANDY
STANDY
Posts
9
Views
1K
A

Is this genuine? Can't seem to find honeycomb dials like this elsewhere

asp24 Vintage Omega Watches Help, Discussion and Advice
A
asp24
Posts
19
Views
2K