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Why do people like tropical dials like this?

rootbeer7
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cristos71 cristos71
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
Before the last few years of hyping damaged dials, this was a perfect example of tropical. Used in many Rolex references (hence the hype), to refer to dials or subdials.
 
Syrte
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As others, I like even patina and used to be mesmerized by the orange dial below.
It has a beautiful glow, no longer mine though.

As @cristos71 says, brown even dials are what I call tropical- as in the dive watch and the chronograph below.
Edited:
 
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gbesq
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To each his own, but I collect vintage watches, not Easter eggs. To my eyes, that's not patina -- it's dial damage.
 
C
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gbesq gbesq
To each his own, but I collect vintage watches, not Easter eggs. To my eyes, that's not patina -- it's dial damage.
haha “to each his own but” is like “with all do respect” …
You know what’s coming next isn’t going to be good
 
Peemacgee
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C CLA05
haha “to each his own but” is like “with all do respect” …
You know what’s coming next isn’t going to be good

Respectfully (😉) it actually means “you do you, I’ll do me”
There is no right or wrong to liking patina on a dial - it really is “each to their own”

For the record, having seen a ‘chocolate’ Speedy at a GTG, I happen to think brown patinated dials are rather attractive and can understand why some folks fall for their chocolatey charms but I still prefer dials in their original state.
 
C
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Couldn’t agree more, you don’t see me trashing peoples watches 😀
 
SOG53
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My Grand Seiko from 1972 now, with charcoal dial.
And the original blue dial from another same year. Guess the preserved blue one didn’t see much sunlight.
IMG_8687.jpeg IMG_0002.jpeg
 
samweldspoorly
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Syrte Syrte
As others, I like even patina and used to be mesmerized by the orange dial below.
It has a beautiful glow, no longer mine though.

As @cristos71 says, brown even dials are what I call tropical- as in the dive watch and the chronograph below.
That CCCP leather strap is cool as hell. where did you source that??? haha
 
hant26
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Oh I really love evenly distributed patina. Every watches borned with the same look but time gives each ones a unique character in the form of patina. Ofcourse unique doesn’t mean beautiful all the time 😀)
 
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dinglem
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This is an interesting thread for me. What I don't understand is the comments saying 'it's worth less as I call that damage' comments. Surely if somebody buys a tropical/patina/damaged dial watch then they are buying purely to cater for their own tastes rather than because it could potentially be worth more/less. If somebody likes a watch with a certain affliction it is because they think the given price is worth it. I'm not sure how many people buy watches they like with an eye towards how much they can then sell them on for?

For me personally, i would never buy a watch with a mint, factory-fresh looking dial as I find them pretty boring. I wouldn't really be interested in owning a watch that is absolutely identical to several others. Somebody earlier in this thread posted two identical watches but the one on the right had a 'tropical' finish. I would buy the one on the right all day long, but i wouldn't even look twice at the mint one on the left. Thankfully we are all different. You never see negative comments on the hoards of immaculate, blemish-free watches being posted, but there are always the odd sniping comments when somebody posts a unique and beautiful/ugly patinated watch. I actively hunt for such watches.

Incidentally, I also like period properties and classic cars. I guess we all have different tastes in everything.
 
Peemacgee
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The comments on ‘worth less’ are not about resale value, as you suggest, they are about purchase cost.

There is nothing right or wrong about the personal appreciation of aesthetics or what someone is willing to pay for a watch ( no matter type, style or condition)

There is something wrong with unscrupulous dealers peddling a false narrative to the uninitiated based on supposed increased value of ‘tropical’ dialled watches - based pretty much on the peccadilloes of one cadre of watch collectors.
 
dinglem
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I totally appreciate what you are saying regarding dealers hiking prices due to perceptions of patina. If somebody is subsequently happy to pay what many may consider to be an inflated price, then i guess it is not 'worth less' to them. On the flip side, an immaculately presented example would be overpriced for me, based around my own personal preferences. But then I wouldn't moan about it because I wouldn't be interested in buying it anyway.
 
nkhandekar
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I will just add my 2 cents here. Patina in simple terms can be seen as the good changes that happen over time. What "good" means is subject to fashion and individual taste. In other words there is no right answer.

And regarding the Mona Lisa, no restorer/conservator will clean that painting, it would be professional suicide. There are enough other clean Leonardos around to know what it might look like. And a book that used multispectral imaging to digitally remove the yellow varnish.
 
Dan S
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dinglem dinglem
For me personally, i would never buy a watch with a mint, factory-fresh looking dial as I find them pretty boring. I wouldn't really be interested in owning a watch that is absolutely identical to several others. Somebody earlier in this thread posted two identical watches but the one on the right had a 'tropical' finish. I would buy the one on the right all day long, but i wouldn't even look twice at the mint one on the left. Thankfully we are all different. You never see negative comments on the hoards of immaculate, blemish-free watches being posted, but there are always the odd sniping comments when somebody posts a unique and beautiful/ugly patinated watch. I actively hunt for such watches.
You are characterizing them as "sniping comments," but they could also be called "opinions." Seems to me that if someone finds a damaged/patinated dial ugly, they also have the right to express themselves. Even if you disagree.
 
dinglem
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Dan S - you are 100% correct of course. It's just something I wouldn't personally feel comfortable doing.
 
Davidt
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I’d also say, one person being happy to pay a certain price, doesn’t dictate market value, it could be an outlier.
If the average price for a watch is £2k but one person is happy to pay £3k, it doesn’t suddenly jump the market value of that particular watch in a given condition, if it isn’t repeated.

An individual may feel happy paying £4k for their watch but if the likely resale value is &2k, it’s a fair comment to say they’ve overpaid. This may be of little interest to the buyer if they’re happy and resale is of little concern, but it’s still a valid comment.
 
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