ehh, so I'm to believe the "dimple dial" is a "feature" rather than a QC issue?

[jjdesq]

So I saw a thread(don't remember what forum) about some guys subc that didn't look right around the hole in the dial where the post goes that the hands sit on. The dial had an obvious ring around the punched hole and I've heard just about every one says it's a "design feature" to make the dial stronger from impacts and handling I guess. I just got a sea dwellerc and i don't have a ring around the hole and the dial and it looks just about perfect under a loupe except for two almost invisible spots of paint or something next to the L in ROLEX(my eyes are 28 years old so they're still working pretty well). I have an air-king, 2 datejusts(one with a sick pyramid dial) and now the sea dweller and none of them have this. It sounds like the punch for the dials maybe was blunt and should have been changed causing more of the dial to sink in when it was punched. Maybe I'm wrong but it looks more like a defect than a "feature" and the majority of subc owners(in that thread) seem to be in denial claiming it to be a calculated design element which is fine because they're not my watches but if anyone knows for sure that I'm wrong about it just being sloppy work VS something intentional let me know...I know defects exist but with so many like that I'm suspicious that Rolex knows they can away with it because the sub is probably their best selling watch...and so they have. enlighten me though.

[capote]

How about a pic?

[jjdesq]

To be clear I'm not talking about exactly where the hole is which would make sense but more like 2-3mm around

[jjdesq]

Originally Posted by capote

How about a pic?

I don't know how to post pics, a google search will find you some good pics if your interested...sorry.

[Abdullah71601]

Both my Explorer (214270) and my Sea Dweller (16600) have a depression around the hole, only visible with a 10X loupe. The Milgauss has a matte dial and I can't tell one way or the other.

It might be paint sag on the gloss dial

[cop414]

My Submariner has the "dimple", I believe it's not so much a defect or designed to be there as much as it's just how the metal reacts to being "punched" for the hole. It doesn't bother me at all, embrace the dimple if you have one is my thought.

Here's an old thread on the dimple effect. Seems like it could be the way that the enamel paint adheres to the dial? This makes more sense as the backs of the dials seem to be flat causing me to scratch my bald head on the punched theory? Lots of opinions on the subject.
http://www.rolexforums.com/~trfcom/s...ghlight=dimple

[Jason71]

*Yawn*

Put away your loupe and stop sweating the small stuff.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by cop414

My Submariner has the "dimple", I believe it's not so much a defect or designed to be there as much as it's just how the metal reacts to being "punched" for the hole. It doesn't bother me at all, embrace the dimple if you have one is my thought.

Here's an old thread on the dimple effect. Seems like it could be the way that the enamel paint adheres to the dial? This makes more sense as the backs of the dials seem to be flat causing me to scratch my bald head on the punched theory? Lots of opinions on the subject.
http://www.rolexforums.com/~trfcom/s...ghlight=dimple

There shouldn't be a dimple from the punch. There's a die on both sides of the penetration to prevent the metal from deforming.

I'm going to speculate on it being a paint effect. They paint it after it's punched and prepped. The hole is already there, which gives the paint near it somewhere to go in the moments before it sets. It only needs to sag a tiny bit on a gloss dial to be seen on a loupe.

[UNLVino]

If it can't be seen with the naked eye, wouldn't bother me. I look at coins with a loop, but never my watch

[cop414]

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

There shouldn't be a dimple from the punch. There's a die on both sides of the penetration to prevent the metal from deforming.

I'm going to speculate on it being a paint effect. They paint it after it's punched and prepped. The hole is already there, which gives the paint near it somewhere to go in the moments before it sets. It only needs to sag a tiny bit on a gloss dial to be seen on a loupe.

Abdullah, I believe that you are probably correct on this. Paint can do funny things. As I stated before it doesn't bother me at all and to be honest it's not one of those things that I ever noticed until I read about it on the internet.

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by cop414

Abdullah, I believe that you are probably correct on this. Paint can do funny things. As I stated before it doesn't bother me at all and to be honest it's not one of those things that I ever noticed until I read about it on the internet.

Whether it's paint sag or something else that causes the 'dimple', I think it's an interesting part of the manufacturing process that is peaking out from behind the curtain. Think about it, if it is paint sag, it's behaving in a very predictable way for the final paint thickness to be sufficiently uniform to allow the hands to fit in a precise way every time. While we might not know what's really going on, you can be sure the factory engineering team knows exactly why it's the way it is or there would be a lot of warranty claims against this 'flaw'.

[watchwatcher]

Originally Posted by Jason71

*Yawn*

Put away your loupe and stop sweating the small stuff.

Yep.

[Boxcars]

So the latest issue is invisible paint?

[Sublover2166]

OP, please get rid of the loupe or this hobby won't be a whole lot of fun for you.
Put aside your OCD and just enjoy the watch.