Authenticity of 16520 dial

[CMTBRIAN]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and would like to seek your insights as to how to verify a 16520 dial. Currently I have spotted 2 MK5 dials (Dial 1 & Dial 2) in eBay for potential replacement of my T serial. I won't take my watch to RSC for replacement as they have told me they will not merely replace my dials but other parts like the hands etc. And the new dial from RSC will be a "swiss made" ones which is against my wish.

I cannot post the link given my insufficient rating. Instead, I capture some photos of the 2 dials.

My questions are,

1. Whether they are authentic in your opinion (both claim they are authentic/ genuine)?

2. If they are authentic, how would you rate their conditions?

3. Whether a seller's no. of positive feedback matters (coz the difference of the no. of feedback of the 2 sellers is very large although both of them are 100% positive)?

4. Which one do you prefer, if supposedly, they are both authentic in your opinion?

Many thanks in advance.

[swish77]

I don't see any red flags, but I'd probably ask for a UV shot to see how the tritium reacts. The wear on the dial surface, the slight spotting, is fairly common on the black dials, and I would chose one that has a minimal amount of that. (On after-market and refinished dials, you typically don't see that.)

And yes, eBay feedback matters, but can't replace your own eyes/research. In general, I'd be nervous buying one of these on eBay. It could be fine, but it's a minefield.

I'd check the link below, which is probably the most in-depth breakdown of the 16520 dials I've seen, and adds several "Mark" types, compared to older research that typically had only Mark I to Mark V type dials.

https://www.fratellowatches.com/gior...ce-16520/#gref

[CMTBRIAN]

Hi swish77, thank you for your sharing.

By photos, do you think that conditions of dial 2 (photo 3 to 5 by descending sequence) look better than dial 1 (photo 1, 2 ie the first 2 photos) given it appears less slight spotting and less scratches?

Yes, I am also concerned about buying from eBay (or on webs) for items that require more physical verification in person but it seems the local watch shops do not have dials for sale, at least not for 16520 MK5 dials (I remain to assume they are MK5 by making reference to your link).

Do you think the "authenticity guarantee" by eBay would be a trusted source for verifying the authenticity?

Thanks again.

[1665fan]

They are both authentic dials...

[swish77]

Originally Posted by CMTBRIAN

Hi swish77, thank you for your sharing.

By photos, do you think that conditions of dial 2 (photo 3 to 5 by descending sequence) look better than dial 1 (photo 1, 2 ie the first 2 photos) given it appears less slight spotting and less scratches?

Yes, I am also concerned about buying from eBay (or on webs) for items that require more physical verification in person but it seems the local watch shops do not have dials for sale, at least not for 16520 MK5 dials (I remain to assume they are MK5 by making reference to your link).

Do you think the "authenticity guarantee" by eBay would be a trusted source for verifying the authenticity?

Thanks again.

You cannot determine the condition of the dial surface 100 percent with just these photos. You'd need to see them at different angles and lighting to know for sure. I've seen black 16520s that look immaculate straight on, and then at angle under certain lighting, the dials are completely spotted.

If you have to decide just based on those photos, I'd go with the second one, despite the slight wear on the hour sub-dial.

Not sure about the eBay policy. You should be the one to make sure the dials are authentic. As I said before, I don't see any red flags. Just my opinion. Good luck!

[CMTBRIAN]

Hi, 1665fan, thanks for your comment and by what ways they are identified as authentic by you? And what's your choice between dial 1 and dial 2?

Hi swish77, indeed, there are more images yet I couldn't upload more photos here due to the limitation. I totally agree on your comments about the different angles that can result in different conditions as reflected. Hence I tried to upload the most distinctive photos from different angles that are available.

On your choice of dial 2 over dial 1, is it because it has less spots (marks) and less scratches compared to dial 1? If the no. of positive feedback of dial 1 seller is many more than that of dial 2 seller (almost 8 times in terms of no. of feedback yet both are 100 positive so far), would you change your mind then?

Thanks.