The Rolex Forums   The Rolex Watch

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Old 25 December 2016, 10:36 AM   #1
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
"Washed off" Lume on a Vintage Sub...

I'm still searching for the perfect (affordable) vintage Sub. I should have purchased one 5-7 years ago when they were half the price they are now.

Anyway...every once in a while I will see online a gorgeous dial with perfect plots. Then, I see in the description that the lume has been "washed off."

Can I assume that the lume was damaged on enough plots that someone decided to have all the lume scraped off?

What should this do to the price? Imagine the watch would take less of a hit Vs. having a service dial or replacement hands?

Thanks!
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 11:52 AM   #2
MorningTundra
"TRF" Member
 
MorningTundra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Real Name: Morningtundra
Location: USA, UK & HKG
Posts: 1,037
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
I'm still searching for the perfect (affordable) vintage Sub. I should have purchased one 5-7 years ago when they were half the price they are now.



Anyway...every once in a while I will see online a gorgeous dial with perfect plots. Then, I see in the description that the lume has been "washed off."



Can I assume that the lume was damaged on enough plots that someone decided to have all the lume scraped off?



What should this do to the price? Imagine the watch would take less of a hit Vs. having a service dial or replacement hands?



Thanks!


Never come across that before. When you say vintage, what ref / year are you looking at? Got an example?


Sent from my cracked, broken, hand wound Phone
MorningTundra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 11:59 AM   #3
traf
"TRF" Member
 
traf's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Real Name: dave
Location: miami
Watch: me ride bikes
Posts: 1,938
I've seen them and I feel they do not come around as often as service dials. That being said, they are typically priced closely to a similar tritium service offering. I presume as time passes these will fetch more, a la 6538s and 5510s with service dials...


Sent from my iPhone 7+ using Tapatalk
traf is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 12:12 PM   #4
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
Quote:
Originally Posted by MorningTundra View Post
Never come across that before. When you say vintage, what ref / year are you looking at? Got an example?


Sent from my cracked, broken, hand wound Phone
I am referring to 1680's, 5513's.

I don't want to link to the site in question...but suffice to say, the description is as I described. The plots simply don't have lume.
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 12:23 PM   #5
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
Quote:
Originally Posted by traf View Post
I've seen them and I feel they do not come around as often as service dials. That being said, they are typically priced closely to a similar tritium service offering. I presume as time passes these will fetch more, a la 6538s and 5510s with service dials...


Sent from my iPhone 7+ using Tapatalk
Thank you. Makes sense - the comparison to a service dial.
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 01:48 PM   #6
77T
2024 Pledge Member
 
77T's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Real Name: PaulG
Location: Georgia
Posts: 40,568
There is a wide variety of opinions - been discussed before and hope this helps add some thoughts...as for me, I'd skip the washed dials.

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=227325

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=275233
__________________


Does anyone really know what time it is?
77T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 02:10 PM   #7
saskmh
"TRF" Member
 
saskmh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,027
Do any of you folks have a macro pic of what a "washed off " dial looks like? I've never heard the term before.
__________________
RCN (Canadian) Tudor Milsub database co-manager
saskmh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 02:55 PM   #8
andromeda160
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Real Name: Greg
Location: michigan
Watch: Rolex Oyster
Posts: 4,046
Id price it the same as a relumed dial. Which isnt so uncommon.
andromeda160 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 25 December 2016, 04:42 PM   #9
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
Quote:
Originally Posted by 77T View Post
There is a wide variety of opinions - been discussed before and hope this helps add some thoughts...as for me, I'd skip the washed dials.

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=227325

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=275233


Much thanks!

Clearly I don't spend enough time here on the Vintage boards - and I was too lazy to search.

I definitely am not in the market for a museum piece / safe queen. I'd be wearing the watch...so a washed dial might not be the worst compromise Vs flaking lume.
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26 December 2016, 12:09 AM   #10
77T
2024 Pledge Member
 
77T's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Real Name: PaulG
Location: Georgia
Posts: 40,568
If you chose a washed dial watch that would be a price pointer for your negotiation. Then if you wished, relume it and get replacement luminova hands for a resto-mod keeper.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________


Does anyone really know what time it is?
77T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26 December 2016, 08:34 AM   #11
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
Quote:
Originally Posted by 77T View Post
If you chose a washed dial watch that would be a price pointer for your negotiation. Then if you wished, relume it and get replacement luminova hands for a resto-mod keeper.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


So that really begs a question...Say I were to get a 1680 or 5513 -all original.

What precautions would one take when wearing? Should you only see it once a month? On special occasions? As part of a 5-watch (or more) rotation?

I have also heard of getting lume "reinforced" but what do Vintage wearers do???
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 26 December 2016, 11:03 AM   #12
J!m
"TRF" Member
 
J!m's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Real Name: Jim
Location: Connecticut
Watch: this! Hold my beer
Posts: 2,811
I just wear my 9411- and that hour hand lume is probably more fragile than any merc hour hand.

I used to wear my 1680 but the case is being restored and has been away since April.
J!m is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29 December 2016, 12:21 AM   #13
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
Quote:
Originally Posted by J!m View Post
I just wear my 9411- and that hour hand lume is probably more fragile than any merc hour hand.

I used to wear my 1680 but the case is being restored and has been away since April.


So anyone have any general guidelines or habits for "daily" vintage Sub wear? Specifically re: maintaining lume? I'd have to think knocking a Sub about would eventually shake loose pristine lume.
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29 December 2016, 12:27 AM   #14
JP Chestnut
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Ann Arbor MI
Watch: Rolex Ref 16600
Posts: 3,908
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
So anyone have any general guidelines or habits for "daily" vintage Sub wear? Specifically re: maintaining lume? I'd have to think knocking a Sub about would eventually shake loose pristine lume.
I'd wear it until I saw an issue developing, then send it away to have the hands/dial stabilized (painted with clear acrylic).
JP Chestnut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29 December 2016, 01:52 AM   #15
J!m
"TRF" Member
 
J!m's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Real Name: Jim
Location: Connecticut
Watch: this! Hold my beer
Posts: 2,811
Yeah, what JP said.

Or, you might have only the back of the hands painted with clear acrylic. I am actually thinking of coating the back of my flake hands with cyanoacrylate. I want to preserve the original "sheen" of the lume surface (they get too shiny when coated on top in my opinion) but there is still a risk of deterioration from the front.

My 5512 dial (mid sixties) has crumbly lume but I'm not going to do anything about it other than occasionally clean out the bits that fall off the dial. Once it is devoid of lume, I may relume it with some non-glowing stuff that looks like the original stuff. Until that day comes, I'm going to enjoy it (once I get a proper crown tube).

Just wear it and worry about the repairs when they are needed. You may never need to do anything.

Or keep it in the safe so it's nice for the next owner...
J!m is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29 December 2016, 04:02 AM   #16
southtexas
2024 Pledge Member
 
southtexas's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Great State of TX
Posts: 5,669
Quote:
Originally Posted by Speed View Post
So anyone have any general guidelines or habits for "daily" vintage Sub wear? Specifically re: maintaining lume? I'd have to think knocking a Sub about would eventually shake loose pristine lume.


I wear my 1970 1680 daily, and I wear it hard (I was using a saws-all just last night while wearing it). I've been doing so for the past 2 years (and rebuilt a house wearing it in that time).

Point being, these watches are tough. If you started to notice something becoming brittle, you can send it off to a specialist to have it stabilized.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
Forty six & 2 are just ahead of me.

Follow me on Instagram @ccrolex
southtexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29 December 2016, 04:57 AM   #17
Speed
"TRF" Member
 
Speed's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: USA
Posts: 19,694
Thanks folks. Message received. Wear often - repair if / when necessary.
Speed is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Takuya Watches

Bobs Watches

Asset Appeal

My Watch LLC

OCWatches

DavidSW Watches

Coronet


*Banners Of The Month*
This space is provided to horological resources.





Copyright ©2004-2024, The Rolex Forums. All Rights Reserved.

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Rolex is a registered trademark of ROLEX USA. The Rolex Forums is not affiliated with ROLEX USA in any way.