Just discovered the Rolex “magic” dial

[Nav01L]

So as the regulars here will know, I am currently very much over the moon with a certain 126600 (43mm Sea Dweller) that I got to acquire this week.

While I’m getting to know it, I noticed one very particular characteristic. It has a magic dial. Never knew this before.

It’s always been difficult to understand from pictures of this watch whether it has a matte or a glossy dial. In most images, one can clearly see reflections in a dial that looks as glossy as the one of the Submariner. In other pictures, the dial is as matte as a sheet of paper.

I always thought this was down to the typical Mk I, Mk II etc. variations one has come to expect with Rolex. Alternatively, it could have been a case of inaccurate marketing materials.

But it turns out, neither is correct. Instead, the dial in this watch has an amazing hidden “feature” up its sleeve.

I don’t quite know how they did that or of they even did it on purpose, but it is almost like one of these magic postcards where you get to see different images depending on the angle. When you look at the watch under a hard light source, e.g. direct sunlight, the dial has a flat dark anthracite finish. Like a Milgauss, or an Explorer I. But when you look at it under softer light, it turns into a highly reflective deep black glossy dial, like you’d find on a Submariner. When you change the angle under spots for example, moving from harsh direct light from the ceiling to the softer diffuse light reflected off the walls, you can clearly see the shadows cast by the hands onto the matte dial morph into crisp reflections of the hands’ undersides in a mirror like glossy surface, just as you change the angle with relation to the light source.

It is truly a “magic” dial.

Has anyone else noticed this on the Sea Dweller? Or even on other watches with matte Rolex dials?

[Nav01L]

What’s so great about this forum is that we all lined up to fire away at the 9 days thing for weeks in a row, but when someone posts something about an actual feature of an actual Rolex watch, no reaction whatsoever…

[S52]

Originally Posted by Nav01L

So as the regulars here will know, I am currently very much over the moon with a certain 126600 (43mm Sea Dweller) that I got to acquire this week.

While I’m getting to know it, I noticed one very particular characteristic. It has a magic dial. Never knew this before.

It’s always been difficult to understand from pictures of this watch whether it has a matte or a glossy dial. In most images, one can clearly see reflections in a dial that looks as glossy as the one of the Submariner. In other pictures, the dial is as matte as a sheet of paper.

I always thought this was down to the typical Mk I, Mk II etc. variations one has come to expect with Rolex. Alternatively, it could have been a case of inaccurate marketing materials.

But it turns out, neither is correct. Instead, the dial in this watch has an amazing hidden “feature” up its sleeve.

I don’t quite know how they did that or of they even did it on purpose, but it is almost like one of these magic postcards where you get to see different images depending on the angle. When you look at the watch under a hard light source, e.g. direct sunlight, the dial has a flat dark anthracite finish. Like a Milgauss, or an Explorer I. But when you look at it under softer light, it turns into a highly reflective deep black glossy dial, like you’d find on a Submariner. When you change the angle under spots for example, moving from harsh direct light from the ceiling to the softer diffuse light reflected off the walls, you can clearly see the shadows cast by the hands onto the matte dial morph into crisp reflections of the hands’ undersides in a mirror like glossy surface, just as you change the angle with relation to the light source.

It is truly a “magic” dial.

Has anyone else noticed this on the Sea Dweller? Or even on other watches with matte Rolex dials?

I've never seen a SD43 in person. Do you have pictures you could post showing the different look of the dial under varying light conditions?

[NIHO]

I think this is a good example of the anthracite look

[Timetracker]

Originally Posted by Nav01L

What’s so great about this forum is that we all lined up to fire away at the 9 days thing for weeks in a row, but when someone posts something about an actual feature of an actual Rolex watch, no reaction whatsoever…

Easy there champ. Bad form to whine about lack of replies to your own thread…….

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Nav01L

What’s so great about this forum is that we all lined up to fire away at the 9 days thing for weeks in a row, but when someone posts something about an actual feature of an actual Rolex watch, no reaction whatsoever…

What 9 days thing?

[doboy007]

Originally Posted by Nav01L

What’s so great about this forum is that we all lined up to fire away at the 9 days thing for weeks in a row, but when someone posts something about an actual feature of an actual Rolex watch, no reaction whatsoever…

OMG, replying to yourself. Come on.

[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by Timetracker

Easy there champ. Bad form to whine about lack of replies to your own thread…….

Just an observation, not whining.

[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by NIHO

I think this is a good example of the anthracite look

Indeed! And if you change the angle or move into the shadow, suddenly it looks glossy and reflective

[Old Expat Beast]

Like this?

[doboy007]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

Like this?

Haha, just like that magic is revealed.

[asiparks]

Well, a matte or brushed surface absorbs and defracts the light at varying angles, and it's "reflection" back to your eyes is competing against all the light bouncing back from the AR-less, shiny crystal. You're seeing crystal, not dial, with just the bright /polished indices, hands and high contrast text.
Intense light shone and viewed at the right angle allows enough to bounce back from the matte, brushed surface showing it's er, mattness, overpowering that reflected back from the crystal.

[alphadweller]

I've owned my SD43 for more than 4 years and never noticed the change from matte to deep black glossy. To me it always looks charcoal matte. This thread however has made me wonder, I'll have another look under different angles and lighting conditions.

If this is not just a trick of the light reflecting on the crystal, it's a pretty amazing feature. Thanks for sharing your observations, OP. I'm always keen to discover new things on my favourite watch.

[fskywalker]

Originally Posted by Timetracker

Easy there champ. Bad form to whine about lack of replies to your own thread…….

This!


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[doboy007]

Originally Posted by asiparks

Well, a matte or brushed surface absorbs and defracts the light at varying angles, and it's "reflection" back to your eyes is competing against all the light bouncing back from the AR-less, shiny crystal. You're seeing crystal, not dial, with just the bright /polished indices, hands and high contrast text.
Intense light shone and viewed at the right angle allows enough to bounce back from the matte, brushed surface showing it's er, mattness, overpowering that reflected back from the crystal.

Come on man. Let him believe it’s magic

[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by doboy007

Come on man. Let him believe it’s magic

So far you told us a lot about yourself with your posts here, but did you have anything you wanted to share about the actual subject?

[asiparks]

Originally Posted by Nav01L

So far you told us a lot about yourself with your posts here, but did you have anything you wanted to share about the actual subject?

It's not a magical "oysterdial" finish".
It's a matte dial underneath a shiny piece of glass.

You may have to accept not everyone is as astonished by this as you appear to be.

[carbon888]

I love my SD43 but you might be overanalyzing this..

[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by asiparks

It's not a magical "oysterdial" finish".
It's a matte dial underneath a shiny piece of glass.

You may have to accept not everyone is as astonished by this as you appear to be.

Yeah, the thing though is that it reflects the underside of the hands, which to me, with the theory of the crystal, is not quite plausible. I’ll send pictures, perhaps I should have from the get go to have a serious discussion.

[Nav01L]

So here’s the watch, matte dial, as the one further above in the thread.

And here, if you slightly change the angle:
You can clearly see the hands not only casting shadows, but reflecting as if the dial was glossy, same with the cyclops.


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[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by NIHO

I think this is a good example of the anthracite look

Thanks for helping out with this, very much appreciated!

[Andrews148]

Originally Posted by asiparks

You may have to accept not everyone is as astonished by this as you appear to be.

[Nav01L]

Originally Posted by Old Expat Beast

What 9 days thing?

That was a reference to the epic “9 days till I find out what my wife got me” saga, where we all engaged in some jolly good fun keeping the thread alive for weeks over something like 10 pages, after the OP had ghosted it without ever revealing how his story ended. Just struck me as odd that something like that had survived for that long and an answer I would genuinely have wanted to read had remained unavailable.

I know it might look odd to revive one’s own thread, but it’s still better than asking the same question over and over I guess.

[drrd]

Originally Posted by asiparks

It's not a magical "oysterdial" finish".
It's a matte dial underneath a shiny piece of glass.
.

This idea occurred to me also.

I think if SD43 was released 2020-> then it would have AR on the underside of the glass and the magic would be diminished somewhat.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by Nav01L

That was a reference to the epic “9 days till I find out what my wife got me” saga, where we all engaged in some jolly good fun keeping the thread alive for weeks over something like 10 pages, after the OP had ghosted it without ever revealing how his story ended. Just struck me as odd that something like that had survived for that long and an answer I would genuinely have wanted to read had remained unavailable.

I know it might look odd to revive one’s own thread, but it’s still better than asking the same question over and over I guess.

Oh, I'd forgotten about that. I think it might even have been me that closed it after we started getting a few dark/sad/mean comments that had to be removed. Anyway, don't worry, you're not the first person to give their own query a nudge when it gets passed over the first time

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=396350

[1665fan]

Originally Posted by asiparks

It's not a magical "oysterdial" finish".
It's a matte dial underneath a shiny piece of glass.

You may have to accept not everyone is as astonished by this as you appear to be.

Lol…. Magic dial….. no it’s called matte dial

[JSolution]

I absolutely love my sd43 and what I like about the dial is the red writing, other than don’t see your point of view really it’s just another black dial, no meteorite dial by any means :)

[Nav01L]

Did some research on this myself as the answers here didn’t seem to really address the phenomenon that intrigued me. Therefore spoke to someone who sells coatings and paints to the automotive industry for a living. As easy as I may be to astonish (I mean who doesn’t like a good dose of childlike wonder), it seems there is more to this than you’re all willing to see/admit. Indeed, the diffusing effect of matte paint is different when viewed head on and when viewed at an angle. At an angle, the dial is therefore indeed more reflective than when you look at it too down. That’s a function of the structure of the paint and should apply not only for the SD43, but other matte dials as well. On mine, it is really pronounced.

[garyk]

I had a Submariner dial once that had little cracks all over it. I was in the mall AD on one of those service guy testing your watch days they used to have in the early 90s and the tech said that was a “mistake” dial and Rolex would replace it. Long story short, Rolex sent me a new Submariner watch. I thought I had made out like a bandit as I had bought the watch used. I came to find out years later it was a very special one I should have held onto.

[Jmbarrack]

Rolex matte dials are my favorite. Original 70's dials, matte service replacements, modern SD4k/SD43 matte dials, and especially the "insense black" dials found on the YM/Daytona.

They provide the highest legibility as well as the most variation.