Help please, do hands age more than dial?

[Vf1200]

Please can anyone help me, is it normal for hands to age more than dial on vintage Rolex?
Many thanks

[1675-David]

happens a lot..

[DSplash]

From what I’ve read here and there, it’s quite normal for original hands to have darker lume than the plots on the dial. The opposite isn’t.


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[PatRols]

Originally Posted by DSplash

From what I’ve read here and there, it’s quite normal for original hands to have darker lume than the plots on the dial. The opposite isn’t.


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interesting. Do you know why?

[jackruff]

Maybe different manufacturers of dials and hands, different blend of tritium sitting on different mediums, heating and cooling at different rates...

[Swearengen]

I have often wondered if hands and dials came from different manufacturers or used different batches of lume

Originally Posted by jackruff

Maybe different manufacturers of dials and hands, different blend of tritium sitting on different mediums, heating and cooling at different rates...

[padi56]

Originally Posted by PatRols

interesting. Do you know why?

Its all down to lume surface area and exposure to light.

[scooba]

My PP DRSD arrived to me with a complete miss match from hands to plots , I didn’t think I could live with it as it was. I asked lots off advice and actually stored it in the window in the sunshine after six months they are now matching so I think storage and lighting plays a big part of how they change colour .

I am also aware there are a lot of watches turning up with heavy patina this is a different issue maybe it’s been discussed on here all ready. Most seam to think it’s been manipulated

[Johnnie K]

It appears my hands lume definitely aged more then the dial. I just bought this a month ago, 1975 1603 DJ. It has the tritium lume, which doesn't emit any glow
(direct light on dial will give off faint glow for a few seconds). Nothing on the hands. It seems that lume completely wore off. ATT I don't intend to get it
re-lumed (is that an appropriate term?). Some definite patina on the dial.

[Tools]

Originally Posted by Vf1200

Please can anyone help me, is it normal for hands to age more than dial on vintage Rolex?
Many thanks

No, all things age at exactly the same rate, one day at a time.

As to the differences with hands and dials, they are not manufactured at the same time or from the same makers. You will never have the exact same paint mix applied to the hands as to the indices on the dial. If they develop patina at the same rate, it's a random chance.

[nigelk]

Originally Posted by DSplash

From what I’ve read here and there, it’s quite normal for original hands to have darker lume than the plots on the dial. The opposite isn’t.


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Wow i've learnt something here. I always thought if they didnt match, one of them would be a service hand/dial.

[scooba]

Originally Posted by nigelk

Wow i've learnt something here. I always thought if they didnt match, one of them would be a service hand/dial.

And sometimes they are , This is where the expert eye help ,

[oysterquartz17000]

I have a 1991 Sub and it has light hands and yellowed markers. I then googled '1991 Rolex Submariner' and selected images. I counted 18 different watches on the first page with similarly aged hands and dial. I then tried 1990, 1992, GMT Master etc. Same thing. I think it just came down to who made the dials and who made the handsets at the time. Two different companies is my best guess.