16550 GMT Hand - Relume? Cracked? Painted?

[RyanPrasad]

Hi everyone, would love some imput on a potential purchase here.

I'm looking at an Explorer 2 16550 R-serial and I'm having issues trying to identify a funny crack/rough spot on the GMT hand.

My first thoughts are that someone might have tried to color match it and then the paint cracked? or perhaps they tried to re-lume it and the same thing happened.

I know that with a lot of the non-cream R-serials there is a big differential between the tritium aging on the plots vs. the hands, just wondering what everyone's thoughts are here. The Minute hand looks to have a crack down the middle but the GMT hand looks like something was added on there.

Dealer verifed that there isn't any glow coming off lume.

The Dealer is very open about answering questions, the watch does come with a box and some booklets but I'm guessing they were hobbled together as the booklet has a 1983 date in there.

The bracelet is a 78360 with a K clasp which looks like its 86' vs. the R2XXXXX which is most likely 87'.



Thanks for the help!

[RyanPrasad]

Here's another angle of the 24hour hand.

[zapokee]

Both your potential scenarios (color-matched/relumed) are feasible, or it might just be the original lume that's cracked with age. It appears to be the same color as the other hands.

It's anybody's guess if the service history of the watch isn't known...

[springer]

I appears to have been a poor attempt at repairing some cracked hands.

[mrs_LA]

Looks like a cakey patch-up on the hands, also likely with incorrect material, not necessarily luminous material either, which is why it does not glow.

[RyanPrasad]

Much appreciated input gents.