# Refurbished Dials - Perfectly Fine, Or The Devils Work?



## Dr. Nookie (Jul 14, 2007)

Just looking for some opinions really.

Recently let the following jlc go for this reason, but kinda wish I hadnt.










Assuming the price is right, are refurbed that big a deal?

In this case about 900US


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## Stanford (Feb 10, 2007)

A question that seems to polarise opinion like few others. Comparisons are made with restoration work to cars, bikes, houses, artworks, wives and so on and on.....

I buy watches to wear, rather than to just tuck away as investments. For that reason I donâ€™t have a problem with refinished dials, quite the opposite, with a big proviso â€" that the work must be done well. Given the choice, though, I would obviously prefer a decent, but not necessarily perfect, original.

Iâ€™ve got two watches being fettled at the moment (by the manufacturers); part of this includes refurbishing the cases, replacing crystals, hands, crowns etc. so why should the dials be any different? One will have a new dial fitted while the other will be re-lumed. On the one where the dial will be replaced I will get the original back so if I do ever sell the watch I will be able to offer it with the original, for the purists.


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## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

I owned an Omega Geneve once and sent the dial off to be re-done. It was a terrible job, wished I had left it alone. It ended up with me selling it and the dial job lowered its value despite me paying to have it done.


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## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

'tis the devil's work I tell thee...


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Totally disagree.

This is a re-dial and a damn fine one it is too


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

And this


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## Xantiagib (Apr 22, 2005)

I agree it is fine but If I knew it was a redial I would not buy it -

or if I found out I would be quite annoyed

Even the breitling official redials are pants compared to a good original (and they are very good and don't aftect resale prices)


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

If you are saying you don't like a redial that was presented as original or in some similar way to deceive then I can agree. When the redial is done knowingly and with agreement to restore then I think it is a good thing to do, e.g. my watch above and Chrisb's

Poo pooing all redials though is illogical


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## Russ (Feb 7, 2006)

Griff said:


> If you are saying you don't like a redial that was presented as original or in some similar way to deceive then I can agree. When the redial is done knowingly and with agreement to restore then I think it is a good thing to do, e.g. my watch above and Chrisb's
> 
> Poo pooing all redials though is illogical


But poo pooing **** redials is.........


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

I will take a legible dial over a redial, if the aging is even and consistent. Pictures sell the watch to the majority. We want them to look good. If you collect for historical reasons then you pursue original. If we redial everything then soon all we have is pictures of watches. Redialing has its place for sure, so does leaving it original.

I always refer to Omega. They had the smoothest movements, the dials never lasted, for the most part. So you will see almost everything from early 60's back redialed, for the purpose of selling the picture on ebay. Its not because of the vastness of Omega's distro but just they had the worst dials of all that was out there IMO. But, I do like the old Omega's by far and they hold their value well.

Below are a few examples of what a lot of Omega dials looks like in natural form. Depends what you want in vintage and the purpose you are collecting them. So at what point do you redial, all personal preference.


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## Guest (Aug 19, 2007)

I woudn"t have a problem with a redial if the the new dial was a original not later one ,then again it can look strange having a perfect dail and a marked up case ,i suppose if the dial is totally ruined the chance of coming across a new old stock dial would be to tempting to ignore and replace.If i had a vintage grail i would leave it alone and just admire the beauty.By the time ive posted this i may have changed my mind and gone for a dial+ re-lume and the works.

Are its too early in the morning


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## Barryboy (Mar 21, 2006)

It appears that the Indians refurb the dial all the watches they sell. I would have no problem if it were done expertly (i.e. so that I couldn't tell it was a refurb) but often they are done in the most garish, horrible colours.

I would probably buy one if it looked good enough, but I've yet to see one that is.

Rob


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

This is why my JLC was restored


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## Robert (Jul 26, 2006)

Chris, that transformation is stunning.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

The bottom line is........if the original dial is a bloody mess, then get a good quality re-dial done.

The above example sums that up in a nutshell


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

Robert said:


> Chris, that transformation is stunning.


Roy handled it for me


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## pugster (Nov 22, 2004)

good redialers are hard to come by tho there are some about ,only thing that gets my goat up is sellers failing to mention that a watch has been redialed ,you do not find old watches with perfect dials ,if they have then they have been redialed.


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## tranber70 (Mar 24, 2007)

Hi,

On my opinion, everything depends on the dial condition.

I don't see any reason to renew a dial with a nice patina as the ones of James, this is a part of the story of the watch.

But, but, sometimes dial is in a so bad shape that I prefer to get it restored, otherwise the look of the watch is loosing any interest, as for the JLC of Chris. Is there any interest to keep a watch with such a dial?

So to resume, yes a dial has to be kept with its patina, but it has to be restored when it starts to damage the global look of the watch.

I have to precise that in the case of restored dial, my feeling is that the entire watch has to be restored (box and hands).

Bertrand


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## thenikjones (Mar 10, 2006)

Griff said:


> If you are saying you don't like a redial that was presented as original or in some similar way to deceive then I can agree. When the redial is done knowingly and with agreement to restore then I think it is a good thing to do, e.g. my watch above and Chrisb's


Griff, do you have a pic of your Omega before the re-dial? That would be interesting, I think - see how many people would have preferred to stick to the original [FWIW I love yours as it is now]


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

thenikjones said:


> Griff said:
> 
> 
> > If you are saying you don't like a redial that was presented as original or in some similar way to deceive then I can agree. When the redial is done knowingly and with agreement to restore then I think it is a good thing to do, e.g. my watch above and Chrisb's
> ...


No

I bought it as it is


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

I bought a "beater" for her indoors from India, re-dialled, a Citizen Manual. For what I paid for it, it looks good enough and very good for a vintage watch, but having looked at others from both the same seller and others in India, the re-furbing is very much of a sameness, i.e. there's a tendency to lose the (if any) individuality of the original makers set design in favour of what the re-furb person can actually "do".









Having said all that, in theory a watch that's been cleaned, serviced and re-dialled for around a tenner plus postage from India - what else would you expect? Look at the HMT military Specials on the bay, they're so rare there's usually at least three or four for sale at any one time. The weird colours don't bother me too much if they go with a shirt and tie I might have for Dancing !


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

All in all, redials are fine


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

James









That is awful!


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## tranber70 (Mar 24, 2007)

James,

Here is not a redial, it's a different dial, BTW very very nice. It seems to be enamel?

But, that's an idea. Instead of trying to get the best "copy", to create a new dial seems to not to be a so bad idea.

Bertrand



James said:


> All in all, redials are fine


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## Guest (Aug 20, 2007)

James said:


> All in all, redials are fine


If my Omega came back with that dial i would have"Chess-ed" him


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## James (Jul 17, 2006)

now if you could somehow have lil men to move around would be pretty cool









hey I thought Roy was doing one with the Brit flag









new country pieces, not county


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

James said:


> All in all, redials are fine


I believe good re-dials are very good when done well, but that, with all due respect, is truly bleeding awful

It would be good though for William Hague when telling one of his sad music hall jokes and probably match his waistcoat


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## Wayne (Aug 22, 2007)

Griff said:


> Totally disagree.
> 
> This is a re-dial and a damn fine one it is too


Griff,

Did you have the watch re-dialed? I have a vintage omega I recently purchased and the watch was re-dialed and I don't know if it looks like the original. I was going to send it back to Omega and find out if it's what is supposed to be on this watch and if not, have it replaced.

Thanks for your help.

Wayne


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## smashie (Aug 17, 2007)

For my Dad's birthday a few years a go I got his seamaster restored. The dial was redone and it looked like new. I was very happy with it and so was he.

That said I've seen some bloody awful restoration atempts.


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