Dials are the most visible part of any watch and also the most difficult part to recover or restore in case of damage or wear due to age.

Especially in vintage watches, they are undoubtedly the most important part of the watch and the component that most influences its value.

Despite what one might think, a movement is always easier to repair unless it is a very specific movement or one with complications, and even cases can be restored more easily than a dial.

Few companies or individuals can do this very precisely and with enough quality to pass for an original.

Unfortunately, most restorations seen in the vintage watch market are of poor quality and can only deceive the less trained, and what at first glance seemed like a good deal can quickly turn into a very expensive paperweight.

Here we will give some tips and details you should pay attention to. It's not an exact science, and there's nothing like good research and making several comparisons to be sure, but we'll leave some points here that you should be aware of.

Pay attention to details such as colour intensity. A watch 40, 50, or more years old will no longer have the same vibrancy, and the colours, even black, will have faded. Especially in chronographs, pay close attention to the scales and sub-dials, particularly the alignments.

Originally, the sub-dials would be aligned with the recessed limits of the main dial and would occupy the entire space. In most repainted dials, there is a gap between the limit of the indexes and the available space, and the lines never reach the edge of the sub-dial as they should. In this case, they are not even correctly centred.

What sometimes might look like an old dial in original condition can hide some very worrying details.

Another factor to consider, and one that can easily be a point to identify a (poorly) restored dial, is the placement of the indexes or, as in this case, the small dots of luminescent material.

A less professional restoration often leaves the indexes misaligned, and what sometimes seemed like an impeccably aged old dial ends up hiding repairs that ruin its value.

Usually, in low-quality work, the size and shape of these luminescence applications are not uniform, and besides the placement not being exact, the shape and size also differ. A repaired dial is not an original dial, and moreover, a poorly repaired dial ruins the value of a watch.

The fact that a dial actually has an old appearance with some wear is no guarantee of originality. In this case, we have several indicators of a bad restoration.

Again, the sub-dials are too small for their intended space, remaining far from the margin where they should be, and again misaligned with the centre.

Another detail that should be an immediate red flag is the fact that one of the numbers, in this case, 8, is cut out to not enter the sub-dial, which is perfectly normal in many models. However, the number 10 is not cut out and intrudes into the sub-dial. Once again, a clear sign of a poorly repaired dial.

Even on simpler dials, it is necessary to pay attention to various details. A dial is not always completely repainted; sometimes we find partial repairs that have only affected one part of the dial.

Besides the already mentioned "play" in the small seconds dial, which is also very visible here, we notice that Arabic numerals were used on the sub-dial while the main dial uses Roman numerals. This rarely happens on an original dial. Details...

Even in higher quality repairs, we notice some differences compared to the original.

The placement of certain markings is not always in the original spot, the size can vary, and typically the writing is never as fine as on originals.

A dial can mean the difference of many hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of euros. It is not surprising, therefore, that there are altered dials in any price range, whether with the sole intention of repairing something damaged, but more frequently with the aim of achieving a higher value for a watch.

The truth is that dial restoration is an art, and as with everything, there are people and companies with more skill and experience who do fantastic work, and there are others with lower quality but also much cheaper.

We continue to work with several specialized houses for these services, unfortunately all abroad, and the truth is that in these cases the old adage "you get what you pay for" applies. Clients who want a dial "identical to the original" can expect a usually quite substantial bill of many hundreds and even thousands of euros, and a few months of waiting, while those who resort to cheaper providers are usually disappointed. That is the reality. A restored dial is not a crime nor will it be an impediment to buying or selling a watch, as long as this is explicit and known to both parties; however, as we well know, many times this is not the case, so pay attention, and if in doubt, the best advice is: research! Make comparisons and carefully analyze the photos provided.

Happy shopping!