The effects of time

Well, to be honest the title is a bit misleading.

Some watches have developed their own unique look over time. Today we had the chance to pick up a cheap Datejust reference 16233: quickset, sapphire glass, two-tone on jubilee. The dial displayed some kind of even spotting throughout, presumably caused by moisture. Very cool.

The phenomenom of colour-changing dials is not unfamiliar to the collector of vintage watches and Rolex in particular. Well known examples include;

- the cream dial Explorer II ref 16550: a defect in the paint caused the white dials to turn cream
- Patrizzi Daytona, whose silver subdials turned brown
- Spider webbing, most often seen on first gen gloss/white gold dials like on the 5513 and 16660. In this case the colour is not changed, but the lacquer is cracked into a pattern resembling a spiderweb.
- Tropical, black dials turning brown

and so on.

While some collectors love the unique appearance of these dials, others view them as being damaged.. it's a matter of opinion and taste. We love it!