Tudor 9411 Snowflake, Blue - RAL Colour for Dial Refinish

[Dom9]

If you had a 1976 Tudor 9411 (or multiple, if you're me) that was heavily blistered and peeling, the previously white print was very discoloured and dark, and you were unable to have it serviced (needed) as a watchmaker didn't want to take the risk of removing the hands...

Perhaps, one might consider to take the step of refinishing the dial, appreciating the potential value destruction (they're keepers) of wiping the original print, etc. and further appreciating it would never be original again.

What RAL blue would you pick? I am not saying with 100% certainty this is going ahead but I am very much chewing over the proposition as watches that don't function well as watches and have the face of my teenage youth are basically paperweights.

I think my current favourite ("colour I'd be resigned to pick if I went ahead") is: RAL 5026 (maybe RAL 5003 2nd):



https://i.postimg.cc/MH9K83nc/RAL-Blues.jpg

https://www.ralcolorchart.com/ral-classic/blue-hues

I am thinking 5026 in matte, with off white markers may be attractive but I might try a spray out of a couple of colours to see them in natural light

[996marty]

Hi Dom
This is a subject that is an interesting topic. Without having mine in front of me 5003 or even 5013 look ok to me. The question would be who would you trust to do the work for you? James Hyman springs to mind. I’m looking forward to some before and after photos

[linesiders]

I would find another dial and save the original

[996marty]

Originally Posted by linesiders

I would find another dial and save the original

The problem would be finding a good one and at what price

[linesiders]

Originally Posted by 996marty

The problem would be finding a good one and at what price

3K and they come around occasionally (I do not have any right now). Otherwise you have a refinished dial and that would bother me if it were mine (I tried in past)

[Dom9]

Originally Posted by 996marty

Hi Dom
This is a subject that is an interesting topic. Without having mine in front of me 5003 or even 5013 look ok to me. The question would be who would you trust to do the work for you? James Hyman springs to mind. I’m looking forward to some before and after photos

5013 was 3rd on the list... all the colours look different on different screens. I need to pick up some samples and test them in natural light, etc.

Originally Posted by linesiders

I would find another dial and save the original

Oh, I hear you, LS... but yeah, you have to get a good one and 3k sounds about on the money. There has been one on ebay forever, albeit it looks glossy/service.

The watch(es) were not 'high price' examples and really good dial watches may well be double or more. 'Killing' the original dials, yeah... that's not a fun thought but I'm never going to do anything with loose, blistered dials. They don't sell and considering so many have been swapped because of the blistering issue; is there really any value in including them in a future sale (which I don't intend to)? The way I see it; they're basically fairly worthless as-is.

I know the majority here may well be against it but... they're f**ked, in all honesty and valueless as they are. I can't see handsome refinished dial watches being worth less than they are now, again, not that it matters.

And, well, the budget isn't 3k... or the 6k two would require! Albeit chopping them both in for one good one could be a thing but they'd be a pain to sell (the blistered ones on ebay haven't moved in forever).