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).

[studioal]

5013 or 5003 for me if going with a repop...that's what matches my 94110.

[TimeLord2]

If you choose to go this route there is one more problem. Unless your monitor is calibrated for exact color rendition the colors will all appear differently on different monitors. If anything you might try matching a physical Pantone color card or a physical RAL color sheet to the actual dial (in hand) for the closest color you could achieve.

[winst]

Would an RSC service it and give the option of a Service dial and new hands - they sometimes allow you to keep the original dial if you pay a 40-50% premium on top of the price of the new dial - Where are you based in the UK Dom?

[TuRo]

I like (and pay appropriately less of course) a scruffy, peeling and often with bright blobs of green, purple, gold... and dark gilt like writing on the dial and dark lume plots, brownish hands - they are characterful , wouldn't bother with the Halfords spray can, but then I don't re-paint vintage cars either ;-) !

[996marty]

Originally Posted by winst

Would an RSC service it and give the option of a Service dial and new hands - they sometimes allow you to keep the original dial if you pay a 40-50% premium on top of the price of the new dial - Where are you based in the UK Dom?

I’m pretty sure the days of being able to have them serviced by RSC have well and truly gone

[Dom9]

Originally Posted by TuRo

I like (and pay appropriately less of course) a scruffy, peeling and often with bright blobs of green, purple, gold... and dark gilt like writing on the dial and dark lume plots, brownish hands - they are characterful , wouldn't bother with the Halfords spray can, but then I don't re-paint vintage cars either ;-) !

Always good to have your opinion, Paul

The issue is less that the dials are blistered, and the flecks of teal do make them interesting, but that they badly need a service. As they are, they're attractive paperweights and I want to wear them and be able to tell the time. I guess I could maybe wave the risk of dial damage in disassembly for full service, hoping for the best, but IF they were damaged... what's the alternative? The answer is of course finding good dials but they are the proverbial rocking horse

And I have repainted my vintage cars (seriously).

Originally Posted by 996marty

I’m pretty sure the days of being able to have them serviced by RSC have well and truly gone

I fear, my friend, that this is indeed the correct answer but I will make some calls!

As for PC screens and colours; yes, this is exactly my issue. It's very difficult to tell. I also need to see the colours in matte as they can appear quite different to the regular gloss.

[interestedwatcher]

Originally Posted by Dom9

Always good to have your opinion, Paul

The issue is less that the dials are blistered, and the flecks of teal do make them interesting, but that they badly need a service. As they are, they're attractive paperweights and I want to wear them and be able to tell the time. I guess I could maybe wave the risk of dial damage in disassembly for full service, hoping for the best, but IF they were damaged... what's the alternative? The answer is of course finding good dials but they are the proverbial rocking horse

And I have repainted my vintage cars (seriously).



I fear, my friend, that this is indeed the correct answer but I will make some calls!

As for PC screens and colours; yes, this is exactly my issue. It's very difficult to tell. I also need to see the colours in matte as they can appear quite different to the regular gloss.

Hi Dom - I thought you were talking about the 9401, in which case I have your rocking horse poo - alas the 9411 I'm in the same boat:



your watch maker needs to just bite the bullet and do it, the worst case scenario is the dial is somewhat damaged - which it already is - so just get him to send it - or find a watch maker who will (that you trust).

then enjoy it.

[TuRo]

Originally Posted by Dom9

Always good to have your opinion, Paul

The issue is less that the dials are blistered, and the flecks of teal do make them interesting, but that they badly need a service. As they are, they're attractive paperweights and I want to wear them and be able to tell the time. I guess I could maybe wave the risk of dial damage in disassembly for full service, hoping for the best, but IF they were damaged... what's the alternative? The answer is of course finding good dials but they are the proverbial rocking horse

And I have repainted my vintage cars (seriously).



I fear, my friend, that this is indeed the correct answer but I will make some calls!

As for PC screens and colours; yes, this is exactly my issue. It's very difficult to tell. I also need to see the colours in matte as they can appear quite different to the regular gloss.

I'd give Steven Hale a go Dom. I use him all the time, he's a genius (Rolex send their old tricky stuff to him). He's serviced a few of my scruffy dial Tudors, one had dial bit melded to rehaut and fixed it up and serviced it grandly. SHWR Workshop in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Rgds Paul

[Dom9]

Your watch looks great, interestedwatcher! I had a little look at the advert in the classifieds. I think the problem with blistered dials is that they're not all the same and you can be lucky with smaller blisters fairly uniformly distributed or you can be unlucky with clusters of big ones, on the text, etc. My buddy just picked up a 7016 with blisters but, like yours, presents nicely.

Thanks for the reminder, Paul - Steve is a good shout and we're sometimes in the area as we have family round that way. But one dial is really not 'attractive', albeit the mouldy old lume is probably what draws the eye.

[996marty]

Originally Posted by TuRo

I'd give Steven Hale a go Dom. I use him all the time, he's a genius (Rolex send their old tricky stuff to him). He's serviced a few of my scruffy dial Tudors, one had dial bit melded to rehaut and fixed it up and serviced it grandly. SHWR Workshop in Bushey, Hertfordshire. Rgds Paul

Really good recommendation here he comes with a great reputation