► Rolex Meteorite Dial

[hl0m4n]

i find this dial mesmerizing but am curious to know how much meteorite you are actually getting.

does rolex apply a thin layer over the dial base or is the entire base a solid piece of meteorite?

we are talking mm here but the difference can be like 1mm thin layer vs a few mms for a solid meteorite base.

[OrangeKenny]

“Each dial is made from a solid slice of the Gibeon meteorite, which is then attached to the surface of the dial and treated with an acid-wash finish to bring out its natural crystalline pattern”

https://www.bobswatches.com/watch-re...meteorite-dial

[3266]

✊

[TruthBalance]

I was not aware of this. So very cool.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

i find this dial mesmerizing but am curious to know how much meteorite you are actually getting.

does rolex apply a thin layer over the dial base or is the entire base a solid piece of meteorite?

we are talking mm here but the difference can be like 1mm thin layer vs a few mms for a solid meteorite base.

One thing to watch out for with some meteorite dials, is rust. Ni-Fe meteorites are almost pure iron and most will rust pretty easily if they're not treated/coated sealed . You can identify a meteorite by its Widmanstatten pattern,Rolex uses for there dials meteorite made from the Gibeon meteorite,the Gibeon had a very high nickel content, so it's very stable and basically won't rust.And the main cost is not so much the meteorite material around $5-$6 a gram for top quality slices, it's the labour process costs to produce a perfect dial.

[rmagoo57]

Originally Posted by padi56

One thing to watch out for with some meteorite dials, is rust. Ni-Fe meteorites are almost pure iron and most will rust pretty easily if they're not treated/coated sealed . You can identify a meteorite by its Widmanstatten pattern,Rolex uses for there dials meteorite made from the Gibeon meteorite,the Gibeon had a very high nickel content, so it's very stable and basically won't rust.And the main cost is not so much the meteorite material around $5-$6 a gram for top quality slices, it's the labour process costs to produce a perfect dial.

That's what I love about TRF - you learn something new every time you log in! Got this from the Rolex site:
"Meteorite comes from the heart of an asteroid or possibly even a planet that has exploded, propelling material across the Solar System until chance brings it into our planet’s orbit and gravity pulls it to Earth. During its journey, the centre of the meteorite is gradually transformed, producing highly unusual metallic patterns, resulting from the very slow cooling of molten asteroid cores. The designers at Rolex create from these configurations a unique treasure for some of the most prestigious models, including this GMT-Master II."

[Johny]

Originally Posted by padi56

One thing to watch out for with some meteorite dials, is rust. Ni-Fe meteorites are almost pure iron and most will rust pretty easily if they're not treated/coated sealed . You can identify a meteorite by its Widmanstatten pattern,Rolex uses for there dials meteorite made from the Gibeon meteorite,the Gibeon had a very high nickel content, so it's very stable and basically won't rust.And the main cost is not so much the meteorite material around $5-$6 a gram for top quality slices, it's the labour process costs to produce a perfect dial.

Very informative Peter. Thank you for posting.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by padi56

One thing to watch out for with some meteorite dials, is rust. Ni-Fe meteorites are almost pure iron and most will rust pretty easily if they're not treated/coated sealed . You can identify a meteorite by its Widmanstatten pattern,Rolex uses for there dials meteorite made from the Gibeon meteorite,the Gibeon had a very high nickel content, so it's very stable and basically won't rust.And the main cost is not so much the meteorite material around $5-$6 a gram for top quality slices, it's the labour process costs to produce a perfect dial.

Very interesting information Peter, thank you for the post

[enjoythemusic]

Thanks Padi, great info.

[sutats]

Not a Rolex video, but this YouTube video talks about many aspects of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Platinum including much detail about the meteorite which it uses for subdials: https://youtu.be/AgqUh6kvvbA?t=283

[rollrex]

The potential for rust in the meteorite dial is one of the most interesting things I've read on this forum. I wonder if Rolex does some sort of evaluation on the meteorite or the dials made from it.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by rollrex

The potential for rust in the meteorite dial is one of the most interesting things I've read on this forum. I wonder if Rolex does some sort of evaluation on the meteorite or the dials made from it.

Rolex uses for there dials meteorite made from the Gibeon meteorite like I said in post 5,the Gibeon was a meteorite that fell to the earth in prehistoric times in Namibia, and it was named after the nearest town Gibeon in Namibia . And a 232 kg lump was first discovered in 1857 but many lumps between 100 and 500 kg were recovered in the years shortly after 1900 to present time. This meteorite has a very very high nickel content, so it's very stable and basically won't rust.

[996marty]

Some fascinating information in the replies

[barbapapa24]

such a gorgeous dial and tons of great information in this thread

[ingoodtime]

I had no idea that the Rolex meteorite also came from the gibeon meteorite field in nambia. In my early days of watch collecting, I wanted a meteorite dial watch. They were hard to find. Now dont laugh, but Invicta was a brand that had the Gibeon meteorite dial. I ended up purchasing a black IP Ocean Ghost with a selitta sw200 automatic movement. I never really loved it and I dont wear it yet I keep it just because of the 4 billion year old dial. I would love a rolex meteorite dial watch and know there are aftermarket dials which might be affordable. Ive seen some preowned watches at jewlery stores that had them. Some might call them frankenwatches. I resisted purchasing anything with aftermarket dials or parts.
Id love a meteorte dial on my 166710LN as with the black ceramic bezel and silver dial on the SS watch, it would look really nice. Here are some pics of my meteorite invicta. Have a good laugh at my expense and have a nice Saturday. BTW, I am almost always wearing a Rolex these days, sometimes a breitling. Oh hw things have changed since my early watch collecting days! I am blessed.

[Chewbacca]

Meteorites belong in space!!! Stop killing space nature!!!!!

[ingoodtime]

Originally Posted by sutats

Not a Rolex video, but this YouTube video talks about many aspects of the new Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Platinum including much detail about the meteorite which it uses for subdials: https://youtu.be/AgqUh6kvvbA?t=283

Very cool!

[Robf52]

Originally Posted by padi56

One thing to watch out for with some meteorite dials, is rust. Ni-Fe meteorites are almost pure iron and most will rust pretty easily if they're not treated/coated sealed . You can identify a meteorite by its Widmanstatten pattern,Rolex uses for there dials meteorite made from the Gibeon meteorite,the Gibeon had a very high nickel content, so it's very stable and basically won't rust.And the main cost is not so much the meteorite material around $5-$6 a gram for top quality slices, it's the labour process costs to produce a perfect dial.

Intelligent and informative, as usual.

[ltmgeller]

[miamiclay]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

i find this dial mesmerizing but am curious to know how much meteorite you are actually getting.

does rolex apply a thin layer over the dial base or is the entire base a solid piece of meteorite?

we are talking mm here but the difference can be like 1mm thin layer vs a few mms for a solid meteorite base.

My understanding is that the older meteorite dials were mounted on the usual brass plates, like those used for other stone dials, but that the current meteorite dials are not, they are just the slice/slab of Gibeon.

This recent post from VRF seems to say the same.
Idk if this change began with the 6-digit references in 2000, or later.