116520 dial swap from Superluminova to Chromalight

[nighthawk77]

I recently picked up a 116520 from 2010 which has a SL.

I am aware that in around 2014, Rolex started using Chromalight on the Daytona dials.

Does anyone know if RSC change the dial from SL to Chromalight?

[nighthawk77]

NB - not sure what's happened with the title of this thread, it should read '116520 dial swap from Superluminova to Chromalight' but Tapatalk has kindly changed this...

[Tools]

They might change the dial during a service, but they wouldn't do it for free.

Chromolight is Rolex-speak for blue Luminova. They also used some yellow and red on a few models.

[jacowestt]

Congrats on your 116520!

RSC typically replace parts like-for-like, so they wouldn’t upgrade an SL dial to Chromalight. To get a Chromalight dial, you’d need to source one separately and have it swapped by a third-party watchmaker, as RSC generally sticks to the original spec.

Enjoy your Daytona!

[nighthawk77]

Originally Posted by jacowestt

Congrats on your 116520!

RSC typically replace parts like-for-like, so they wouldn’t upgrade an SL dial to Chromalight. To get a Chromalight dial, you’d need to source one separately and have it swapped by a third-party watchmaker, as RSC generally sticks to the original spec.

Enjoy your Daytona!

Thank you

I thought this to be the case, but I recall reading that RSC would swap the dial of watches where the model reference is the same - eg 214270 mk I dial to mk II dial...

[georgekart]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

Thank you

I thought this to be the case, but I recall reading that RSC would swap the dial of watches where the model reference is the same - eg 214270 mk I dial to mk II dial...

I think they can, but it's not necessary that they will. Those dials have a different variant code. Most of the time you can request to change the dial to a different variant code (the only exception I can think of off the top of my head is the ceramic Daytonas where people were unsuccessful asking to swap the dial), but if you don't, they won't. Same as if your Datejust dial is damaged and ask them to swap it, they will swap it for the same dial, unless you specifically request a different color. In which case you can certainly have them fit a different color (actually that reminds me, people weren't able to get RSC to swap to blue or green dials either).

[RiRi]

I think it not only depends on the model variant, but also the production year - for example, imagine the blue dial on the 116509 that was introduced a lot later ...

While we cannot tell with the random serials after 2011, they can ;)