Just picked up an Oyster Royal--couple questions on the dial

[Blue Lantern]

Hey everyone, I just picked up this Rolex Oyster Royal on a rivet bracelet. I love it and I'm planning on using it as my daily wearer after I get it serviced. I've got a couple questions regarding the dial, but first, the pics:









The reference number is 6426, the endlinks are marked 57, and the serial number is a 3 million. I believe the serial number dates it to around 1970-72. But the dial is just marked "SWISS" at 6, not "T SWISS T." That makes me wonder if it's an older 1950s dial with radium lume that someone inserted into a later watch?

Next question: I suspect the dial was re-lumed at some point, because there is a lume dot at 12, right on top of the crown's middle coronet. I don't think Rolex would've done that, right?

Okay, last question. I'm thinking of having all of the lume stripped off of the dial and hands, and then having luminova applied on the hands and on the dial from 1 to 11, but NOT on the crown at 12--which I think will give it a more "correct" look. I'd love to hear opinions on that idea.

[adam78]

Can you post a higher resolution photo of the dial? I suspect it is a refinished dial (not merely relumed), but would like to see more detail before a final judgment.

If you expose the dial to a bright light few a few seconds, and it lights up like a Christmas tree and stays lit for awhile, then the lume is most likely recent (luminova). The hands look like they have the original lume. However they are dauphine and more consistent with late '50s-early '60s style, not 1972 which would be baton hands. So I suspect they are older hands put onto a newer watch.

[Blue Lantern]

Sure, here's a closer shot of the dial. The lume is totally dead--I was thinking it was re-lumed with tritium years ago, but again, these are just guesses on my part. But who knows, maybe Rolex really did put lume at 12 like this at some point.

[kyle L]

Not sure if it's refinished but I think it might be relumed.

[Blue Lantern]

Originally Posted by kyle L

Not sure if it's refinished but I think it might be relumed.

Hey, nice Royal! Yeah, I can see it has the same crown at 12 but no lume there--definitely seems like that lume was added later on mine.

[adam78]

I'm not sure if the dial is original, perhaps it is (except for the lume), but the dial and hands are definitely an older style than the early '70s. Perhaps the case had been replaced at a service.

[yessir69]

Nice watch. Enjoy it.

[Blue Lantern]

Originally Posted by adam78

I'm not sure if the dial is original, perhaps it is (except for the lume), but the dial and hands are definitely an older style than the early '70s. Perhaps the case had been replaced at a service.

Hmm, interesting idea. No matter what, seems like someone out there wanted this watch to last--glad it made its way to me.

Originally Posted by yessir69

Nice watch. Enjoy it.

Thanks! The idea of sending it out for service already makes me miss it. Love these little manual-winds.