Advice on 1500/15000 dials

[DrBontenbal]

Hello forum members,

This is my first post and I hope you will forgive me that me registering on the forum was actually opportunistically motivated;

I am looking to buy my first vintage Rolex and am interested in the 1500 or 15000. I've noticed many of these watches on Chrono24 have normally patinated lume on the hands and dials. However, a rather larger number of them have quite bright lume on the dial and hands (or no lume on the dial at all for that matter). I have an example below. First I figured these were relumed, but I noticed a couple of pictures in David Silver's "Vintage Rolex" book with the same quality lume.

Does anybody know whether this is due to them being replacement dials or simply dials from after a certain period?

Thank you in advance for your wisdom,

Regards,
Ion

[DrBontenbal]

And here's another picture.

[offrdmania]

Probably aftermarket. Ive noticed those same hour markers on many aftermarket dials. Not a big deal since real dials are still plentiful for these models.

[DrBontenbal]

Thanks offrdmania! But are these genuine Rolex dials then? Just replacements? And are they from the same era as the rest of the watch is?

[Nick9]

Although the lume on many dials from the 1970s and 1980s has held up very well, you are right to question a dial where it is a bright white. On the other hand, a re-lumed dial is not necessarily fatal to the attraction of these Dates and DateJusts, if it’s been done well.

I believe offordmania is saying that these may not be authentic Rolex dials.

[offrdmania]

Not authentic, aftermarket, made oversees.

[DrBontenbal]

I see. But are the dials where the dots do not touch the indexes necessarily fake? Or just from a certain era? Like these (taken from David Silver's "Vintage Rolex"):

[DrBontenbal]

I also saw this (already sold) 1500 on Hodinkee: