T25 Dial of a Vintage Rolex

For Vintage Rolex (VR) freak, the right Luminous material on your Rolex dial and hands is a decisive buying consideration.

Over the decades, Rolex had been using different types of luminous material on the luminous dots of the dials and hands.

It is crucial for a Collector that the illuminant used corresponds to the year of the watch (refer to my last posted article).

And it is important to have the same luminous material on the dial, hands and bezel… and if possible, still in the same colour!

Since the previous used luminous material ages severely and they changed brownish and yellowed. Those are described as Tropical dial.

When your Rolex is repaired at RSC, they usually replace the hands and dial to a newer version…

As there is a policy that the hands and dial coated with Tritium MUST be replaced and disposed of because of health hazard for the watchmakers.

There is always a risk that your watch looks new after the repair… coz they have taken away your original T25 dial and hands….

VR collectors should always safe guard his Rolex being ripped off the Original T25 dial and hands…

Friend of mine Allan had beated a 60s Submariner Tritium with HK$800,000 from an auction, later on found that the hands are of later version… meaning that he lost approximately HK$300,000 the value of his watch… so the uniqueness, colour of dial and hands of a VR is very critical to determine overall value of the VR.

In order to preserve the watch value, you should not ALLOW Rolex to change with news hands…Or you should not go to Rolex for servicing VR.

By Right and nature of the material T25 is always preferred as  the new watch with Luminnova or Super Luminnova material always shine, but it must be charged before it glows by a light source, such as LED torch. This luminosity diminished over time in the dark.

This is somewhat we should be aware…

HK Snob