OVERVIEW

It’s no secret that gilt dials are my favorite, but the best is when the print has turned a deep bronze color like this. For those who don’t know, an actual gilt dial is not just defined by the color of the print but by the process in how the dial was produced.

Most modern dials start with the baseplate, then paint, finish, then the print last. With a gilt dial the print you see is actually the metal of the baseplate printed in negative relief. Most Rolex gilt dials started off with a silver baseplate, so it’s extra pleasing when I get a dial like this that’s patinated into more of a gold or bronze print.

Gilt dials were widely produced from the 1930s through the late 1960s, but as certain brands like Rolex needed to ramp up manufacturing, the process became too costly & time consuming to continue on a large scale.

Finding gilt dials in excellent condition get more and more difficult everyday, which allows these watches to command the premiums that they do. Regardless of the value, to me they’ve always been the most beautiful examples of an obsolete process.

CONDITION NOTES

CASE: Very sharp (which I believe to be unpolished) case featuring thick lugs and its original shape and chamfers. It has obviously been worn and loved throughout its life but it’s as honest as it gets.

DIAL: Galvanic gilt dial with warm sandy lume and beautiful bronze print. The glossy lacquer has taken on a very cool lemon peel effect all over.

HANDS: Excellent handset with matching lume as the dial. Under UV the glow dissipates more slowly than the dial which is typical of the watches of this generation.

MOVEMENT: Smooth, keeping time accurately for a vintage piece and no corrosion.