Vintage watches, how to spot a redial

Last Updated on September 15, 2024 by Jason

If you are buying a vintage watch because it is your passion and you enjoy wearing something aesthetically pleasing on your wrist, this article probably isn’t for you. Buy what you like, and wear it. However, if you are buying a vintage watch as an investment or perhaps both an investment and your passion, then read on. In this post, we discuss how to spot a vintage watch redial.

What is a redial?

In the world of vintage watches, a “redial” refers to a watch dial that has been refinished by someone other than the original manufacturer. This process can involve varying degrees of alteration, from simple tasks like reapplying luminous material to more extensive changes such as completely repainting the dial. It can even extend to fake logos and branding on the dial.

Collectors often value originality, so a redial can significantly affect the value of a vintage watch. Typically, a redial will result in a loss in value. This is particularly important for collectors to consider if they buy a vintage watch for investment purposes. Some sellers will advertise the fact that a watch has been redialled, which is fine. The buyer at least knows what they are purchasing and if appearance is what matters to the buyer, good luck to them. While some redials are done to restore a damaged dial in good faith. However, some are restored to alter the appearance of a vintage watch to give the impression of original new old stock or a mint-condition timepiece. In the latter case, these undesirable examples can be identified by inconsistencies in the paint, misaligned logos, minute tracks and hour markers or unusual patina.

Dial condition

When you’re in the market for a vintage watch, it’s only natural to be drawn to the timepieces that look as if they’ve been purchased from the shop floor only yesterday. In some cases, these vintage watches may be legitimate, they may have sat in a dark drawer for decades in pristine condition and unexposed to the elements. Or perhaps, you may be looking at new old stock, which has never been sold or a mint condition piece that was never worn, which might be specimens, which survived a few decades untouched in storage. However, in most cases, if a vintage watch dial looks flawless, it is almost certainly a redial.

In this article, we will explore ways you can determine if a vintage watch has been redialled.

The quality of the printing on the dial

The first way to determine if a vintage watch has been redialled is to examine the quality of the printing on the dial. Traditionally, watch dials were, and still are, printed by machinery in a factory. However, redials are often painted by hand, which means that they are highly prone to human error. Look for the use of incorrect or inconsistent fonts and spacing. Check the designs for logos are consistent with other identical examples. The luminous elements between the hands and the hour markers should be consistent. If the watch uses tritium lume (popular in the ’60s to ’70s) it should no longer glow brightly in the dark, as tritium has a half-life of only 12 years. Look for other simple errors and omissions, such as incorrect numbering, misaligned tracks and missing SWISS / SWISS MADE text.

Research

When purchasing a vintage watch you should be doing your research, not just on the watch dial, but the entire watch and the history of the company behind it. However, in this article, the focus is on the dial and how to avoid redials. The first thing you should be doing is looking at other examples of the same watch from a similar time period. Try to focus on the same brand and models. If you are looking at an Omega Seamaster dating to 1956, take a look online at other Seamaster models that date from the 1950s.

Examine the dials closely. Compare the fonts, logos, markers/indices and the hands. Are there any subtle differences? If you discover something that just doesn’t match the overall quality of the examples of the brand, it’s very likely that it’s not an original dial. Also, a dial is normally one of the first places to show signs of age. If the hands or the mechanism show corrosion yet the dial looks new, then it almost certainly is a redial.

Seek advice

There are legions of vintage watch enthusiasts online sharing information across dozens of watch forums, most of whom are only too willing to help. If in doubt, seek them out. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and remember that most vintage watch collectors have made the mistake of buying a redial in the past.

A couple of points to keep in mind when researching:

If you are looking for an authentic vintage watch and it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t take the chance.

If the dial is obviously redialled, but the seller doesn’t mention the restoration, steer clear. You simply don’t know what other secrets they are hiding in their inventory.

Redials are extremely common among watches from countries with a hot, humid climate. This is a good reason to stay away from sellers in these regions, it is simply not worth the risk.

Paint

The paint is one of the most obvious ways to detect a redial. Look for sloppy paintwork. A redial of substandard quality will always show certain signs that you can spot immediately. In particular, look for paint creeping up the hour markers. This happens when the markers are not removed before repainting, causing paint to cover their sides.

Minute track and markers

The alignment of the minute track is the next thing to check for when trying to identify a redial. A misaligned minute track is a sure sign that something is amiss. Always check if the distance from the track to the edge of the dial is consistent around the dial. If it isn’t, it will be a redial. Consideration does need to be taken on some chronographs that have multiple sub-dials. In these cases, the distance between the sub-dials and the track will be different. The hour markers or indices should also be consistent and properly aligned.

Patina

Over time, vintage watches develop a natural patina. This refers to the gradual discolouration and ageing of the dial, hands, and other components. Patina forms due to the discolouration of paint because of age or exposure to various environmental factors like sunlight, humidity, dust, etc. This patina is often considered part of the charm and character of a vintage watch. Repainting the dial, not only diminishes the originality, but can also remove this natural patina and make the watch appear less authentic. Patina is generally considered important by most collectors. Tropical dials, in particular, have a widespread appeal.

Old redialled watches are common, and many will display patina. However, if you think about it, a watch that was redialled 30 years ago, has had time to acquire patina again, but is it authentic? Absolutely not. It’s a trap that collectors fall into, they buy a watch with a patina, thinking that it is authentic. Patina can be a sign of originality. However, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have to investigate the watch any further.

Investment

Watch redials can significantly impact the investment value of vintage watches. When a dial is refinished or restored, it generally reduces both the collectable and monetary value of the watch. Even if the restoration is done well, it won’t be worth more than the original dial. However, the extent of this impact can vary depending on factors such as the rarity of the model, overall condition, and the quality of the redial. Generally, collectors often prefer watches with original, untouched dials to maintain their value. Keep in mind that older watches, especially those from the pre-metal and pre-ceramic era, tend to have more fragile dials that cannot be easily cleaned.

In short, avoid redialled watches. They’re not collectable and they’re not worth your time and money.