I recently got this watch that I believe is a 1928 Ambassador. The first piicture is the before picture. As you can see the dial was almost black. Well with a little work with a silver polish cloth I got 90% of the tarnish off of the dial and it is looking pretty good.
Now the ads in the database all show Ambassadors that have radium numbers and I am assuming painted dials. This one as you can see in the after pic has a curtain dial with blued hands and doesn't look like it was ever lumed. Also it appears that the dial is actually silver rather than brass.
The question I am pondering is should I get the numbers lumed or have them enameled black and the minute and seconds tracks just put on in black as well? Of course after the dial is polished up better..
Dude that's a fantastic dial. I wouldn't mess with it at all. That texture with the raised numbers.... super nice man. That is 100% character. The re-dialed lumed hands from that era are a dime a dozen. YOUR watch is very unique. I wouldn't touch a thing other than maybe a super bath.
The hands might be original style also, seems that if the dial had applied numbers, they usually had Blued hands, if they had printed numbers they were lumed with lumed hands.
Pop that dial and try Mikes (Timemachines) Tarnex tip, that might help get the rest of the gunk off.
The dial is probably Sterling and will clean up nice with "Tarnex" or "Simichrome polishing Paste". I had the same problem with this Hammilton "Tonneau" and now look at it. No refinsihing required. The second picture is a 1927 "Norman" dial that had luminous in the printed fiqures but was so dried out it just wiped off with a kleenex. Again, a quick polish and it looks great, though I will have the lum re-done on this one.PS, Keep your hands clean, fingerprints tarnish fast. I'd also use a brush to work the polish through the textured grooves before polishing out with a rag. You might have the sub second dial reprinted but it doesn't appear to me that it ever had a minute register as some traces would still show.Pretty sweet dial , enjoy.
If it's Silver:
Place Aluminum foil into the bottom of a bowl - add HOT Water and Baking Soda mixed (enough to cover the foil and Your item, in this case the Dial, place the Dial on the foil and watch the tarnish vanish.
But, if I'm correct this 'Tuxedo' (ribbed) Dress style Dial should be off White with raised Gilt numerals and Bulova signature with Black printed tracks.
Refinish.
In reply to I agree with fifth, whilst it by mybulova_admin
I guess all collectors have an opinion on refinishing.
"If it isn't historically significant, refinish it." is the one I abide by when I have a piece that is beyond salvage or in some way damaged. While radium is not used today, I consider an IDC job to be 'concours', or an exact / correct replacement.
In my life I have seen ONE Bulova that I would not refinish = Lindberg's.
In my collection I have ONE (no, not that one) that I didn't have refinished and relumed (so far).
Put the lid back on that can Geoff!
Refinish only when the Dials' condition becomes detrimental to value, which is a judgement call IMO. I have quite a few with original Dials which will remain that way.
In looking at this particular Dial, if indeed it was originally White with Gilt numerals then its condition today certainly warrants refinishing.
IMO....
This is why I solicited opinons. I am very sure that the dial is indeed sterling. In the photos the remains of the seconds track and inner minute track can just be made out ( weren't visible in person, interestingly). When I bid on this I wasn't even sure of either the condition or the material of the dial due to the massive oxidation. When doing the initial cleaning there weren't any traces of paint on the dial (other than the tracks) but with the initial condition that could have been worn/polished/eroded off long ago.
At this point I am leaning toward getting both tracks put back onto the dial and the numbers and Boluva signature enameled in black, of course after getting the dial cleaned and polished up bright as I think this will just make everything "pop" and will be a real presentation piece.
With the way the dial is set up and the hands I just have the feeling that this one wasn't lumed originally.
In reply to At least I am not considering by Daca102090
In reply to Aging can do strange things by FifthAvenueRes…
Here's a couple of pix of a very similar dial. I think the finish on this one might be close to original. It does look like the track and seconds bit was redone, and not too well.
Jay