Leaderboard

The chapter ring on the old watches measured 26mm in diameter. Rolex minute hands measure 12mm, being a radius. The very first minute hands on the 6204 and 6542 measured 13mm, reaching the chapter ring. To my eye it makes a whole lot better look, that silly little millimeter. I got my 13mm minute hand from Helearou some 8 years ago, and had to search long and hard at that time for a pencil hour hand to fit the slow beat genuine ETA2846. The Brevet + crown is from Raffletimes and modified. I've never seen a 6204 in person, but the pics I saw that inspired this build, particularly by Stefano Mazzariol, lead me to believe that the early Submariners hands and dials were gilt only by color description, but actually brass as an ocean diver watch might be. I lightly sanded my hands down to the brass, not shiny at all, and in 8+ years they've not tarnished in the closed case. My bezel is made from brass and nickel plated, which I lightly sanded to allow some brass to show through as if worn. I am famous for my inability to take a decent picture of a watch, but the attached should give an idea of my build.

In spite of the dial's baked-in issues, the most obvious tell for me are the hands, which look wrong/aftermarket & new/artificially-aged. In fact, if it were not for the hands, I might not even be provoked into taking a closer look at the dial. I would try to locate a more accurate handset & give them a more natural-looking patina. If you have not already done so, I would google pics of vintage gen Subs of the same era & find/study the appearance of a set you like. Then, try to replicate that exact look. In my experience, having a single, clear target to copy always inspires creativity & results in a better finished product.