A Couple Gilt Early 1016 Dials for Your Approval

[jmb]

Here are pics of some Gilt 1016 dials I can get pretty reasonable.  I'm trying to negotiate a minimum order of less than 100.  The markers and numerals on these are a bit on the "fat" side as was the white dial but after looking at the $300 early 1016 dial on NDT's site I think this is on par with it and will be well over $200 cheaper...  I haven't checked the lume on the Gilt samples yet but on my white sample it is exceptional, for a rep, and will last most of the night when charged for a few seconds with an LED flashlight...

[monkeypunch]

The fonts are a little wacky. But if the price is right, its a good dial for a budget build.

[jmb]

Definitely budget, depending on how many I commit to they will be under $50.  I have been looking for an "affordable" vintage Explorer dial for folks to be able to build a decent Explorer without breaking the bank for 4 years.  This is the best I have been able to come up with staying within the budget.  With this dial someone should be able to put together a half-way decent looking Explorer for under $300 depending on movement cost...  

[Ephry73]

I think these may work on the gilt look if we can work them, meaning spray them with a thin shiny coat of clear, then relume the markers flat. To get that ceramic look on the dial face

[jmb]

Are all gilt glossy?

[omegap7]

really ugly

[ww12345]

Not all gilt are glossy, but I think all chapter rings are...

I think they're an ok base for a starter. At this point in the rep game, I am pretty much only satisfied with a gen dial (as I'm sure others are) but for a newby this would be a good chance for them to get their feet wet.

[jmb]

I think yours is the only glossy one I've built - then you made me abuse it!

[ww12345]

Haha! Had to cover that misprint dial somehow!

Yeah - I have seen later matte gilt... However, chapter rings come from the earlier, dressier era of Rolex watches...

[ww12345]

Here's some examples of chapter ring vs non chapter and gilt (earlier models) vs non gilt (around 1965 and later).

[tomhorn]

If the base dial itself looks good, I'd offer the maker double the price if they fixed the markers and numbers. Even for someone on a budget, those are bad. Paying $100 for a good 1016 dial is still a bargain.

[jmb]

Well, my goal was not to find a $50 dial that would make a "macro-lover" drool but to find something that someone who had always wanted a Vintage Explorer but couldn't afford/justify $400+ could use to build up something that looked "reasonable".

[ww12345]

Right - that's what I was saying. Good dial for a starter to see if they even like the style/size of a 1016. I remember the first rep I bought was a 1680 and decided I never wanted a cyclops on a dive watch. I sure am glad I figured that out with a $125 rep instead of a $500+ MBW. Different goals for different levels.

[jmb]

My thoughts exactly.  I am going to take one of the gilt dials, spray with gloss clear, and then "dull" the markers and see what it looks like.  

 

I requested that the numbers and markers be "slimmed" a bit and I just got an e-mail from my supplier telling me that it would be too expensive.  I have committed to 20 dials so we'll see what happens.  These are "rep" dials and not rep dials disguised as "refinished" gen dials so there will be no clipping and gluing needed.  The only clipping involved will be the removal of the unwanted feet as they come with feet for ETA and a21j - I like that!

[ww12345]

That's pretty cool! I wonder why more dials don't come with a few extra feet to be clipped off... That's a good idea!

[jmb]

All of the rep dials I get from this guy have both sets...

[Archetypal]

Nice one Justin. Definitely a step forward in the quest...

[spazthecat]

Hi,

 

Today I received one of the gilt dials from Justin and I thought I'd post a a couple of side by side comparison shots with the Yuki dial I have. So, here they are:

 

Yuki on the left, Justin's on the right.

 

--Andy