Help select a Sea Dweller dial

[Crwilsn]

Just found a early gen 16660 Sea-Dweller that at some point in its history had its original matte dial replaced with a gloss service dial. This was factored into the price so I was fine with it. Original dials have gone into crazy territory (3k+) so I am planning on replacing the dial with a good quality refinished dial.

To be honest, I would rather go the refinished route anyway. With the crazy prices being asked I would rather be certain I am getting what I paid for. Plus my intent for this watch is to wear it as designed, including for diving. Rather not take a chance on an expensive original dial.

So I have narrowed it down to two dials. I looked a yuki but it is too far off to put on a gen watch. The options available are

Minhq

And NDT

Here is a gen for comparison

Originally I thought the Minh was going to be the easy choice but something looks off in the text on that dial. Serifs look too big and the letters do not appear to line up great. It is more likely to be the one with the real plate and his dials are somewhat legitimate for non collectors. The NDT on the other hand looks good and I prefer the darker lume but not sure this was ever a gen plate.

Any opinions or reviews from other dial purchases?

Thanks,

Clay

[cc33]

Don't do it, get a gen service dial/hand set. Ndt is M.i.a and Minh is hard to deal with sometimes. Rolex won't service your watch, it makes no sense to do that imo.

[cc33]

I'm sorry I missed the part where you said it already has a service dial. You got a great deal, why not enjoy it as it is? It's serviceable, has glowing lume and is orig rolex

[dbane883]

Having owned a gen MK1 16660 myself, I'd say skip any rep/re dials.

Gen (service or relumed) dial should always supersede and rep dial.

But of the two, the NDT is better. But either would have to be relumed properly.

Here's the 666 I sold a few months ago:

[Crwilsn]

I am leaning more toward the Minh dial again as the crown on the NDT looks off and while the Ls in SEA-DWELLER look like they are slightly high in the macro shots, it will be impossible to tell without a loop on the watch.  

 

As for service dial vs refinished, I am not a big fan of service dial, particularly when they completely change the character of the watch.  If Rolex had made these with Luminova maxi plots like they do for 1665 and 1680 dials, it would be fine.  Instead people in the late 90's changed these dials to make them look like newer watches.  I think that is worse than putting a high quality redial on a watch to make it look like it did when it was sold.

 

This will never be a collectors watch as it does not have the original dial, so I would prefer it to look like it did originally rather than like a later SD.  I do plan on keeping the service dial and hands though in case I ever decide to sell the watch.  Plus I am thinking I will write "refinished" on the back of the dial and "refinished dial" on the inside of the case back to help prevent misrepresentation if it ever leaves my hands with the new dial on it.

[panerai153]

I would concur with the folks who said to keep the gen service dial. However, if you just cannot stand that dial, then by all means get a good refinished dual, keep the old one and should you decide to sell it later, replace the service dial and you are good to go. Were the hands replaced as well when the service dial was installed? So you have a lumi service dial, and lumi hands? If you replace the dial with a refinished tritium, won't your hands be mismatched?

I would write refinished dial on the back of the dial, but not on the Caseback. When you replace the refinished dial /hands with the service dial/hands, it won't be refinished, and writing that on the Caseback will just cause complications and questions down the road. If it were me, if I decided to sell it, I would put the original service dial/hands back on it and sell it, then sell the refinished dial/ hands separately. That way you can sell it on any if the genuine sales forums, and not have any drama.

Could you post a photo of your watch?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[alligoat]

The MinhQ dial is all wrong- the serifs on 'Sea Dweller' are all wrong and a dead giveaway- stay away from that dial if you do swap out dials.

The MinhQ dial is all wrong- the serifs on 'Sea Dweller' are all wrong and a dead giveaway- stay away from that dial if you do swap out dials.

[freddy333]

Ditto most of the above. The Minh dial's a poor copy & the NDT (as well as any other aftermarket dial) will be a step down from a damaged gen dial. Were it mine, I would start looking for a used gen dial. A local Rolex watchmaker, ebay, TZ, VRF or other gen sites are your best sources.

[Crwilsn]

Definitely looking for a gen dial but these are few and far between.

Watch came in today and it is exactly as expected. Passed all the gen 16660 tests and looks like a well worn example. Plan is a sympathetic restoration and wear as a tool watch like it was designed as.

I may reconsider the yuki dial though as if I ever find a gen dial, it would be a shame to have dropped $500 on an interim dial with very little market. Yuki dial is not terrible though it can immediately be identified as aftermarket. Only $105 including hands.

Either way I am going to polish it up a bit and wear it for while to decide whether the new dial is necessary to enjoying the watch.

[pam007]

I personally would never put a fake dial on a gen watch. 

The dial is the most obvious part of the watch.  

Why would you spend $4k+ and live in fear of being called out for wearing a fake watch? 

 

I would wear it with the service dial while you look for / Save for a gen period correct dial. 

A gen period correct dial, while expensive, will add value to the watch and will retain or increase in value. 
Even if you decide to sell the watch later, you can always part out the dial and sell it separately or together.

 

A gen will always be gen.  You can hand it down to your children, insure it, sell it, service it. 
A rep will always be a rep and it's value tied to rep forum members. 

[Crwilsn]

I guess it depends on your definition of fake vs refinished. Not sure I agree a repainted gen dial is a fake or rep. The yuki one is definitely bad and not an original plate. That one would be poor to put on a gen and I think it was just my impatience talking above. The Minh one in particular is a gen plate and his dials are at least marginally accepted as legitimate refinished dials.

No matter which way I go, I will be searching for a gen matte dial but they are nigh impossible to find.

[cc33]

Minh claims to use gen plates but I can assure you they are not.

[dbane883]

Removing a gen dial for a rep dial are grounds for immediate banning.

Jk (not really)

[highoeyazmuhudee]

there is also no guarantee that the dial print you see is exactly what you will receive