Gilt or not Gilt ?

[djulink]

Hi Gents,

When I first got myself in the RepWorld, it was mainly related to early Bond Movies: I was looking for - as many of us - to replicate Connery/Broccoli famous wristwatch. From that time, my taste evolved and I ended with one 6200 and one 6538. But that's not the point here.

Here are two detailed screenshots I took from Goldfinger and Thunderball BR-rip, we all know about: 

From what I can see, this is not - as some of us use to believe - a Gilt Dial & Hand Set but rather a Service Dial (white and printed) and a Silver Hand Set.

Is that it, or am I missing something here ?

That would be the question I'm asking you, as I never really find a good answer/explanation to that... question

[imajedi]

Looks gilt to me. Look at the way each of the minute marks kind of shimmers differently.

[droptopman]

Crappy low res pics but looks like relief gilt to me.

[imajedi]

I'd say the first pic is gilt for sure. Look at the way the lines look almost backlit. Def relief gilt. The second picture I can't really tell

[panerai153]

The first photo looks like gilt to me. Just the reflections and the way real gilt "lights up" when the light is right. The second photo makes it hard to tell.

Here is my MKII homage to the 6538 Black/Gilt dial. In the right light, no mistaking a Gilt!!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Bart Cordell]

It looks gilt to me

But this is very hard to render it on photos.@djulink

[alligoat]

Dial looks gilt to me, can't tell about the hands, but I'd figure they're gilt also. I'd figure Cubby picked up the watch in the late 50s so it wasn't that old when Dr. No, Goldfinger and Thunderball were made- Thunderball was 1965. They were still using radium in the 50s- tritium didn't come around til 1963 or so.

[lionsandtigers]

gilt all the way

[djulink]

So that is unanimity on gilt.

If I do agree about the minutes track on the first pic, with the lighter reflection argument, I'm more skeptical when I look at the first and second lines (ROLEX Oyster Perpetual) on both pics ; they look pretty much white more than gilt, don't you think ?

But i have to say that Panerai's Kingston photo produce the same effect on the eyes.

17 hours ago, Bart Cordell said:

But this is very hard to render it on photos

Indeed

[Sogeha]

I'm no expert, but as I understand it gilt dials ran until 1966 on subs, so even if it was a service dial, wouldn't it still be gilt, given the dial would have had to be replaced at latest the year before the film release to allow for filming?

[meadowsweet_]

100% gilt all the way. Hands and dials in both photos. Lol, always makes me chuckle seeing that ridiculous, poorly-sized nato on there

[mcotter]

It would seem unlikely that a service dial would be installed on a watch less than a decade old?

yes, it looks like gilt to me ...

regards, mcotter

[djulink]

20 hours ago, mcotter said:

It would seem unlikely that a service dial would be installed on a watch less than a decade old?

You never know what could have happened... that would require for instance to replace crystal and dial after your watch protected you from a bullet your were trying to dodge...

More seriously, the contrast on the first pic about "Rolex / Oyster Perpetual" makes it not that clear to me when you compare with other "sure" gilt dials :

And with "sure" service dial :

 

[djulink]

Dr No (the first movie where the Big C appears) was shot during the winter in 1962, and went on screen, November, the same year. But you can't tell from that movie, as there are no close-up of the watch. The first real glimpse at it would be from FRWL (1963), and the dial seems "Gilt" (notice the contrast between radium indexes and literature):

Then again, in Goldfinger and Thunderball (1964, 1965), the watch dial seems different (see the first pics I've posted)

On 2 juin 2016 at 0:02 PM, Sogeha said:

I'm no expert, but as I understand it gilt dials ran until 1966 on subs, so even if it was a service dial, wouldn't it still be gilt, given the dial would have had to be replaced at latest the year before the film release to allow for filming?

It sure would be nice to know more about SD different types during that period, anyone is welcome to chime in

Edited June 8, 2016 by djulink