Real GILT vs Printed GILT

[Ronin]

Anyone know when Rolex went from RELIEF/(real)GILT to Printed?  About what year / model?  (Subs, GMTs)

 

Anyone know of a source of replica/redial vintage dials using the relief vs pad printed gilt?  (PM Me if you don't want to share openly).

 

Thanks!

[Ronin]

Anyone? 

[oldtools]

I'd be interested to know as well.

 

I love the look of a gilt dial, but I haven't seen a replica one that is good enough.

 

 

[freddy333]

I believe the last gilt Subs were produced in 1966. But, as with all things Rolex, I do not think anyone (outside Rolex) knows for certain.

[manodeoro]

not that easy to get a real-gilt dial ... at the least for a fair price ...
nevertheless film-free decal method is a way to make nice real gilt dials ... as long as you have a good control of the process ...

here's an example ... all real-gilt except for the depth which is silver printed ...



another one ... all real gilt except for the "sub aqua" which is gold printed ...



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[Ronin]

Nice. Did you make those?  I reached out to MQ/Minh who seems to list/differentiate print gilt from  ‘depth’ gilt. Assuming by depth they mean ‘relief/real’. 
 

[manodeoro]

Nice. Did you make those?  I reached out to MQ/Minh who seems to list/differentiate print gilt from  ‘depth’ gilt. Assuming by depth they mean ‘relief/real’. 
 

Thanks and YES
"depth gilt" ... "real gilt" I guess the best to describe those specific dials would be "negative-relief gilt" as the gilt parts are recessed from the black coat ... but English is not my native language so maybe I'm not certain ...
mine got 2 black coats over the polished copper dial plate then 1 white coat for the markers ... finish is 3 coats of nitrocellulosic varnish like they used in the 60ies ... lume is low green glow or just dead lume reactive to UV light

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[WatchN3RD]

On 6/5/2024 at 8:32 PM, freddy333 said:

I believe the last gilt Subs were produced in 1966. But, as with all things Rolex, I do not think anyone (outside Rolex) knows for certain.

That sounds dead accurate. The 1675 GMTs were gilt until 1966, possibly '67, but the switch to matte printed dials was definitely in 1967.  It would make sense if the switch was company wide vs. a general transition by model. 

[freddy333]

The exception to this is the 16800 Sub, which 1st appeared with a matte dial in 1979. The 16800's dial was changed to gloss in the mid 1980s I believe.

[Ronin]

So here is a follow on.  (I have not seen a 1675(3/8) Rootbeer/Nipple in person).  Those were "Printed" Gilt correct, as are all the later/current Two-Tone models.  "Relief" stopped in the mid-60's all together?

 

Jumping over to Tudor.  Were those early 7922, 7923 Relief or Printed.  (Again never saw one in person) But I have always been under the impression Tudor was always Pad-Printed pseudo-Gilt.  ????

 

[WatchN3RD]

On 6/9/2024 at 2:01 PM, Ronin said:

So here is a follow on.  (I have not seen a 1675(3/8) Rootbeer/Nipple in person).  Those were "Printed" Gilt correct, as are all the later/current Two-Tone models.  "Relief" stopped in the mid-60's all together?

 

Jumping over to Tudor.  Were those early 7922, 7923 Relief or Printed.  (Again never saw one in person) But I have always been under the impression Tudor was always Pad-Printed pseudo-Gilt.  ????

 

Yes the 1675/3s were gilt printed, not true gilt. The brass of the dial did not provide the gold lettering. The writing was screen printed with gold paint, and the indices/nipples and coronet were applied pieces of metal. 
 

I'd say you are correct with Tudor being pad printed as well, but I'm not sure about the chapter ring. The chapter rings and the writing look like a different application on most, so perhaps the ring was true gilt... and the writing was printed. It could also be they were printed at different parts in the process. I think it's safe to say the lettering is pad printed though. 

[one80]

On 6/6/2024 at 9:09 AM, oldtools said:

I'd be interested to know as well.

 

I love the look of a gilt dial, but I haven't seen a replica one that is good enough.

 

 

The Vietnamese ones from MQ are quite good generally, but still have some very obvious discrepancies that won’t fool anyone that knows what they’re looking at.

 

The Darklords gilt dials are something else however… 

 

As the saying goes you get what you pay for

[Ronin]

On 7/28/2024 at 5:13 AM, one80 said:

The Darklords gilt dials are something else however…

How does one find this Darklord?  I've been around since 2008 and first I am hearing unless he goes/went by something else?

[one80]

12 hours ago, Ronin said:

How does one find this Darklord?  I've been around since 2008 and first I am hearing unless he goes/went by something else?

 

There's good thread HERE.... 😉

 

 

[Ronin]

LOL.  I think I might actually know the who-- from being in this scene since for like 15yrs.   If I am correct, this person in the "Western Hemisphere" ???

[one80]

Yes - they are in Europe.

[manodeoro]

Western Emisphere >>> Europe >>> GB ???

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