New (to me) Synchron 300T Searambler, Dial Aging Question

[Cubbiepants]

I got this one on a trade as something of a whim. I had pretty much expected I would flip it...and that thought evaporated once I got my hands on this Searambler. I love the chunky case, the deeply recessed dial and thick crystal and just the overall feel of the piece. But there are a couple niggling things. The first is that the hands have been replaced. These glow all night and are very crisp....assuming modern replacements. I am looking it as a regular wear piece, so that is not overly bothersome to me. What is of a little greater concern is the condition of the silver dial. It looks great when the light catches it just right...and the markers and text are all very crisp. But there is sort of a spotting to the dial. I would call it pitting, but it doesn't appear to have much texture to it like pitting you would see on a case. I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon on their own dials, and if there is some sort of cleaning option. I am thinking if it is some sort of oxidation that can be removed with the right sort of solvent? Or should I just resign myself to it being aging and accept it as it. It isn't terrible and if there is no solution to it, I am okay with that. But if there is a fix, I would like to find it. Anyway here is a shot of the new baby:



And here is a closeup of the dial to give you a better idea of what I am talking about with the dial:



Any advice? Thanks in advance!

[Jason71]

Don't mess with the dial. Doxa used some sort of treatment on these Vintage Searambler dials, and it will not go well to mess with it. I have a vintage searambler where there was an attempt made, and it went very poorly. It is a dial that I own. I will look for the picture.

[RALaustin]

I agree that it is best to leave it alone for fear of making it worse. The vintage SR is awesome, and works with so many different straps. Congrats!

[Cubbiepants]

Thanks for the advice, guys. Sort of what I feared. I know from my own experience that messing with a vintage dial usually causes more harm than good. Still, I had hoped maybe it was something where a light swipe with some sort of tarnish cleaner would just whisk it away. The dial is in otherwise great shape, and the case and bezel are terrific. Would be nice though, to find hands actually proper to the model if the dial aging is irreversible. I know I am being nitpicky...but that is what we all do best ;)

Great shots of your Searambler, Rob! It looks amazing! I have a rubber strap for mine en route from Doxa...and am keeping eyes open to the forum for a BOR bracelet. But I dig the nato it is on, as it accents the markers really well imho.

Seriously, I was caught offguard at how much I dig this piece. It is really singing to me.

[Jason71]

Here is my dial where there was an attempt to clean the effect that you see on your dial. Doxa must have used some sort of sealant coating on the Searambler dials.

[Cubbiepants]

That is indeed pretty rough. I am sorry for how that one turned out....and appreciate the chance to learn from your experience.