Many wrist watch dials are made of silver. Typically, the surface is chemically treated to to make it very white and then textured in some manner. In order to prevent the silver from tarnishing, the surface is lacquered.
Over the years the silver tarnishes as the lacquer ages. Moisture greatly speeds the aging process. It is possible to refinish most dials to their original appearance. However, refinishing requires that the dial be stripped to bare metal and any applied markers or logo images removed. Then the original surface treatment is reproduced. All the original printing of minute tracks, manufacturers names, etc. is reprinted using special dies, the surface is protected with a coat of lacquer and any applied markers are reattached.
Here is the image of a dial that has gotten wet in a swimming pool.
Below is the same dial after being refinished.
Dial refinishing is specialized work which we send out. There are several dial refinishers in the U.S. We have a refinisher that we have used for many years who does excellent work.
Some dials are painted,
often black or white with printed numbers. Others are
chemically treated to give gold or champagne colors.
Almost any dial can be refinished to original appear-ance, or a custom appearance. For example, a white dial can be refinished black, or virtually any color one desires. Plain dials can be covered with mother of pearl.
There are endless possibilities. We welcome your inquires about this service. Each job is different, so pricing must be quoted individually. The least expensive dial refinish would typically be about $95. At the upper end, perhaps $250.