Baron - Mr Red
14613
What is a Tropical dial - a compendium
What is a tropical dial? It is a term that means different things to different people. To an unscrupulous dealer with a watch with a damaged dial, it represents an opportunity to represent that dial as something exotic and desirable. Also, lets not forget the possibility of adding a healthy price premium to a watch that has an tropical dial. As Edmond put it so well, when one hears a watch described as having a tropical dial, it is like a “big red warning light” that means you need to proceed with extreme caution. Edmond, you are correct. For a topic that is so subjective and open to interpretation, defining what is tropical and what is not is always going to be open to abuse. It is with this in mind that I thought it would be useful to compile a photographic diary, if one likes, of various watches that do appear to have genuinely uncontested tropical dials. Such a view will always be a democratic one….if a sizeable enough body of views disagrees with my photographic compendium or if new examples come to light, the article will be edited and adjusted to take account of such new information. My starting point, then, is providing a framework from which to judge. Marcello provided an initial checklist. A dial is tropical when
1) It has faded naturally to a different colour. Note that the fade is often from black to brown, but can be from any original colour so long as a material change in colour is evident. Also note that the change must be brought about “naturally”. This can be through exposure to the sun, natural ageing or indeed any other natural process. Baking it in an over most definitely does not count as natural.
2) A tropical dial needs to be almost uniform in its fading. Sometimes a watch dial gets only partial exposure to the sun and this results in a clear fade but only to some parts of the watch. To be a pure tropical dial, the fading should be uniformly and evenly spread across the whole dial.
3) The change in colour should NOT be due to water (or other) damage. This is not to say that various types of damage can create very unusual dial outcomes - indeed, often attractive - but this would not be considered a tropical effect.
These are simple rules and by no means cast in iron. However, by adopting such a simplified methodology, one gets a fairly clear picture of what is and what is not a good tropical dial.
Many dials were sent in to my original post. My apologies to those that do not appear in the following compendium. I have tried to select those dials that appear to tick the boxes above most clearly.
First off, the Sea-Dweller 1665. As the sun moves across the dial from left to right, the tropical nature of the dial unveils itself. Unquestionably brown and uniform. A superb example of a tropical dial.
No shame for me in showing off my won Sea-Dweller 1665 Mk2 dial! I bought this watch several years ago. The seller noted to me that he thought the dial was starting to turn tropical. At the time, the dial was predominantly black, but in certain lights it just hinted at brown. % or so years later, just look at it! An even brown that is becoming more brown by the year. 1665 Mk2 dials have shown themselves to be especially prone to fading in this way. I think what makes the dial even more dramatic is the fact that the lume has turned very white, creating a wonderful contrast.
This 1680 Red Submariner has similarly turned a superb and even brown tone. This is Bill's Mk2 dial. I have a similar watch that is literally just a few hundred different in serial number...same Mk2 dial...yet my dial has retained its original black and shows no hint of the wonderful transformation seen here in Bill's version. Maybe I need to be out in the sun more?!
Quite superb tropic. Another early dial variant on this 1680 Submariner...
Sea-Dwellers, Submariners....and now GMT. Although the fade in the middle of the watch is slightly more advanced than on the rest of the dial, as per Marcello's definition, the fade is "almost" uniform.
Another reference variant....the Subamriner small crown gem with a clearly evident tropical dial. The brightness of the sun camouflages the true extent of the fade here, but the brown (almost maroon?) fade of the dial is still very evident.
And finally one further reference variant....this time an early Explorer 1. My 6610 certainly has some dial character, but not anything like this version.
Of course, tropical dials can have variations in themselves. For example, with the Daytonas one sees a number of different types of tropical sub-dials.
And perhaps one of my favourite watches on the forum at the moment! I think the contrast between the brown sub-dial and the pearl-white of the dial creates such an unusual combination.
(Yet another 1680 meters first Sub turning tropic....and look at that lume!
Now, a controversial one. This Explorer 2 clearly has its lume turned a gorgeous golden brown. But would you call this a tropical dial? For me, it is not a tropical dial. It is fantastic....but its not tropical in my view
No question on this GMT....absurdly tropical. Thats what I call a very deep suntan.
What is a Tropical dial - a compendium
Interesting topic, Baron!
That had to be said, Joe. Well written post.
.....
as at least ....
Damn, my friend, what a beauty you have!
Yes
A better photo of the 5508
Its certainly a pleasure to include it!
Wonderful write up Baron!!
Again....your watch deserved its place!!
Wow this omega shoot is boarderline illigal
shedding some light
Thks Joe for your excellent literature, i just love this kind of article
Well, let's put it in a different way...
I will sent you a box of chocolate instead :-))
Excellent...maybe over time...
I cannot wait for that to happen