Comments:
Inconstancy in early brass movement T, R, RdM ect dials was du to different dial suppliers. This is where you find the dials with shimmer. To find a regular production TN with shimmer or “a lot more coveted by collectors” is certainly a claim I have never heard of before. I will ask in my network.
Absolutely in LOVE with the grain on the dial of this early TN!.....Happy FP Friday to everyone.
HAGWE.
A fantastic shot
I find it interesting they went for 42 on the power reserve breaking with consistent intervals for all other units. I'm not suffering from OCD but I may have gone for 40 and let the PR hand move past the last marker.
As we know, very early brass caliber watches (early 2000s), had rather coarse and less consistent texture from one dial to another, in a way....
Also, the lacquer on the top was not perfected yet and that's why we see various degree of patina on some of the old FPs. As time went on, the texture as well as the top lacquer became more uniform, but early gold caliber TNs, RNs etc., still had a nice texture, while they were more uniform vs. brass caliber watches.
Since early/mid 2010s the sand blasting of the dials became very smooth and very consistent (my UTC is completely smooth). Clearly, FP was trying to "improve". That being said, it is very interesting that these earlier, coarse dials are a lot more coveted by collectors, because they simply show the play of the light on the dial in a nicer, somewhat more romantic way....and have the "so-called shimmer".
I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that the dial on my newly acquired tourbillon is one of those.
Since early/mid 2010s the sand blasting of the dials became very smooth and very consistent (my UTC is completely smooth). Clearly, FP was trying to "improve". That being said, it is very interesting that these earlier, coarse dials are a lot more coveted by collectors, because they simply show the play of the light on the dial in a nicer, somewhat more romantic way....and have the "so-called shimmer".
I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that the dial on my newly acquired tourbillon is one of those.
Lovely dial
Although I’m not so sure the texture of the grey dials changed very much over the years.
I think my 2021 Optimum would be very similar.
I think my 2021 Optimum would be very similar.
.....they are indeed very different.
...and I would guess that your 2021 dial is pretty smooth.....when comparing to earlier watches.
I was fortunate to attend an event at the Miami Boutique where I had a chance to view and examine literally dozens of Tourbillon and Resonance watches of various generations spanning all 25 production years. The difference over time is undeniable and actually very visible...... especially if one has a benefit to compare MANY watches at once, side by side like I was fortunate to do.
1) The early (mostly brass models) have dials with most texture and corresponding shimmer.
2A) * Very early* Gold caliber models still had the same coarse dials.
2B) *Early (but not very early)* gold caliber models still had quite visible texture. As seen on my RG TN in the original post, as well as my Plat/WG RN (pictured here)
3) the exact year cannot be pinpointed here because it varies from one model to another ...but generally I have observed that sometimes in mid-2010s all dials became very smooth....i.e no nexture, no shimmer from lateral light.
I'm actually fortunate to confirm this observation personally. My brass RDM has a significantly coarse dial. My previous Plat/WG RN and the newly acquired RG TN still have nice texture but it is a little bit less than the brass models had.....and my UTC from 2015 as well as my Plat/Salmon RN (also pictured here, below) have very fine media blasted, super smooth dials (i.e no shimmer to speak of from a lateral light source)
I was fortunate to attend an event at the Miami Boutique where I had a chance to view and examine literally dozens of Tourbillon and Resonance watches of various generations spanning all 25 production years. The difference over time is undeniable and actually very visible...... especially if one has a benefit to compare MANY watches at once, side by side like I was fortunate to do.
1) The early (mostly brass models) have dials with most texture and corresponding shimmer.
2A) * Very early* Gold caliber models still had the same coarse dials.
2B) *Early (but not very early)* gold caliber models still had quite visible texture. As seen on my RG TN in the original post, as well as my Plat/WG RN (pictured here)
3) the exact year cannot be pinpointed here because it varies from one model to another ...but generally I have observed that sometimes in mid-2010s all dials became very smooth....i.e no nexture, no shimmer from lateral light.
I'm actually fortunate to confirm this observation personally. My brass RDM has a significantly coarse dial. My previous Plat/WG RN and the newly acquired RG TN still have nice texture but it is a little bit less than the brass models had.....and my UTC from 2015 as well as my Plat/Salmon RN (also pictured here, below) have very fine media blasted, super smooth dials (i.e no shimmer to speak of from a lateral light source)
Compared to my RN - one of the very first twenty ever made it is Exactly the same texture.
I wouldn’t exactly call it smooth.
Happy F.P. Friday everyone
Im going for a splash of orange today.
I wish you all a wonderful weekend 🤗
Happy FPJ Friday. Fantastic photo!
I imagine I’ll be wearing my automatique for while after being apart for a few months.