Cleaning a dial (face) on an old watch

[BillN]

Is it something that I should attempt myself

just a careful, light clean - it does not need much

plus should I lightly polish the SS bracelet and case with a dremel



any advice or info

"leave it to the experts"

[Foggy]

Personally, I would leave it exactly as it is (cosmetically).

Foggy

[IAmATeaf]

Just bung it in a washing machine, crown screwed out and with some of those cooking balls chucked in. Wool wash and no spin and it should come out looking good. Adding softener will also make it smell rosey fresh.

[BillN]

I read an article on eBay that said saliva was a good substance to use

"spit and polish"

[Robbo12]

I have also read Saliva is good, IMO I would not take a dremel too it ,just a good Selvyt cloth and some rouge any deep scratches leave it adds character !

The dial will be difficult to clean as its a honeycomb/ hobnail style , maybe a cotton bud and a light dabbing motion ?

I have been told by a very good redialer/ restorer that you can not clean dials ! but this was on a 50s watch , its the top coat/ lacquer thats the problem it may start flaking off !

I have seen Youtube videos of people doing it on vintage stuff with various success.

[sinner77]

Don't touch anything. It's Rolex FFS... Patina comes with added value.

[Tazmo61]

I would leave it .

[rfrazier]

That dial I would leave alone.

If cleaning a dial, I use the following, very carefully, first testing it out on a tiny bit of the dial. I use very small cotton swabs made for the electronics industry, not the ones standardly sold at chemists. The former are more tightly packed, so there is little chance of bits going astray.




I just cleaned this dial with it (very, very lightly).



Best wishes,
Bob

[size11s]

I would just use a bit of Rodico and nothing more, it's a nice dial with expected patina. Definitely not saliva. It is a mix of complex enzymes (the beginnings of your digestion system in your mouth) and also likely traces of what you have eaten or drunk recently. In any case it is certainly not clean or predictable. I don't know what is in Windsor and Newton's artist' picture cleaner but as Bob says take extreme caution and test thoroughly first if you go down any solvent/liquid route.

[estoban7]

Maybe i need my eyes testing but i cant see anything wrong with it.

[sinner77]

There are stains around lume dots.