Dial refinishers: Here for you is a DIRECT comparison

[LittleWatchShop]

Update:  I sent the "Picasso" dial back to the refinisher.  Unfortunately, I sent it to the old address on their website.  I tracked it and watched it get forwarded to one city then to another city and then back the second city and just sat there.  Two weeks later, it has finally arrived at the dial company.  Today I got a call from them.  They are very sorry.  Gonna get right on my dial and get it out to me asap.

The other dial that had the wrong lume should be coming soon I hope.  They never answer the phone, so I will just sit and wait, and hope.

[LittleWatchShop]

The saga continues.  After the address issue in the last update, I have been waiting and waiting.  Months go by.  I call...no answer.

Got a return call several days later.  By mistake, my dial was sent to another customer.  Happily, that customer sent it back.  If all goes well...and there is no precedent for that...I will get my dial next week. This has been a one-year ordeal.

I will post a picture when it arrives.

[Neverenoughwatches]

5 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

The saga continues.  After the address issue in the last update, I have been waiting and waiting.  Months go by.  I call...no answer.

Got a return call several days later.  By mistake, my dial was sent to another customer.  Happily, that customer sent it back.  If all goes well...and there is no precedent for that...I will get my dial next week. This has been a one-year ordeal.

I will post a picture when it arrives.

It better be bloody good or heads will roll eh ?  

[RichardHarris123]

I definitely wouldn't use them again. 

[LittleWatchShop]

OK, I am done.  Got the dial back today--the Picasso dial.  Yes, they admitted the error and had to remake their master plate.  Their first attempt with the Picasso dial result, they did correctly petina lume.  On their second attempt, they failed to patina the lume!!  It is not as if they had no instructions...they did the lume correct the first time and then screwed it up the second time.  Fixed one thing and broke another.

It took them one year to achieve this result.  Granted, I am responsible for ~4 months of delay because I had not gotten to use the dial, but when I started the work, discovered the screw up.

Fortunately, I have a NOS solution, so I am moving on.  Money down the drain.

During this process, they lost my dial.  Sent it to another customer by mistake.  Happily, that customer sent it back.

I do not plan any more dial refinishing with Kirk Rich Dial.  I like the guy that I talk to on the phone...always feels like he is trying, but I have to judge by the results.

International Dial is in the dumpster now, so I dont know of any US refinishers left.

[grsnovi]

There's always these guys: https://billandsons.co.uk/services

I don't remember how/why I ended up with their link saved, possibly due to conversations with a Swiss watchmaker who used them to refinish a dial on a watch he did a video service on YT.

[GuyMontag]

1 hour ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Fortunately, I have a NOS solution, so I am moving on.  Money down the drain.

That's a good get on tracking down a NOS dial, I would have to image they are not common (?).

[LittleWatchShop]

5 hours ago, GuyMontag said:

That's a good get on tracking down a NOS dial, I would have to image they are not common (?).

There is an ebay seller in Florida that had a lot of Wittnauer nos hands and a few dials. Quite unusual indeed.