Glossary of vintage Rolex watches: Dial patinas

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Today we're going to talk about the lexicon used by vintage Rolex collectors. This lexicon in no way comes from the house of Rolex, it generally comes from US watch forums where the world's greatest collectors wage war with each other with wristshots.

If this theme pleases us, we will continue with other articles on the lexicon of the Rolex collection, a world rich in tiny details.

Certain patina names obviously apply to other watches, but this vocabulary generally comes from collectors of old Rolexes.

Overview of these more than desirable imperfections!

spider

We find so-called Spider dials when certain series of defective lacquered dials crack over time, forming a superb spider web.

Credit: Xupes

Tropical

These are generally black dials which patina offering a brown tint. The lacquer weathers and reveals a tobacco, caramel or even coffee colored dial.

Credit: Tropicalwatch.com

Stardust

A patina found on black or blue dials. The wear of the dial reveals small dots reminiscent of a starry sky.

Credit: Chrono24.com

Lava or Volcano

It is a characteristic patina of the Rolex Submariner and GMT-Master in gold from the 80s with a lava red of the most beautiful effect.

Credit: luxuo.com

Cream or Panna

This is an error from the dial supplier Stern which affects certain Explorer IIs and Daytonas. It is also called ivory or eggshell patina.

Credit: Bob's watches

Patrizzi

This patina simply bears the name of the collector who discovered it, Osvaldo Patrizzi. These are the sub-meters which turn brown. It is found on certain Daytona 16520s.

Credit: romanrea.com

David Bowie

This patina designates the different color of the indexes depending on their shapes. Why David Bowie? Because he had the particularity of having different colored eyes.

Credit: oyster-passion-club.org

Copper

Copper or copper refers to the copper patina that certain gold-colored dials can take on.

Credit: Phillips.com

Salmon

Different from the copper color, these are silver-colored dials that turn salmon color.

Credit: theoandharris.com

Bicchierini

This is the term used by Italian merchants which designates lacquered dials with circled indexes having a tritium patina ranging from fresh butter to caramel or orange color. The translation of this word is "small verrine" referring to desserts made with vanilla, caramel or coffee...

This one was technical!

Credit: mpreziosi.it

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These aesthetic defects that are crippling for some become treasures for others. But the debate is endless...

I hope you enjoyed this article, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

Sources: oyster-passion-club.org 41watch.com

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Joshua Grillet

Founder of LumeVille, watchmaker and vintage watch lover