Hi Friends.
Last week, I bought a GL stepped dial coming with a chronometre 505 movement.and original hands. Looks like it's gold case was melted long time ago and this unit is like a hermit crab with no shell.
Here it was
You can see it's a 18K dial covered by a thin coat like varnish. After a long time, that coat has deteriorated and became a stuff like gum or tar or something very sticky and dirty
here's the 505 movement which is still running strong and in very good shape.
Today, I received it from the mailman and spent 3 hours to work on that and now, here it is.
All the dirty gum and tar were cleaned and gone, now I have a dial which is missing the original coat but looks nicer and shinnier. All the ridges of the steps are in perfect shape. No dents, no damage.
Certainly, I have a shell of this poor hermit crab to get into.
and now, I have another de Luxe dial and the movement to put away somewhere.
Don't ask me what stuff I used to clean away that gum and leave the printings, the scripts intact. but.....there is exception, of course.
Cheers and thank you for looking.
Hoi.