A vintage dial is a record of every summer it has seen. Lume ages from cream to toast, printing softens, and a sunburst can turn to a gentle tropical brown.
What to look for
Even ageing across the dial is a good sign. Hands and hour markers should have aged together; bright new lume beside a warm dial suggests a later service part.
None of this makes a watch worse. It only tells you its story, which is the reason to buy a vintage piece in the first place.
