The Breitling Watch Source Forums

So I am still obsessing about my new SA and was wondering can the sun fade the dial color?

Would hate to think what your skin would look like before the dial started showing signs of fading.
Don't worry, your obsession will fade before the dial does

_________________
"It is just a matter of time!"

Yes, it’s a good point you make. Depends on exposure for a start, and how fixed the colour is to breaking down under UV. Many colours, particularly in the blue range, have less life than others when exposed to sunlight. Also depends on the purity of the colour to start with. They refract differently after many years of exposure and breakdown more quickly and differently to other colours around them.

If you are in the sun a lot, try and wear a bund strap over your watch. But, I would be more concerned to take care of my skin in such cases. If it’s just passing light, then you need not worry as it will take a long time for the sun to affect your watch dial.

_________________
Jim

"You have Control".

Not a sun worshiper so sounds like no worries! Thanks!

There's no chance of the sun ever fading the dial (despite what others may claim).

What is it that causes patina on older models? Will that simply not happen to modern pieces?

_________________
Breitling navitimer super constellation LE
Omega Ploprof 1200m
Bremont supermarine
Rolex milgauss GV
Olivant and Botsford 40mm Gold edition

Patina can be caused by a lot of different things - tritium and radium based lume ages and (especially in the case of radium) can affect the dial / hands around it for example. Most patina is caused by environmental factors and is the result of a combination of less advanced dial production processes and materials, less ability to isolate the watch from the outside world (either when new or as a result of aging seals).

In modern watches it's not going to be as much of an issue, although over time if the watch isn't maintained regularly some aging will occur. It won't be a sun faded dial though!

New dials are exposed to extremely strong UV lights for many days to simulate decades of exposure to sunlight. Colour-fastness is not an issue for Breitling (and similar) watches.

_________________
Driver8

Site Moderator

There was a moonwatch run where over time the dial when from black to chocolate it became pretty collectable. Then omega made some chocolate dials on purpose .....special edition.

_________________
Al

“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes"

How about sun/heat damage to the applied indices or wings logo on the dial?...aren't they applied (glued on)? Could that cause those parts to loosen up from the dial? I've seen pics of wings come loose on the dial. Wonder if that is related to heat magnifying from the sun's heat through the glass to the dial (say if you're sun bathing).

_________________
18k Rolex Datejust / Breitling Crosswind Special / Patek SS Nautilus / Bvlgari Diagono Chrono / Bvlgari Scuba / Omega Speedmaster Professional / 60s Omega Constellation

The sun / heat is not a problem.

If items applied to the dial come loose it is because of a severe knock or because they weren't applied properly in the first place.

Yes, that does not surprise me one bit. You can't beat the laws of physics, or chemistry for that matter.

Everything is degrading before your eyes, but only prolonged and continuous exposure to sunlight will show up the degradation so that it’s visible in a shorter timeframe. UV is the killer in the invisible part of the spectrum and anything formulated and tested for exposure to UV will only prolong the degrading for a certain time. Eventually, it will degrade to a visible extent. May take years but it’s not correct to say that it is not happening from day 1. Cause physics says it is.

Many factors of course, including purity of the base materials, the process of manufacture and exposure to sunlight each day. But even though we can’t see the reaction going on, it’s happening.

_________________
Jim

"You have Control".

Entropy always wins - third law of thermodynamics.

_________________
“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

Well, I'll start fretting about it in 50 years. Until then...I won't.

And the wings logos and indices are typically secured by posts through holes in the dial. Could UV radiation and heat from the sun impact that? Yeah, I'll worry about that in a couple hundred years.

Someone remind me - k?

_________________
SHARKMAN