Cleaning

Those spots will not come off. They are part of the process whereby the paint and the lacquer had degraded because of UV damage and interaction with the alloys in the metal dial. I have seen some videos where oil is rolled off (never use a back and forth motion, always roll).

So if i want to restore this watch i simply need to order a new dial?

Rock it that way. It’s perfect the way it is. Just saying.

God no! That dial has loads of character and history.

Dial restoration is a specialty and not inexpensive. There are only a few who can pull it off. The applied details are removed and then the dial is stripped and repainted using period appropriate paints. The applied details are then put back on the dial.

After that, you have a new looking old watch that is worth less to collectors than it would have been before you started. It is really a matter of taste. This is what I am wearing today:

I have a high tolerance for "patina".

the patina looks fantastic...would not touch it

Clean with a damp cotton swab, aka Q-tip. But as others have said, this is aging more than contamination. Were you to use white vinegar or some mild acid, which I am not recommending, be sure to chase it with an alkali something (googling will probably reveal what I'm forgetting) to prevent on ongoing chemical reaction.

Anyway, this has a cool effect to it as opposed to just looking moldy or water-damaged or otherwise rotten. Be thankful.

I don't recommend using something as acidic as lemon juice tho. IMO, just keep it that way, it looks good already!

Personally I’d keep it as it is.

Don't do it!

Yep. Agree with most here. Leave it alone! It looks great as it is.....don't make it look like a new watch. What would be the point?

you would have better luck cleaning the age off someones grandpa. You can't clean the ravages of time.

Why would you want to ruin that aged-kissed dial?

Paging our resident expert for all things vintage Omega - what say you @YourIntruder ?

Don't touch that dial! Removing that type of aging will ruin the dial.

Like everyone else said, don't do it...it's natural patina.

If you want a new watch, just get a new watch.

How would you clean this dial?

I wouldn't, it's aged beautifully.

Just leave it as is. That patina is lovely.

I'm going to have to pretend I didn't read this thread. I'll have nightmares about it.

Don’t touch that dial. Leave it as is!

I love this discussion and it brings out one of the things I really like about vintage watches. A vast majority of people say to leave it as is for character or aging. And that’s fine if that’s what you, the collector, wants to do. I do think it is beautiful but can see that I would also like it to look “new”. Again, if that’s what you want, go for it. However, if you’re thinking about value or resale, the majority here showed that modifying the only dial you have could impact the resale market. The idea of getting a second dial seems like a good compromise.

I definitely wouldn't touch the dial. Looks great

I think this is the way to go - I'm not going to say "don't touch the dial!!" because at the end of the day, it's your watch and I think everyone deserves to own something that they enjoy. By this point you're well aware that any dial modifications will severely impact the value, and might outright destroy the dial or damage it further. If you aren't planning on ever selling the watch, then it's not as important, but I would suggest that if you really do want a mint-condition vintage watch, authenticity be damned, I'd get a separate, orphaned dial to work on/redial, and keep this original one safe just in case.

As it is, I do think this dial has aged very nicely and consistently, and is way better looking than a lot of the other vintage watches I've seen. Beautiful Omega, I wish I had one like that!

I wouldn't personally

This dial looks gorgeous I would not let anyone touch it if I were you. I can pretty much guarantee you will regret it.

Please don't try and clean it. Your Omega's dial looks perfect as it is.

I would never consider trying to refurbish my Omega's dial.

Watch "wrist watch revival" on YouTube, he restores vintage watches. he rarely does anything more to the dial than carefully cleaning it with special swabs and water, and even then the dial can get messed up, the minute marks come off etc .. best to leave it alone, that's what pro restorers usually do

I wouldn't touch it. Not only because it looks good, but you will tank the value of the watch. And hey, maybe that's not important to you. I know there are some people who want vintage watches to look brand-new. I don't understand the mindset at all, but I know it exists out there. But yeah, for the two reasons stated, I wouldn't touch it at all. And if you don't like 'worn' looking watches, just buy new ones.

That dial is stunning as is is.

I thought the point was to get natural patina