How do you know how the hands on a watch were blued?
I know the best blued hands are heated and not just painted but is there a way of knowing other than what the watch company states ?..Thanks for any replies
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Edwin O
I collect watches, baseball caps NOT made in china , Books, Sir Hubert Wilkins ephemera
Bergen county Nj
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Last active: 25 min ago
IMO if it's a Grand Seiko you don't need to question it. Love the reflection of the blue second hand in this pic
I've never had a watch with blue painted hands/screws. Anyway I try to answer:
The brand. No established original brand with good reputation will do that. At least I never heared it.
The price. Thermal blueing is an additional process that requires facilities, machines, staff and experience. Means: more costs.
Take a closer look. On painted parrs you should be able to see a layer of painr or particles. Especially on the joints to other parts. On thermal blued there is nothing to see as the metal itself has changed its color.
Thermally blued hands can have slight inconsistencies in the colour as it's aged, & you can see with a loupe it's the hue of the metal & not a coating.
Best way it to get a jewellers loupe and examine the parts. Genuine blueing will be a very clean, blue finish to the metal itself. But any cold blueing or blue-effect paint will leave ripples, as they are both very hard to apply evenly. For a much older watch, that might be harder to discern, as a bit of rust/patina may look like this, too. So don't completely write off vintage watches if the blueing isn't perfect, as it doesn't completely protect the metal from oxidisation.
It's my understanding that heat blued hands will appear black or blue depending on the light, as per the following photos:
It's my understanding that heat blued hands will appear black or blue depending on the light, as per the following photos:
Thanks for the information yes i have watches where the hands turn black to blue .