Disappointing Daytona..

OK, so I’ve had my Daytona around 18 months now and although I love the looks and feel of it I just cannot get around the fact I cannot tell the time without spending a few seconds twisting my wrist and staring at the dial.

There is clearly some issue with the silver hands merging into the sub dials. I don’t have this issue with any of my other watches, a mix of chrono and 3 handers, black dial and white dial.

I did think maybe it was the white dial exacerbating the issue but after a quick search on TRF it appears the black dial is even worse for this phenomena. My black dial Tag Carrera is easy to read in most lighting conditions and it only takes a second to see the time so why is it such an issue with the Daytona?

I have been contemplating buying a second set of hands and having them either painted or PVD’d in black, do you think this would help? Has anyone else gone down this route?

Your thoughts are welcome

Dave

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Originally Posted by DJL-73

OK, so I’ve had my Daytona around 18 months now and although I love the looks and feel of it I just cannot get around the fact I cannot tell the time without spending a few seconds twisting my wrist and staring at the dial.

There is clearly some issue with the silver hands merging into the sub dials. I don’t have this issue with any of my other watches, a mix of chrono and 3 handers, black dial and white dial.

I did think maybe it was the white dial exacerbating the issue but after a quick search on TRF it appears the black dial is even worse for this phenomena. My black dial Tag Carrera is easy to read in most lighting conditions and it only takes a second to see the time so why is it such an issue with the Daytona?

I have been contemplating buying a second set of hands and having them either painted or PVD’d in black, do you think this would help? Has anyone else gone down this route?

Your thoughts are welcome

Dave

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Dave

It looks like you have the 116520 which is not the easiest model to read.

Try looking at either a 16520 or the new 116500, both of which are easier to read.

A few shots from google will show what I mean.

Mick

Thanks Mick

I should have said I have the 116500

I must admit they do seem a bit on the poor side for actual glancing time checks.

That's what impressed me about that (pretty awful) spike lee Daytona design, at least you could actually glance read the time.

Mind, I guess most of them are jewellery for the rich & famous anyway :angel12:

I'm getting used to mine but the BLNR and Sub I have are much easier.

I see it as a benefit as I get to look at the lovely thing even more.

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Originally Posted by DJL-73

Thanks Mick

I should have said I have the 116500

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I have a white faced 16520 which has black sub dials and I find it dead easy to read. I find the black faced model slightly harder to read.

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Originally Posted by Mick P

Dave

It looks like you have the 116520 which is not the easiest model to read.

Try looking at either a 16520 or the new 116500, both of which are easier to read.

A few shots from google will show what I mean.

Mick

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I find the 116520 easier to read than the current ceramic.

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Originally Posted by W44NNE

I find the 116520 easier to read than the current ceramic.

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Why is that ?

I find that the 116520 having the silver sub dials is the root cause of the problem.

I am going to put the 16520 on right now and see how I gets on with it over the Christmas period.

I have only ever worn it in Spain during the summer when it was sunny and bright etc.

Let's see how it does in gloomy Britain during December - January.

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Originally Posted by Mick P

I have only ever worn it in Spain during the summer when it was sunny and bright etc.

Let's see how it does in gloomy Britain during December - January.

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Good point, when in bright light it's not really an issue but in lighting other than optimal, i.e pretty much everywhere at this dreary time of year it's pretty dire, don't say I've got to invest in a head torch :spam1:

I don't think there is any difference in the legibility of the black dial 116520 or black dial 116500 - both barely average legibility for the main hands and poor re the sub dials.

However for the main hands I still don't get the difficulty to be able to read the time at a glance.

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Originally Posted by gbn13

I don't think there is any difference in the legibility of the black dial 116520 or black dial 116500 - both barely average legibility for the main hands and poor re the sub dials.

However for the main hands I still don't get the difficulty to be able to read the time at a glance.

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I have been wearing my 16520 for about 10 minutes and find it perfectly straight forward to read the time. No problems at all.

If you can’t read the time with ease it negates the Point of having a watch imho.

I’ve seen the same with silver hands on Monaco’s and the like.

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Originally Posted by bwest76

If you can’t read the time with ease it negates the Point of having a watch imho.

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I agree, but selling is my last resort, hence the question about painting the hands a different colour in the hope it goes some way to curing the problem.

I would probably bite the bullet and look for an alternative watch maybe two watches? A speedy perhaps and maybe a Seadweller

Just need to find someone willing to trade a Seadweller and maybe 5k for a nice LE Speedy

Unlikely I know, good luck ;)

Thousands & thousands spent & can't read the time easily? Hmmm. Sell it, splurge on exotic hols & fast women & wear one you can read.
I had a gorgeous 70s Air King Date, silver dial & hands. Much squinting, denial followed by ta ta.

Honestly, as a Daytona owner, I think it says more about your eyes than the watch. After hearing "hard to read" for fifteen years on the forums I was shocked at how readable it is. It's not a Seiko Tuna, but it's fine.

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Originally Posted by DJL-73

OK, so I’ve had my Daytona around 18 months now and although I love the looks and feel of it I just cannot get around the fact I cannot tell the time without spending a few seconds twisting my wrist and staring at the dial.

There is clearly some issue with the silver hands merging into the sub dials. I don’t have this issue with any of my other watches, a mix of chrono and 3 handers, black dial and white dial.

I did think maybe it was the white dial exacerbating the issue but after a quick search on TRF it appears the black dial is even worse for this phenomena. My black dial Tag Carrera is easy to read in most lighting conditions and it only takes a second to see the time so why is it such an issue with the Daytona?

I have been contemplating buying a second set of hands and having them either painted or PVD’d in black, do you think this would help? Has anyone else gone down this route?

Your thoughts are welcome

Dave

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My thoughts exactly.

Found both the black and white dial difficult to read at glance or without moving the watch about.

The newer versions look better in that regard.

You bought it to tell the time.......that must be a first!!! I wouldn't worry you have the pleasure of owning the world's most coveted SS watch - you can always use your phone if you need to know the time. I have the earlier model and generally use it as a dress watch with my 1680 for day to day wear. Good luck with whatever you decide.

One more post and you could sell it on SC for £15k

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Originally Posted by JP Chestnut

Honestly, as a Daytona owner, I think it says more about your eyes than the watch. After hearing "hard to read" for fifteen years on the forums I was shocked at how readable it is. It's not a Seiko Tuna, but it's fine.

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I have both black and white 116500s, and I honestly don’t have a problem telling the time with either.

I was expecting the black dial to be somewhat difficult based on what I read on here and elsewhere, but so far I’ve had no legibility issues.

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Originally Posted by -Ally-

One more post and you could sell it on SC for £15k

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Precisely, that was my first thought after he said it was a 116500. Why spend a lot of extra money to bastardise a sought after model when there are plenty of punters out there falling over each other to buy the thing.

He could flog it within a day.

The ceramic is not the easiest to read; surprisingly, my blue face Daytona is better. This is often a factor with chronos, all that clutter. One of the best is the bog standard Speedie Pro.
But if readability is the top criteria, the Daytona is a 'fail'. Although I am quite happy to wear mine.

Is it as easy to read as this?


https://s9.postimg.org/ry16wbu8v/37_...32997_D239.jpg

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Originally Posted by -Ally-

One more post and you could sell it on SC for £15k

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Sod £15k if the thing cant be read easily !! I’ll start the ball rolling here, a genuine £50 note and a half eaten packet of Whatsits.

Stuart


Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

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Originally Posted by paskinner

The ceramic is not the easiest to read; surprisingly, my blue face Daytona is better. This is often a factor with chronos, all that clutter. One of the best is the bog standard Speedie Pro.
But if readability is the top criteria, the Daytona is a 'fail'. Although I am quite happy to wear mine.

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Wearing my 74 Speedie now, quick glance and it has lots going on with the 3 subdials and centre chrono seconds but its damn easy to tell the time, maybe one of the reasons it hasn't changed much in design over the last 50+ years..

Yep, after a 10 year lust for a Daytona the one I bought lasted about 4 months.

For me it was a combination of the dial (mine was black) and the lack of wrist presence (for me).

Having recently purchased a black 116500 I can certainly say it is the least legible watch in my small collection.

I would agree with the op - I have 4 different Daytona’s including the ceramic, have very good eyesight and find them all not the easiest to read at a glance. I have lots of other chronos too and do not really experience this issue with them so it is very much a Daytona feature.

Is it the black going into the lume and going to black again, I can see where it would cause a second glance -

http://www.upperwatches.com/wp-conte...-116500-LN.jpg

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Originally Posted by Mick P

Precisely, that was my first thought after he said it was a 116500. Why spend a lot of extra money to bastardise a sought after model when there are plenty of punters out there falling over each other to buy the thing.

He could flog it within a day.

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You may find this difficult to believe but I don't care what other people want, it's my watch and if I want to 'bastardise' it then I will. As long as I'm happy with it then I couldn't care less what people think or for that matter how much it's been devalued, not that having a spare set of hands PVD'd would devalue it in the slightest as I'd still have the originals. I bought the watch because I've coveted one since I first saw one over 10 years ago.

Also if I wished to sell then here would be the last place I would put it up for sale after seeing the train wrecks that appear in SC I'll stay well clear thanks.

Thanks for the replies though everyone, although no one seems to have done what I'm proposing. Maybe a trip to Specsavers over the holiday may be in order.

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Originally Posted by DJL-73

You may find this difficult to believe but I don't care what other people want, it's my watch and if I want to 'bastardise' it then I will. As long as I'm happy with it then I couldn't care less what people think or for that matter how much it's been devalued, not that having a spare set of hands PVD'd would devalue it in the slightest as I'd still have the originals. I bought the watch because I've coveted one since I first saw one over 10 years ago.

Also if I wished to sell then here would be the last place I would put it up for sale after seeing the train wrecks that appear in SC I'll stay well clear thanks.

Thanks for the replies though everyone, although no one seems to have done what I'm proposing. Maybe a trip to Specsavers over the holiday may be in order.

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I think to be fair to others it is easy to see where they are coming from and the advice to try something else rather than tamper with a desirable watch does seem an obvious response.

I see plenty of people on here change dials and hands on Speedmasters to make them look more like desirable limited editions and the original parts are always retained so the watch can be changed back to original state. Just needs a safe pair of hands to do the work to mitigate any damage.

I am sure aftermarket hands could be tracked down on e-bay etc and I don't suppose it would be too difficult to get them recoloured. If it is something that you want to do, then why not.

When I first read the thread I assumed that you had a 116520 with the metal coloured sub dials and that was the issue. Both the Zenith and Ceramic having black sub dials do look that much clearer to my eyes.

Didn't someone on here stick an aftermarket Ceramic bezel on a Zenith and it looked great due to the thin hands and lack of detail around the rehault ring.

Each to their own and all that...

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Originally Posted by DJL-73

You may find this difficult to believe but I don't care what other people want, it's my watch and if I want to 'bastardise' it then I will. As long as I'm happy with it then I couldn't care less what people think or for that matter how much it's been devalued, not that having a spare set of hands PVD'd would devalue it in the slightest as I'd still have the originals. I bought the watch because I've coveted one since I first saw one over 10 years ago.

Also if I wished to sell then here would be the last place I would put it up for sale after seeing the train wrecks that appear in SC I'll stay well clear thanks.

Thanks for the replies though everyone, although no one seems to have done what I'm proposing. Maybe a trip to Specsavers over the holiday may be in order.

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I think people where just giving advice that’s all.

I’ve never owned a Daytona but I’m not surprised to learn that they’re not easy to read. I’ve had this problem with my 16234 Datejust with either black or white dial fitted, it’s a combination of my ageing eyesight and the limitations of the design, but I accept it as a foible of the watch. I recently aquired a Zenith El Primero with a lovely silver/white dial but it does suffer from the same problem.

Much as I find the ‘poor readability’ problem frustrating it doesn’t put me off the watches, I accept them for what they are. There’s no way I’d mess around fitting different hands, it’s the wrong way to go IMO........this may compound the OP’s hissy fit but I can’t say that bothers me.

If’s he’s struggling with his eyes the watch isn’t completely to blame? I accept that with my watches, maybe he needs to do the same.

Paul

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Originally Posted by Chris_in_the_UK

Yep, after a 10 year lust for a Daytona the one I bought lasted about 4 months.

For me it was a combination of the dial (mine was black) and the lack of wrist presence (for me).

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Chris, maybe you should’ve stuck with it...........it’s taken me 12 years to get along with one of my vintage Omegas but I’ve finally done it:smug:

Paul

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Originally Posted by DJL-73

I agree, but selling is my last resort, hence the question about painting the hands a different colour in the hope it goes some way to curing the problem.

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Send it to Bamford Watch Department and for only a few thousand pounds they could make it look like a Speedmaster Pro and problem solved.

"You" have to want to wear it, so do whatever will make you happy in the long run.
Me? I'd love to own Daytona full stop, telling the time is over rated anyway.

I don't have a Daytona, but I do have a silver/black sub-dial Tudor chrono (the one with the polished steel hands)!and I understand the legibility issue. The polished hands can 'disappear' depending on what appears in their mirror surface. I agree that the standard Speedy is possibly the most legible chrono ever.

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Originally Posted by bwest76

Is it as easy to read as this?


https://s9.postimg.org/ry16wbu8v/37_...32997_D239.jpg

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Yes, I can see the Hawker hunter very clearly.

Must say I've never had any problems reading my white face Daytona (2009 so non Zenith), never too sure on the codes.

I'd be disappointed with any Daytona except this type:

https://i.imgur.com/Qoe1YPN.jpg

No ABS, no central locking, no built in sat nav, no airbags, no blue-tooth infotainment thingy, no cruise control........makes you wonder what folks see in these cars:smug:

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Originally Posted by walkerwek1958

No ABS, no central locking, no built in sat nav, no airbags, no blue-tooth infotainment thingy, no cruise control........makes you wonder what folks see in these cars:smug:

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Until the advent of $$$$$ suddenly having no home to go to (ZIRP/NIRP) these things were practically valueless. Right now - and the market is dipping, these things are/were as bankable as certain Rolex.

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Originally Posted by Neil.C

Yes, I can see the Hawker hunter very clearly.

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Well spotted, you have good eyesight.

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Originally Posted by Guycord

Until the advent of $$$$$ suddenly having no home to go to (ZIRP/NIRP) these things were practically valueless. Right now - and the market is dipping, these things are/were as bankable as certain Rolex.

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I think these cars have fetched big money for many years, prices may fluctuate but they’ve been beyond the realms of most us for a long time. I’ll stick with my MGB, it’s cheap to run and it actually exists in my garage rather than my imagination.

Paul

I'm now of the age where I had to take my glasses off, or hold my wrist at a distance, in order to tell the time on a wristwatch, that is until I discovered how clear it is to tell the time on a Panerai. The Rolexes have been consigned to the safe depository since the first PAM arrived. If you are of an age and want to tell the time using a wristwatch I would recommend a Panerai :)

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Originally Posted by ASW1

I'm now of the age where I had to take my glasses off, or hold my wrist at a distance, in order to tell the time on a wristwatch, that is until I discovered how clear it is to tell the time on a Panerai. The Rolexes have been consigned to the safe depository since the first PAM arrived. If you are of an age and want to tell the time using a wristwatch I would recommend a Panerai :)

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There is a third way,he has more clocks than Beaverbrooks has watches.



https://s9.postimg.org/ur0dg56hb/330...F0980829_D.jpg

I bought a white-faced Tissot T-Race on this forum, and must admit that it isn’t the clearest of dials, but there isn’t a lot of money invested in it.

I think if I was the Daytona-owner........ I’d persevere.

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Originally Posted by ASW1

I'm now of the age where I had to take my glasses off, or hold my wrist at a distance, in order to tell the time on a wristwatch, that is until I discovered how clear it is to tell the time on a Panerai. The Rolexes have been consigned to the safe depository since the first PAM arrived. If you are of an age and want to tell the time using a wristwatch I would recommend a Panerai :)

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There's no need to resort to wearing a non-Rolex; the 216570 Explorer II with the white dial option is about as legible as any watch gets. :)