I am not one to shy away from faux-patina, in fact I recently just got out of a phase where I wanted it on everything, however I feel the white of the numerals is what makes the patina of the markers 'pop'?
Then again, I'm not a fan of the cushion case of the Mellor so my opinion of the dial (which I like as is) shouldn't hold any weight as I probably wouldn't be a buyer