Steelfish Conundrum

1286 Views 20 Replies 8 Participants Last post by CrispinRobles, Dec 18, 2014

CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · Dec 13, 2014

I'm hoping someone can help me solve this little problem I have with a Breitling Steelfish I recently bought on the Bay. The watch was advertised as having a blue dial, but when I opened the watch box, I couldn't believe my eyes. The watch had a grey dial. I thought I had made a mistake and had bought a watch different from the one I thought I was buying, and the grey dial didn't look bad, so figuring it was my mistake, I let it slide for a couple of days.

Then I decided to go back and re-read the description of the watch. I hadn't made a mistake. It said "blue dial." I sent a message to eBay to mediate the issue. I really wanted that blue dial. The seller sent me a message today: "Breitling didn't even make that model with a grey dial." I checked it out and it seems to be true, but the dial on my watch is unmistakably grey. Look at the pics and tell me I'm wrong.

Now the funny thing about this is that the chapter ring is blue but the dial grey. The seller said the watch had recently been serviced and polished. Could it be that the original blue was changed out for a grey one? I know. Breitling didn't even make a grey dial for this model. So what's going on? I want my money back, and he can have his watch back. This Steelfish does not have a blue dial.

Can anyone give me any feedback on this? Am I seeing grey where I should be seeing blue? Can you see the chapter ring in the pics? Maybe it's just me.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #4 · Dec 14, 2014

Something is awry indeed. I feared that someone would say, "Are you colorblind? That's as blue as it gets." I just don't understand how there could be a grey dial on this watch since Breitling never made one. Is it possible that blue dials eventually fade to grey? Would wearing it in the sun do that? And the seller is so cocksure that the dial is blue.

I've already opened a case on the watch and will get my money back. I'll check out Watch Recon again. And thanks much for your time, camry. You helped me a lot.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #5 · Dec 14, 2014

Of course he doesn't like the challenge and would rather not part with the money I paid ($2,300). The watch was just completely overhauled. Maybe the dial was damaged and some petroleum-based product was used to clean it up and it faded the blue. Maybe a lot of things, but it's good to know that it's not just me. Thank you for taking the time to look and respond. I appreciate it.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 14, 2014

That pic says it all right there. There's no mistaking the color of that dial. Somehow the blue of the dial on mine degraded to grey while the chapter ring stayed blue. I don't know if I'll ever know the true history of the watch. It depends on how honest the seller is going to be with me. Thanks for posting that pic. If you don't mind, I may use it as an example of what the watch is supposed to look like. Cheers, mate.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #9 · Dec 14, 2014

That's something to think about. Looking at other models with blue dials, I haven't found any with this much degradation. The dials are still blue, but not all things are equal. Like someone mentioned above, the watch could have gone through severe changes in environment, such as having been left in the sun and forgotten about. I wonder if the AR coatings would block harmful rays and protect the dial from fading. Ciao.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #11 · Dec 15, 2014

These are the eBay pictures of the watch in question.

There are two more pictures, but they're of the box and booklet. I don't think these pics are much better than my crappy ones, but at least you can see the color in mine. Kind of.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #13 · Dec 16, 2014

Those concentric circles can fool you. If I hold the watch so I can look at the dial at about a 10° angle line of sight, the dial looks blue. The walls of those concentric circles still have blue on them. However, the ridges have lost their pigment and appear grey or something close to grey. I told the seller to look at this thread, and he said the pictures of the watch-in-question look just like the watch he bought when it was brand new, insisting that the dial is unquestionably blue blue blue!!! I asked him in all sincerity if he were colorblind. I don't get it. How can anyone look at those pics, crappy as they are, and say the dial is blue, like brand-new blue???????

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #17 · Dec 16, 2014

I passed with 100%. My eyes have problems but detecting color ain't one of them.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #18 · Dec 16, 2014

That's probably what happened to this watch, which by the way, is on its way back to the seller.

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CrispinRobles

Discussion Starter · #21 · Dec 18, 2014

Thanks much for the photo and encouragement. You sure know how to take a picture. Your photo is as good as any watch photo I've seen. And your Steelfish looks mighty minty. Before and after pics would be interesting to look at, but I'll bet there's not much difference between them, as you seem like a guy that takes care of his stuff.

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