Watch Dial: Vintage California

Featuring a distinctive composition of half Roman and half Arabic numerals, along with dashes at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock, the California dial has definitely earned its status as an iconic design.

But what's the California connection you may ask? It's a wild one. According to Fratello Watches, during the 1970s vintage watch boom, a Los Angeles-based dial refinisher, Kirk Rich, started refinishing Tudor dials with this distinct design. The biggest problem? Tudor watches that were rebranded “Rolex Tudor” to supposedly increase their prestige. The term “California Dial” then became known among scammers to denote a “redone” dial. In other words, it was a term that applied to fake dials. Read all about it here. 

This Vintage California dial is filled with a special blend of C3 Super-LumiNova® Lume and pigments to produce a creamy, vintage lume colour. Note: To achieve this lume blend, the lume intensity will not be as strong or last as long as dials with original C3 lume.